Select a region
His Excellency, the Lieutenant Governor has addressed the public in what is a "sobering moment" for our community, following the first death of a covid-19 patient in Guernsey.
Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder is asking that the public does more to combat the spread of corona virus, while supporting those on the 'frontline'.
"This is a sobering moment for our Bailiwick," he said. "Secretly, I suspect, some might still have hoped that it would not come and that, somehow, the worst of this global pandemic might pass our islands by. But, in our hearts, most of us knew this would not be the case. Sadly, that is confirmed today and, whilst we must always hope, the reality is that this death is unlikely to be the last. The next few weeks are going to be difficult for all of us."
The elderly patient passed away at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital yesterday.
"In Her message of a few weeks ago, The Queen emphasised that the United Kingdom's history had 'been forged by people and communities coming together to work as one, concentrating our combined efforts with a focus on the common goal'," His Excellency added. "It was, I am sure, Her Majesty's intention that this sentiment should apply equally to Her Crown Dependencies and specifically to us here in the Channel Islands. The history of our Bailiwick in adversity bears proud testament to this.
"Though such combined efforts, we are much better placed to manage the consequences of this outbreak than we were, even a matter of a few weeks ago.
"Those efforts have brought us valuable time and will make a real difference in inhibiting the progress of the disease. I am confident that, in the final reckoning, they will be found to have significantly reduced the risk, especially to the most vulnerable in our community. These restrictions have, and will continue to save lives!"
Pictured: Director of Public Health, Dr Nicola Brink has put a number of restrictive measures in place.
However, Sir Ian would like to see the community work harder to follow Public Health's guidance.
"It remains vital that we continue to put our responsibilities to others before personal comfort and convenience," he continued. "The next few months are going to test our ‘Island Spirit‘ to the limit.
"But through this difficult time I do urge each and every one of you to keep faith.
"Keep faith in our leadership, our health professionals, our emergency services, those who are keeping our food shops open and our broader public and voluntary services. Trust and support them; they will not fail us.
"Keep faith in the global scientific effort to develop and distribute a vaccine and other treatments. Huge resources are being focused on this, and it will happen.
Pictured: The PEH has been preparing for a peak in the number of positive cases.
"But most of all, we need to keep faith in ourselves and each other. We need to keep faith in our resilience, our sense that we are facing this together, and our consideration and mutual support for each other. We may have to distance ourselves physically, but we must not distance ourselves emotionally and in terms of our respect and concern for one another. We must remain one Bailiwick in our fight to defeat this infection."
His Excellency ended his public address with words of hope.
"Finally, though the sense of this first loss is raw today and we are all justifiably concerned for the future, I leave you with some words of Victor Hugo; 'Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise'.
"Please stay safe, continue to look after yourselves and each other."
Pictured top: His Excellency, Sir Ian Corder.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.