Innocent days of gathering may be gone

The Vale Earth Festival, the turning on of the Christmas lights, several Cobo music gigs, a dance festival and countless packed business, theatre and sport gatherings have all been held.

Each would have been impossible throughout much of Europe and the near-unique ability to gather together without fear was rightly cherished.

In the space of one weekend, such events have come to seem like part of a more innocent time as Covid-19 has reminded islanders that it demands respect and punishes complacency.

Whether the island can return to such freedoms before the autumn and the hard work of the vaccinators is largely done remains to be seen.

Even if this outbreak is contained it is difficult to see it being worth the risk of a superspreader event where potentially scores of people become vectors for the disease. The vaccine should eventually bring a form of herd immunity but Public Health must be given time to get us there.

For the moment, the focus will remain on subduing this outbreak before it gets out of hand.

Islanders took to that yesterday with gusto. The roads, ordinarily packed for rush hour, were empty. The streets eerily quiet.

Those who did venture out to the shops or for a medical appointment were largely happy to wear a mask or scarf. Those who did not should get over their awkwardness and follow suit. It is not for your safety but everyone else’s.

For the same reason people are right to stay at home. The contact tracing team are working hard to identify the links between clusters but it is safer if everyone assumes that they might be a carrier.

In the meantime islanders must slip back into the all too familiar routine of Zoom quizzes, food deliveries, home schooling and a near religious devotion to the daily walk, run, cycle or swim.

It is a strange half-world, devoid of much real human contact.

The hope and ambition has to be that it will not be for long.