Jim Power: ECB has done well, the EU has been poor, and the Irish scorecard is mixed a year into Covid crisis

'In a nutshell, the handling of Covid and the vaccine programme is causing serious political ripples across the world'

Boris Johnson has managed to turn around his political fortunes in a dramatic fashion and is definitely on the front foot but European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has not inspired confidence.

PASSING the first anniversary of the Covid-related lockdown of the Irish economy and Irish society, it has been an immensely challenging year on many fronts. However, the damage to the economy, the national psyche and the lives of people has been immense.

At the time of writing, there have been around 4,715 Covid-related deaths in the Republic and 2,116 deaths in Northern Ireland. The legacy of the pandemic will last for a long time to come.