Hope is the sunlight to lift the gloom

With the sun shining, a gentle breeze in the trees and not a contrail in the sky, the islands are looking at their best.

On a normal bank holiday weekend it would be an opportunity for people to get out there, meet friends and family, and relax.

After the grimmest and wettest of winters the brilliant sunshine would, in ordinary times, be especially welcome.

Sadly, these are not ordinary times.

The cafes and lunch spots are quiet, the terraces of bars sit empty, devoid of drinkers, life and merriment.

Even the churches, on this most holy of weekends, have had to close their doors and retreat to a virtual world that offers comfort but cannot replace communal prayer.

It is for the best, of course, and perhaps a chance to reflect on what is really important, away from the usual hubbub of busy work and social lives.

Surrounded by natural beauty, islanders can be thankful for what we have.

Our health service stands strong. It is staffed by dedicated professionals and already resourced better than many poor countries of far larger populations, who now find themselves in cruel bidding wars against the economic might of the US and European nations.

There is no sign here of the tsunami of Covid-19 cases that has submerged the intensive care units of other jurisdictions.

It is early days and the peak of infection has not yet arrived, but there is good cause to believe we have it within our hands to avoid the worst.

Lockdown is being observed, our testing teams have the skills and equipment to quickly hunt down clusters of infection and more vital equipment, including ventilators, arrives this weekend.

Strong leadership and urgent action has brought us to a place of relative confidence. Not that the disease will leave us unscarred – there has already been too much personal tragedy and financial loss for that.

But in the midst of a dark storm that has the power to frighten and demoralise, it is important to reflect on good reasons to be hopeful.