Coronavirus daily briefing: Thank you to our #HealthHeroes

Dear reader,

Today, both in our newspaper and on our website, we paid tribute to the heroes of the NHS, those people who are going to work every day on the front line, trying to keep us safe and risking their own health. Without them, this grim situation would be a lot worse. Thank you NHS!

It is imperative that all of our health workers receive the personal protective equipment they need and on that front it was disappointing to read that one care worker in the Western Trust says she was sick with worry over the lack of equipment provided for her and her colleagues as they visited different homes.

The lockdown is definitely not easier for our older readers, so we went out of our way this week to give one loyal reader a happy 99th birthday after a request from her family.

Margaret Wilkinson’s family got in touch, asking could we publish a photograph of her in the News Letter to mark her birthday. Well, we went a few steps further and published this piece charting Margaret’s eventful life. Happy birthday Margaret from everyone at The News Letter.

As the Easter weekend approaches, all of our politicians and healthcare professionals have asked everyone to continue to obey the restrictions. With good weather forecast, it is no doubt tempting to head off to one of Northern Ireland’s many beauty spots, or to mix with family and friends.

But we need to keep our discipline for a while longer and support the NHS and save lives.

Alistair Bushe

Editor