THERE was a time in the recent past when headlines were dominated by doom and gloom.

There was the soaring Covid-19 death toll, redundancies, daily tragedies.

No-one has been immune from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. It has touched everyone in some way or another.

At its worst, it felt as though it would never end and the blackness would never go. But now there is hope.

We have had the privilege of reporting uplifting stories of survival, of ingenuity of businesses in adapting to the challenges laid before them and of people’s kindness. We are not out of the woods yet.

Social distancing has certainly helped to stem the tide of the virus but it is not over yet as testified by still more deaths being reported in north Essex today. 

So the message is today to stay vigilant but dare to dream.

Shops in Tendring are preparing to re-open, schools are making preparations, normal life waits round the corner.

Restrictions will need to be in place for some time yet.

But hopefully the worst of this terrible episode is behind us.