The Government’s guidance is sowing confusion across the country
SIR – We have just been to Cornwall, where we sampled a range of offerings from the hospitality industry.
There is no consistency in the application of anti-Covid precautions. One restaurant in three asked for contact details. We had menus handed out and collected, handed out but not collected, written on a board and offered via a screen shot on our phone. One restaurant had plastic screens between diners, while others had no barriers. Wetsuits were washed in detergent, while waterproof clothing and life jackets were not sanitised between users. Some toilets were open; others not. The number of people permitted in small shops varied widely, as did the sanitising, paying, touching and queuing arrangements.
The only sure consequences are confusion and a disincentive to spend money. Does the Government really think that its mask-wearing proposals are going to improve matters, or are they simply about exercising control?
Clare Seymour Chelmsford, Essex
SIR – I have just booked a room with a well-known hotel group, only to be told that the bar is shut, along with the restaurant. Any food has to be eaten in my room.
I do wonder who comes up with this nonsense. Having been to hotel chains for years, I’ve yet to see overcrowding in any of the bars or restaurants. The people responsible for such rules have obviously never used these hostelries, otherwise they would know better.
John Baker Crayford, Kent
SIR – There are plenty of people coming to Dorset. The roads are busy and the countryside is bustling.
Why, then, can’t people return to work? This is a complex question, but one thing is certain. Too many are enjoying their free holiday on the Government’s furlough scheme. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Running the scheme until October will only prolong this crisis, as many will not return to work until the funding dries up. Winter will also be fast approaching. Far better to get the immunity levels up in the summer months. Our economy will not survive another ill-thought-out lockdown.
Nick Hazelton Wimborne, Dorset
SIR – Why are white-collar workers in the public sector still at home, while other taxpayer-funded groups such as nurses, police officers, refuse collectors and road sweepers are expected to carry on regardless?
Ted Shorter Tonbridge, Kent
SIR – Those championing working from home appear to be in the advanced stages of their careers.
When they first entered the workplace, many would have benefited from the experience gained while working closely within a team of older colleagues. How will the aspiring youth of today, denied such experience, advance their careers?
Julian Hales Saffron Walden, Essex