Is asking people not to travel for six months or so asking too much?

What brought it all home is that when I read his letter – Thursday 17 September – in the Guernsey Press I had just hung up with a friend in New York, who like most of my friends there, has not seen his Manhattan flat since March when he went to live in his Long Island beach house. A few days back, a Belgium explained that if he travelled to Paris, Corona red zone, the Belgium government would cut his health benefits. It goes on and on and on.

What I find extraordinary is that anyone living here today under such freedom of action, would not understand the wisdom of the present government which has offered us one the safest places in Europe to be in.

Is asking people not to travel for six months or so asking too much?

This when we know what some of our parents and great-grandparents have gone through.

The First World War 20m. dead – 1918/1919 the Spanish flu 35 to 50m. dead – the Second World War 50m. dead – as it is good to realise that for the first time in over 1,000 years Europe has not had any wars in 75 years.

In light of this, asking us to put back our travel plans for a while really pales to the past century.

Indeed it is sad to see how our government is thanked by such selfishness not to say stupidity, resembling when some are politicising the wearing of masks that are the only protection till a distant vaccine comes along.

All I can add is that I am indebted and truly thankful to the present government for having made my past six months as liveable as they have been. When I see what is going on in the rest of Europe/world, I owe it a great deal.

So to this government – thank you, thank you for having had the foresight you have had. Thank you for having the courage you have had. Thank you for your intelligence. Thank you for being there when it counted in unprecedented times.

YANN-GABRIEL HENTSCHKE