Festive cheer tinged with Covid concern

In an extraordinary year, the islands of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm have gone their own way, taken some mightily difficult decisions and emerged with great credit.

It did not have to be this way. A look across the water to the UK, or even closer to home in Jersey, shows division and turmoil where Christmas has become a battleground of trust in government and science.

Here, the spirit of #GuernseyTogether has stayed strong. Public Health and political leaders have been a rock to which islanders could cling as the coronavirus storms raged around us.

The rewards of that unity are clear for all to see. The pubs, restaurants and churches will be rammed tonight for the festivities.

Tomorrow, care homes and families will be full of laughter and joyous Christmas celebration.

No masks, and nowhere near the same concern about spreading Covid-19 to elderly or vulnerable relatives. To all intents and purposes it is Christmas as usual, with perhaps a little extra cheer and sense of relief given the awful alternatives.

Of course, as the letter writer on this page rightly points out, such an upbeat view is not possible for everyone.

Many islanders will be feeling a loss deeply this Christmas. Not least the families and friends of the 13 people who succumbed to Covid-19 in the spring.

Life, and death, has gone on in 2020. Each loss will be keenly felt this Christmas, especially for those who cannot gather all their loved ones to them because of travel restrictions.

For all those reasons and more, this will be a tough Christmas for many island residents. Loved relatives will be missed around the festive table and those who have family off-island have the double challenge of missing their company and worrying about their wellbeing.

The border controls will weigh heavily.

At this special time of year, and in this extraordinary moment in history, festive cheer is mixed with concern for everyone who is just battling through.