Playing our part today for all our tomorrows

A hush has fallen over our streets, our towns and our city since the shutters were pulled down on life as we have always known it. People have died, thousands are sick, many have lost their jobs and tens of thousands face an uncertain future. Every single person in Derry, Donegal, Tyrone and right across Ireland is afraid, worried for their loved ones, their neighbours and for people generally as they try to separate fact from fiction, rumour from truth, real news from fake news. 

Like everyone else, we, too, are seeking to navigate our way through this new reality, but we want to reassure you that we will continue to strive to deliver reliable, accurate and relevant information. It is a difficult job, particularly in the current climate, made harder at times by conflicting messages and because detailed official information has been lacking . 

As he addressed the nation this week, outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the current air of suspension as the ‘calm before the storm’. His foreboding message about the uneasiness we are all feeling struck home.

Preparations for the fight back against COVID-19 have been ongoing as soon as the reality of the magnitude of what was happening globally became apparent. And this week schools, businesses, offices and workers on both sides of the border are finally getting some clarity.

Many took the decision to close their premises without any guarantees of protection, recognising what some in positions of power seemed to have missed initially - that this is a life and death issue. Some others couldn’t close, knowing that, if they locked the doors, they may never be in a position to reopen them and may have to make people redundant; others realised their services are needed now more than ever. 

None of the measures introduced across Ireland would work unless there was buy-in from the public. And the vast, vast majority of people have played their part. The magnitude of it is still hard to come to terms with for most, but we have acted without hesitation anyway, to protect each other and to protect ourselves.

And communities and businesses across the north west have wasted no time in stepping up to the mark to help  those who are vulnerable, have fallen ill with symptoms or who are self-isolating and housebound. It is inspiring, heart-warming, but not surprising. The people of the north west have always had a strong sense of social responsibility, collectivism and being in this together. We will see more great acts of heroism over the coming weeks, and much of it will pass unnoticed. 

And, then, we have those other heroes, the workers who today, despite having the same fears and worries as the rest of us, will get up and go into the hospitals, surgeries, pharmacies, supermarkets, local shops, buses, taxis and lorries to ensure that local people still have a lifeline. They are truly invaluable and we need them now more than ever, so it is incumbent on everyone not to add to the stress of their frontline jobs in these worrying times. Be respectful, be thankful, keep your distance from them and each other, and stay away from them if you have a cough, a temperature or any other symptoms. 

We can and will get through this together - by keeping apart, and if there is any chink of light in these dark days, it is that we all have pause to realise what we mean to each other.

Hopefully, when this is all over and we start to regroup, we will remember that.