Balancing lives and lifestyles has been a tough ask

■ I’m getting tired of the ‘if everyone followed the government’s rules, we’d be fine’ brigade such as Susan from Leyton, who argues that the reason we are in this prolonged pandemic is because the ‘cretin brigade’ have not worn face masks or socially distanced since March (MetroTalk, Thu).

The government encouraged everyone to eat in restaurants over the summer, insisted all schools and universities went back in September, and messed up track and trace.

Lucky her that she has been able to stay in other than doing a food shop every few days. Plenty of people who have manual jobs and caring responsibilities do not have that luxury.

Angela, Chelmsford

■ Sir Keir Starmer in PMQs on Wednesday blamed the prime minister for the rise in Covid cases. This is absolute nonsense.

It’s the idiotic people who, in spite of warnings, congregate in huge numbers (as seen in London recently), disregard social distancing and don’t wear face coverings who are to blame, not the PM.

Everybody is responsible for their own actions. Blaming the government is just a political ploy and should be treated with the contempt it deserves.

Jenny, Hertfordshire

■ Surely the problem of households meeting over the holidays is down to testing. When people are thinking of meeting with other households they should have a Covid-19 test beforehand.

Not only are there testing areas you can book to go to via your council, but a test kit can be sent to you if you call 111, and pharmacies such as Boots, Superdrug and Lloyds also offer testing. So there’s no shortage of testing opportunities.

Our daughter is visiting next week but we want to get a test for her before she comes into the house – and she has been working from home for most of the year!

In any case, there are so many people testing positive that there cannot be many households that are not affected by somebody who has tested positive already.

Larry Reising, Middleton

■ The rise of Covid in Germany proves that once the virus is in the general population and places open up, the spread of the virus is too hard to control. We can only try to protect care homes – which have also been hit badly in Germany – and hospitals.

Alf, Manchester

■ Bob from Surrey is very lucky that he’s willing to give up his right to a Covid vaccination because he has become technologically competent and is thus content with his computing, time spent in his garden and walks with his wife (MetroTalk, Wed).

He also cites that he has travelled extensively for work and holidays. How marvellous, Bob! What an idyllic, privileged life you have lived.

Alas, that’s not the case for many over-80s, who live alone and in poverty. Shall we deprive them of a vaccine to boost the economy, in addition to their no-garden, no-travel lives? They can then die in misery. Get some perspective. Not everyone has lived like you!

Jurlique, Sheffield

■ I just want to congratulate Bob from Surrey on his very unselfish and sensible views regarding giving the vaccine to younger people first to boost the economy. He should be applauded for his opinion.

Lynn, Sheffield