Letters - Monday, November 30 2020

I submitted my Covid-19 test for the virus last Monday and had to phone 119 this afternoon chasing results.

Unfortunately I have to take another test because my first test couldn’t be “read”.

While talking to the staff on 119 they informed me that because they were so busy with the volume of tests, the results can now take up to five days to be returned.

It would appear that Johnson and Hancock have increased the capacity to do tests but not the capacity to process them.

So why do those two keep boasting about a quick turn round within 48 hours ?

Boris Johnson appears to be a blustering dictator sat on a throne.

The only throne he should be sat on, is the one in the bathroom, because he’s full of something and it’s not truth.

Bill Geraghty

Blackpool

Virus

Please by patient, vaccine nearly here

My son, daughter-in-law, son-in-law and grandson are all doctors working in the hospitals dealing with Covid patients.

They and their colleagues are all exhausted. I hope people can be really sensible over Christmas and not increase the workload of all those in the NHS.

The vaccine is just around the corner, can’t we all be patient and meet up when it’s safe?

Hilary Andrews

address supplied

Virus

Plans to halt Covid is full of risks

The Government has had nearly a month to devise a realistic plan to halt the spread of Covid-19, in order to protect people’s health and prevent the NHS facing collapse.

Worryingly, the Prime Minister has revealed a plan that is full of risks and threatens to undo the progress and undermine the difficult sacrifices the public have made in that time.

He says the new measures are tougher than October, when in reality many are far more relaxed, at a time when infection rates and Covid-related hospitalisations and deaths remain high. For doctors and NHS staff who are already working under incredible pressure, the potential impact on NHS services is deeply worrying.

It’s extremely concerning that outdoor events with crowds of up to 4,000 people will be allowed to go ahead and groups of 1,000 will be allowed to congregate indoors as many of these proposed measures are more relaxed than Tier 3.

And there’s no change to the illogical Rule of 6 applying indoors – when the Government itself has repeatedly said that mixing of different households indoors is the greatest cause of spread of the virus. A ‘rule of two households’ as proposed in the BMA’s own exit strategy, would do far more to prevent transmission.

Now equipped with knowledge of the failings of the first three-tiered system, which led to another national lockdown, the Government must not repeat the same mistakes and risk accelerating the spread of the virus. Despite news of a potential vaccine there is no room for complacency. With the virus still very much a threat, hundreds of lives being lost daily and pressures on the NHS escalating, tighter restrictions in the short-term will give us a greater chance of returning to normality in the longer-term – we must not lose sight of the end goal.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul

BMA council chair

Electric cars

No solution for no off street parking

In response to letters on electric cars, I live in an apartment and so am particularly aware of the need for on-street rapid charging, a problem indeed shared by anyone without access to an off-street parking space.

There is very limited availability of public charging points in the area so I have contacted my local authorities asking for details of their plans to remedy this situation. So far not I have not received any reassuring reply and the clock is ticking to 2030.

Diane Haigh

via email