Boris Johnson plan to halt virus still full of risks – Yorkshire Post Letters

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.

Jesus is star attraction

From: Canon Michael Storey, Healey Wood Road, Brighouse.

JAYNE Dowle (The Yorkshire Post, November 23) has written an excellent article reminding the readers that this Christmas “can’t be the same”.

Her closing words are right to the point. “For Christians at least, its not about planning the biggest family get-together, buying the most extravagant gifts... its about celebrating a series of selfless acts.” I agree with Jayne’s suggestion that this year should be the year to follow “that star” of the birth of Jesus, rather than the many other “stars” of overspending and over mixing with other people.

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