Letters - Monday, February 17, 2020

As an expatriate for the past 12 years, I can report that in Guilin, mainland China, the streets are becoming ever more deserted following the coronavirus epidemic.

Though the buses are running regularly, there are few taxis, their drivers touting for business – but in vain. Those that are out and about after the New Year holiday shun public transport.

The president has ‘ordered’ the nation back to work. The many thousands of doctors and nurses, over this past month, they have never known anything else; day and night worked off their feet – even more than is usual. The masks out of stock, the beds in the corridors.

The image of Doctor Li, his efforts to warn of evidence of an unknown virus ‘rewarded’ with a knock at his apartment at 2am, confronted by the police and warned to stop the scaremongering,

Had the authorities listened to Dr Li, they could have drastically reduced the spread of the virus which was blamed on the so-called ‘wet markets’ in Wuhan, a city the size of London, where four-legged creatures, from monkeys to dogs and the snakes and bats are slaughtered live before the eyes to meet the need of the Chinese.

The mouth masks are ubiquitous. The people are being ‘good citizens’, and at least the masks prevent the spitting. But when the crisis is past, the dirty habits will recommence.

A new hospital – 1,000 beds – is being built in Beijing in 10 days. CCTV shows it under construction; the red flag is waved, the people shake their fists, vowing to beat this ‘devil of a virus’, but it will need more than fine words to succeed. The unhygienic habits are too ingrained in their culture. There is anger, but there is an arrogance.

But there’s always a scapegoat – heads are rolling today in Wuhan.

Jeremy P Fawcett

Guilin, China

ENVIRONMENT

Ministers must lead by example

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and members of his Cabinet who share a commitment to climate change should start in Downing Street with a reduction in the number of ‘gas-guzzling’ vehicles in the fleet used to transport them all between Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament.

The short distance of a quarter of a mile between Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament could be driven in electric vehicles, rather than petrol/diesel guzzling Jaguars and Range Rovers!

There is now a range of electric vehicles which could accommodate all the possible the requirements of not just the Prime Minister, but also senior Cabinet ministers and their Metropolitan Police protection officers.

And for longer trips, dual fuel vehicles can be used until the technological or advancements of battery capacity is increased, so that drivers can travel 200 miles, or more, before requiring recharging.

The Government should ‘lead by example’ in taking practical measures in reducing CO2 emissions.

Dave Ellis

Address supplied

POLITICS

Boris Johnson’s fantasy bridge

Boris has announced he plans to spend 15 years building a bridge to link Scotland and Northern Ireland.

He does have previous experience in this field, with his plans for a garden bridge over the Thames, which cost £50m before being ignominiously cancelled.

Aside from the inevitable spiralling costs, this bridge seems even more far-fetched, given how unlikely it is that both Scotland and Northern Ireland will still be part of the United Kingdom in 15 years’ time.

Phil Cray

via email

CELEBRITYy

Why do stars make the private, public?

When Phillip Schofield came out, why did it have to be a drama?

Why not just inform his nearest and dearest?

Peter Rickaby

address supplied

CRIME

Police officers are doing their best

I am sick of people sending in opinions about the police with sarcastic comments about them thinking it is their lucky day if they see a uniformed officer.

Let me remind you: Cameron, Clegg and May cut numbers by 20,000 and more. Add to this people taking early retirement due to stress and a significant number off sick with PTSD, then Johnson’s promise of 20,000 “new” police officers is as vacuous as Hancock and his 20,000 “new” nurses who will be persuaded to stay in their jobs.

A 20,000 addition will only top up the numbers cut.

I know of officers who have to stay on for hours after their shift because there is no one to, say, replace them at a crime scene or work seven or eight days in a row.

Compare that to the level of attendance in the House Of Commons by these Tory MPs who have no respect for public sector staff.

T Maunder

via email