Consumers can back island with confidence

A timid community, cowed by the coronavirus, will struggle to bounce back and turbo-boost its economy.

For while pubs, shops and hotels might be open for business, they need people to come out of their fortresses and start spending.

Wallets and purses that have lain untouched on the sideboard need to be dusted off and restored to their rightful place.

The confidence that has enabled the island to speed through the first five phases is vital now if local businesses are to be supported.

Islanders did not flinch when it came to sending their children back to school. Nor, with the exception of those who are vulnerable and shielding, should they hesitate too long before getting a haircut, buying a coffee and trying on that new top.

Surveys in England show that only a third of people feel safe outside their homes. In Germany, which has won respect for its handling of the virus, sales in clothing stores are down 44% three weeks after opening. In France, the land of couture and cafes, it is down a third.

One in five shoppers now intends to buy clothes online rather than enter a physical store.

The Bailiwick cannot afford to go down that route. After months without revenue, retailers need a quick boost to their bank balances.

Just as in education, we have a head start on much of the UK. From Saturday and the end of lockdown the Bailiwick starts building. The more money circulating in the economy from the plumber to the shoe shop, the gym owner to the juice bar, and the restaurateur to the wholesaler, the better.

The island’s leaders have been the darlings of the national media for the past few weeks.

Justifiable island pride at the rapid crushing of Covid-19 can now be converted into confidence that the future is in our hands.

With the borders closed we know the risks for most islanders are low.

Safety still comes first, of course, with distancing where sensible and good hand hygiene but the sooner people get used to the new normal the better.