Clear Covid advice please

PEOPLE living in parts of the country hit by the Indian variant of Covid-19 deserve clear information about the level of risk and what they should and should not do.

The overwhelming majority of Britons have behaved responsibly throughout the ordeal of the pandemic. It would be very sad if the goodwill and compliance which has characterised the public response to the crisis so far was replaced with rancour, division and an abandonment of the guidance.

There are now worries about local lockdowns “by stealth”. The Government should be upfront about the scale of risk and what is required.

Every effort should be made to avoid creating the impression that ordinary people are to blame for an outbreak.

The virus is the source of the horrors which have brought grief and isolation to so many families. As a kingdom, we are united in wanting to beat this foe, and the success of the vaccine programme should give us confidence that victory is only a matter of time.