Health fears over Boris Johnson’s ‘whack a mole’ strategy – Yorkshire Post Letters

THE Prime Minister has talked about a ‘whack a mole’ strategy to tackle local outbreaks of the virus, but this is no use if the people leading the response on the ground – be they public health teams or local leaders – are not given the most accurate up-to-date data possible. This is crucial to allow swift action and to protect lives and the health service, and something that is not happening right now.

This is all the more important given that the ‘world-leading’ 
test and trace app is not in 
place.

The virus is still very much in circulation, with the most recent figures estimating that around 51,000 people in the community have Covid-19 in England at any given time.

While we understand people around England will be looking forward to this weekend when lockdown restrictions will be eased further, it is vital that the Government puts in place 
robust measures to mitigate the spread of infection, with clear public health messaging including the wearing of face coverings when social distancing is not possible.

Hospitals and GP practices need guarantees that they will be supported at the first sign of a flare-up – with proper supplies of PPE so that they can put their patients and staff first.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

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Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor