Our brave army is ready to do battle

Its army of nurses, doctors and ancillary staff are prepared and waiting for an onslaught of coronavirus cases.

We wish them well. Their professionalism and bravery in the face of a remorseless hidden enemy will be fully tested over the coming weeks.

For it is clear that we are now fully engaged with Covid-19.

We have bought ourselves time with contact tracing, testing, self-isolation and now lockdown but, with 60 cases confirmed, there is no pretending it will not touch members of our community profoundly.

There is good reason, however, to take comfort from the calm confidence of our medical forces.

They have trained all their adult lives for moments such as this and, although it has been hectic, the last few weeks of borrowed time have readied the wards and medical facilities for the worst.

Ventilators, negative air pressure rooms and protective equipment await the patients who will now surely come, albeit hopefully as a stream not a torrent.

Not before time, we have control of our own testing equipment, a vital weapon in the ongoing battle to help healthcare workers stay safe and to track down those clusters of infection.

While the battle rages in the PEH, islanders must stay calm and follow advice. This is a war that involves us all, not just those on the frontline.

By cutting infection rates we can help reduce the number of hospital cases arriving each day and make more effective the time-pressured work of the contact tracing teams.

It is worth repeating, because it will save lives. Wash your hands, stay at home, keep a safe distance at all times and treat all symptoms of Covid-19 with the utmost respect.

Above all, have faith in our medical teams and stand united behind them, willing them on.

Sadly, there will be casualties and losses. But the hospital stands ready. Its staff are ready. So we must do what we can to watch their backs.