Irish Examiner view: Spring equinox and shoots of hope

Prospect of a post-pandemic world is now within our sights

A spring lamb walks past daffodils in a field in County Cavan on a sunny spring day. Traditionally a time of hope and new beginnings, we can do with large servings of both after a long, hard winter which has taken such a heavy toll.

St Brigid might have us believe that spring starts on February 1, but the first official day of spring arrives this weekend with the spring equinox, which marks a time of equal daylight and darkness around the world.

Spring is traditionally a time of hope and new beginnings and we can do with large servings of both after a long, hard winter which has taken such a heavy toll. Coronavirus has claimed more than 2.7m lives worldwide and it has wreaked havoc on our daily lives, economy, and relationships in ways that are not yet fully evident.

Yet there is reason to be hopeful as the AstraZeneca vaccine was deemed “absolutely safe” by the Health Products Regulatory Authority yesterday. There is still a way to go, with public health experts warning that it may be June before restrictions are eased significantly.

We have made a lot of progress, though, and while vaccination rollout has been slower and more halting than we would have hoped, the prospect of a post-pandemic world — however it might look — is now within our sights.