Cavan people deserve great credit

A couple of weeks ago there was a most amusing clip doing the rounds on WhatsApp. Two Cavan lads cheered “Go on Cavan” as a graphic on TV showed the county surging to the top of the list of COVID-19 infection levels.

It's true Coronavirus is no laughing matter. It has left families without loved ones. It has done irreparable damage to businesses. It has put immeasurable stress on our healthcare workers. Its repercussions include isolation, long-term health implications, personal anxiety and social division.

In Shakespearian drama, the Bard would often introduce a moment of levity when things were particularly dark. It gives the audience a chance to breathe. The actions of those two lads having the craic as Cavan's dire situation are revealed on national television was just such a moment of comic relief. It did not undermine the seriousness of our situation, it just gave us a momentary respite.

Cavan has had a torrid time as a result of COVID-19 infection. Since the first Lockdown last March we have come to national prominence for all the wrong reasons on a number of occasions.

Last May the incidence of the disease in the county was the highest in the State, reaching 1,004.3 per 100,000 population. Then in October, the electoral area of Ballyjamesduff had the highest 14-day incidence rate of coronavirus cases, more than five times the national rate, in fact a European high.

Speculation about the reason for our elevated numbers is just that: Speculation. Yet it possibly has something to do with our proximity to the Border. Others say it is down to our close knit communities, our naturally gregarious character and the friendliness that is a stamp of the Cavan personality.

The world has only known about COVID-19 for 12 months, though it feels like a lifetime. In that period, it has radically transformed the way we interact with each other.

Social distancing and mask wearing have stripped us of the intimacy of interpersonal contact. For a surprising number of people, this is unacceptable but, having spoken to the families of the bereaved or those who spent months in hospital battling the virus, the facts confirm they are a necessary evil.

The news on Monday evening that County Cavan has dramatically dropped out of the top 10 of the counties worst affected by COVID-19 brought a genuine sense of elation to anyone observing the trends of the last year.

The delight as the county fell a full seven places from fourth position on Sunday to eleventh place on Monday was a mirror of the wags in the WhatsApp clip. The most recent figures show less than five new cases of COVID-19 were announced for the Breffni County by the Health Surveillance Protection Centre (HPSC).

This is down to observance of the Level Five restrictions. And remember Cavan was in Level Four the week prior to restrictions being ramped up.

It's tough on us all. Instead of the usual November bustle, the streets are considerably quieter, the 'non-essential' shops remain shut, there is no meeting up for a pint or a coffee. The simple little things that are like salt, an enhancement to the flavour of life, have been taken away from us. However it's for the greater good.

We should congratulate ourselves on the success of our efforts to contain the virus. It has been a tremendous effort and one that is paying off. The elderly and medically vulnerable of our community are the direct beneficiaries of our actions.

Our situation is not isolated. The actions of the government across the Border have an impact here. On Monday the Stormont ministers failed to reach agreement on a potential extension of circuit-break coronavirus restrictions in Northern Ireland. Their four-week lockdown closed much of the hospitality sector in the North, but now they look to open up sections of the country.

This is part of the balancing act between the needs of business and public health.

We will face such considerations in early December and hopefully when we do 'open up' again we will be more vigilant about the necessary precautions than when we exited the first lockdown.

Meanwhile, 4,900 odd kilometres away, there was an election.

The social division here around the need for restrictions is magnified tenfold across the Atlantic ocean. Donald Trump has a couple of months to clear out the desk drawers in the Oval Office, empty the closets of the Executive Residence and perhaps pay a few last visits to the Chocolate Shop before he bids adieu to the White House.

He may seem a spoilt bully, but he was the chosen representative of millions of people. The column inches commanded by the office of POTUS over the last four years are sure to drop in the coming term.

Hopefully we can find some Cavan connection for Joe Biden and invite him to Áras an Chontae when he pops over.