After an uplifting day in the sunshine yesterday, I made the mistake of checking for updates on the Government of Jersey’s social media account around midnight, and Jersey’s Heath Minister, Richard Renouf, had just posted.

‘ Sadly, this evening, I need to announce that a patient of ours who has been in our care for some time, has died after a long illness. This patient was in their 80s, with underlying long term health conditions, on an end-of-life pathway, and was receiving palliative care.’

Then came the anticipated rub.

‘While they were being treated for their illness, and at the latter stages of their life, the patient contracted Covid-19 and has, sadly, died today, Wednesday the 25th March, in the care of Health and Community Services.’

The first Coronavirus death in Jersey; someone in their eighties with an underlying health condition, doesn’t make it any better.  My heart goes out to their friends and family.

There is a certain inevitability about it all now our small island has recorded its first Coronavirus related death.  We have been anxiously waiting for the Storm to break while watching the chaos unfold in the world around us and now we too have started our own bumpy ride into the eye of the storm.