On Thursday night, in a remarkable show of appreciation and support, vast numbers of people stood on their doorsteps or at their windows to clap and cheer the health service staff who are at the front line of the coronavirus fight.
Every one of us has a family member or knows someone who works for the NHS or has benefited from the care and attention of these dedicated professionals at some time in our lives.
We owe a debt of gratitude, not only to the doctors and nurses, but to every person who works in any capacity in our hospitals, health centres, pharmacies and in the community.
It is humbling to witness the commitment of so many people to the service of others and the wider public good.
They deserve our thanks but they also deserve to be given the equipment they need to stay safe and to be given access to coronavirus testing.
In recent days, Prince Charles, Boris Johnson and health secretary Matt Hancock have all tested positive for Covid-19. That not only reminds us that everyone, regardless of position in life, is at risk from this virus but also underlines the importance of widespread testing, particularly for healthcare staff.
These protective measures are essential decisions that politicians and officials will have to make but there is much that ordinary citizens can do to safeguard the health service.
The rules announced on Monday are vital to slowing the spread of the virus, however, leading GPs in Belfast say they are 'dismayed at the actions of many members of the public.'
They have called on political leaders to adopt a 'complete lockdown' at the earliest opportunity.
Clearly, this is a message from health professionals that must be taken extremely seriously.
They are obviously deeply concerned about the horrifying situation that has unfolded in China, Italy and Spain. In Italy alone, 37 doctors have lost their lives after contracting coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the preparations for field hospitals and mortuaries in Northern Ireland are a chilling portent of what is to come, the 'tsunami' of cases as it has been described.
As the death toll mounts, each person needs to ask themselves if they are doing enough to reduce the spread of this deadly disease.
We each have a responsibility in all of this.
This weekend, the best way to help the health service is to stay at home.
