Putting the over-70s under house arrest

I AM being told by both Matt Hancock and Vaughan Gething that in the near future I may be put under house arrest for the crime of being over 70.

I find this odd, since I thought that is was a crime to discriminate against people on the grounds of age.

As a person who is relatively healthy both physically and mentally, I believe that I should be able to decide where I feel safe going.

There is no medical evidence that over-70s are more likely to contract and spread coronavirus, only that less healthy people with the disease are more likely to need hospital treatment. Whilst some older people are less healthy, I believe that I am less likely to need hospitalisation if I contract the virus than much younger people who have severe respiratory illnesses, but it seems that there will be no house arrest for them.

Ironically, in the same announcement, Matt Hancock advised against panic buying. Surely if an over-70 fills their trolley at the supermarket they are only preparing for their incarceration.

We are told that it is essential for older people’s mental and physical heath that they get out, meet people and take part in physical activities. So whilst the risk of death from coronavirus may be reduced by being locked at home for four months, the risk of early death from other factors nay increase.

To my knowledge, this is not a WHO directive, unlike contact tracing – which is not being undertaken in the UK.

What is required is a sensible approach, not discrimination against fit people who happen to be over 70.

Alan Rumble Ely, Cardiff