Give the facts about Covid-19 and let citizens take control of their lives

sir – It is clear that Covid-19 is here to stay. How long does the Government plan to keep restrictions in place: one year, five, 10? We have to learn to live with the virus and keep our humanity.

The public should be briefed regularly (and truthfully) with facts and figures on testing, infection rates, hospital admissions and deaths, broken down by location; and given appropriate recommendations on how to mitigate the spread. However, every citizen must be allowed to take back control of his or her life.

Diana Devine

Ascot, Berkshire

sir – If the Government wants its guidance on Covid-19 to be taken seriously, it must be simple, clear, easy to enforce and, above all, consistent.

If it is no longer safe for more than six people to meet socially, even outdoors, there can be no justification for urging people who can work at home to return to their offices.

Charles Agg

Haxby, North Yorkshire sir – I fail to understand what is wrong with mingling at a safe distance.

The government website for test and trace states that if someone develops symptoms they will be asked to give the details of those with whom they’ve had close contact in the previous 48 hours. This is defined as: face-to-face contact with someone less than one metre away (this will include times where you have worn a face covering or a face mask) or spending more than 15 minutes within two metres of someone

So, by this definition, a 10-minute conversation with someone in the street or park even less than two metres apart does not constitute a risk.

Amanda Hume

Sutton Coldfield

sir – With the “rule of six”, Government guidance to village halls and community centres (Letters, September 12) has caused extreme confusion.

Some assumed that six was the maximum the hall could accommodate, some that visitors had to be arranged in groups of up to six. The WI decided that all future meetings had to be cancelled.

Normally visitors to village halls don’t arrive in groups, they are either singles or couples. So instead of the pages of complex and sometimes conflicting instructions, would it not have been better to issue a simple statement, namely: “Visitors to village halls from different households must remain socially distant at all times”?

I believe that to be the case.

Ken Jones

Hambledon, Hampshire

sir – Under the new lockdown in my area, my son, who lives with his wife and children, won’t be allowed to visit me from today, nor I him.

I have a plumber coming (who is allowed, with a mask, under socialdistancing rules) to do some work in my home tomorrow morning.

The plumber is my son.

Roy Shute

Morpeth, Northumberland