Letters - Wednesday March 3, 2021

Couple want to be Hollywood stars
See letter from MSSee letter from MS
See letter from MS

How much longer do we have to suffer the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who, apparently having ‘told all’ in a recent book, feel sufficient attention hasn’t been paid to their sorry story and now intend to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show?

No doubt they will be aware of the ‘questions’ to be asked and approved as Meghan Markle appears something of a control freak.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I used to have the greatest respect for Prince Harry, especially the good work he did with the Invictus Games and the Army.

When Meghan first appeared, I really warmed to her and believed they could achieve something good for the monarchy and our country.

How sad to be so disillusioned.

She is not a team player.

It would appear they wish only to be Hollywood stars.

The title she received by marrying Harry gave her far more prestige than when she was a B-rated actress in Suits.

MS

Address supplied

virus

We still need to be careful

The Prime Minister’s roadmap sets out a gradual and phased plan for lifting restrictions at the earliest opportunity. Lifting restrictions too quickly will mean history will repeat itself and that’s why it’s so important we do all we can to avoid another lockdown. We know how quickly infections can rise when we let our guard down. Data will be monitored constantly and if restrictions are being eased too quickly and dates for easing restrictions need to be pushed back, they will be.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Having said that, it’s clear that lockdown is working, and infection rates have fallen and continue to do so.

This in turn has led to fewer people going into hospital which has reduced the strain on the NHS.

Throughout this pandemic, the North West has experienced considerable challenges and loss. A variety of factors, such as social deprivation, make the North West a complex public health environment. We have seen the second highest number of Covid cases in England since the pandemic began (only London has seen more). We have also had the second highest number of deaths per region during the pandemic – second only to the South East. Infection rates are still higher than they were at the start of September last year so we must continue to follow guidance to reduce cases further still.

I’m so pleased to see more and more people being vaccinated and the efforts of those delivering and supporting the vaccine rollout cannot be underestimated. It’s been a huge success so far. I urge you, if you receive an invitation to get your vaccine – take it. If you have any concerns, please speak to your GP. Being vaccinated does not give you the freedom to stop following the rules as there’s currently not enough evidence to show that the vaccines reduce onward transmission of Covid-19. As the number of people being vaccinated continues to rise, we will be able to gather more evidence.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

PHE has worked closely with the Department for Education to introduce a ‘system of controls’ in schools to ensure social distancing can be adhered to, as well as regular hand washing and sanitisation. Mass testing of secondary school children will also provide the added benefit of being able to limit transmission when it does occur and prevent outbreaks. Reassurance can also be taken from PHE research which showed that transmission in primary schools was extremely low. As prevalence of the virus in the community decreases, it is likely that cases in schools will also fall.

That’s why we all need to work together by following the rules outside of school, as well as in school, to keep everyone safe. The simplest way to do this is to wash your hands frequently, wear a face covering and keep your distance from others.

Dr Andrew Furber

Public Health England’s North West Regional Director

Housing

Scrap Help to Buy

If the Government’s intention is really to make housing more affordable, it is time to stop interfering and allow market forces to dictate property prices. Following the crash of 2008, Help to Buy and now the Stamp Duty holiday have simply fuelled house price inflation and funnelled billions of pounds into the pockets of property developers. Removing these artificial market stimulants will bring housing in line with other commercial markets, where prices are driven by affordability, and not artificially boosted by government subsidies.

Phil Cray

Scorton

Related topics: