Covid-19 means Christmas 2020 will not be the occasion any of us would have hoped for. Unemployment has left many families struggling with serious financial hardship. Travel restrictions have robbed many of the joy of reuniting with loved ones. Those with family and friends overseas continue to watch on fearfully as the pandemic rages and some of us have lost loved one. To them we send our heartfelt sympathies and prayers. And none of us truly knows how things will develop in 2021, which adds continued uncertainty to the challenges already posed by Covid-19.
So, understandably, many of us may not have happy memories of this Christmas or indeed of 2020. But that doesn’t mean we should forget or abandon the three traditional Christian themes of this season – gratitude, thanks and hope.
Covid-19’s impact on our livelihoods has been cruel, but we have been spared the terrible human cost we have seen unfold across many parts of the world. For that we should be grateful to God.
And we should be thankful to those amongst us whose hard work, skill and ingenuity mean we have weathered this seemingly never ending storm. The list of these heroes is long, but bears mention. They represent the very best of Anguilla and we are proud of them.
Our world class Ministry of Health team. In a rapidly changing situation, your expertise, advice and hard work meant we kept the virus out, could safely bring our people home and can now begin to welcome visitors safely. Special thanks go to the repatriation and surveillance teams, both of which have been working non-stop for months overseeing the regulated and safe entry into Anguilla of returning Anguillians, residents and visitors.
All at the Health Authority. You worked at pace, and without rest, to prepare for a possible major outbreak. Special thanks to the laboratory team at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Your dedication means Covid-19 testing in Anguilla is amongst the most accurate and fastest in the world. Without you, we would not be welcoming visitors back.
The Tourist Board along with many tourism stakeholders have done a stellar job in working together to create an on-line application system which guides residents and visitors through the process of entering the island. They are backed by Immigration, Customs, airport and seaport personnel who have been working hard adapting to the changes in the way they work due to COVID-19.
Thanks also to the officers of the Royal Anguilla Police Force including our Special Constables who joined our air and boat operators to protect our borders at a critical time.
The hard working teams at Social Security and the Ministry of Finance who have delivered the unemployment payment scheme to those many persons out of work.
And we can be hopeful as we look to 2021 as vaccination offers a realistic prospect of defeating the silent and invisible enemy. How long it will take to return to the “good times” no one can tell, but I believe we have turned a corner and are on the road back.
Finally, it is time for us to say goodbye. This Christmas is our last in Anguilla and we will shortly leave to return to Britain. It is a sad moment for both of us. Three and a half years have passed in a blink of an eye. We want to thank you for the friendship and kindness you have shown us, but above all for the opportunity to have shared Anguilla’s journey with you through difficult and good times. It has been a privilege few are fortunate to get, and one we will remember for as long as we live.
So wherever you are, we both wish you a happy and blessed Christmas and the very best for 2021. God bless you all and God bless Anguilla.
