Fighting a losing battle with Covid

■ BORIS Johnson continues to bluster and bumble through PMQs and, quite frankly, he’s an embarrassment week after week. Now it appears to be deja vu with him dragging his feet as he did in March with catastrophic consequences.

He needs to bring in a stricter lockdown nationwide, given the exponential increase in the numbers as local lockdowns don’t seem to be working.

In future I suggest he should under-promise and over-deliver, not the other way around. Our “world- beating” test and trace system continues to be a joke four months after it was promised.

I can’t even scan the code at venues I’ve visited and have had to fill out the paper version.

Given that two weeks ago Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance said we were facing a very serious situation, the PM continues to dally which will cause unnecessary suffering and possible loss of lives. Mike Thorne, Bath

■ Boris Johnson stated he has had enough of Covid-19. Well, guess what, Prime Minister? So have we. We have had enough of the bullying and threats from authorities, the police overexerting their powers and of only seeing six family members.

We’ve also had enough of seeing politicians flout the rules and then arrogantly absolve themselves of responsibility. In conclusion, Mr Johnson, I personally have had enough of you, your colleagues and so- called

advisers blundering on and giving confusing statements and messages.

Christopher Cato, Romford

Gtr London

■ It would appear that anywhere in the country North of Watford Gap is undeserving of the Government’s full attention over Covid-19. Hence, ministers failing to consult northern leaders about local lockdowns (Mirror, October 9).

Could it be the Tories are privately pursuing a policy of herd immunity using the North as the petri dish to incubate the virus and allowing it to spread through sizable communities?

After all, factories, warehouses and offices are all open despite the high infection rate, while the Houses of Parliament remain conspicuously empty.

John Irving, Leeds

■ I can’t believe some people are saying there is no evidence that restrictions are working. It appears some people are also complaining about mixed messages.

I have friends in China who stayed put throughout the total

lockdown and it seems to have worked there. It isn’t that we don’t understand this disease, it’s that some aren’t taking it seriously. Guy Middlewood, York

■ It seems to me as though pubs and restaurants are scapegoats for the Government’s mishandling of the pandemic. Boris Johnson should think again because many would face extinction if they are forced to close again. Surely, there has to be a better way forward than this shambles? Dave Mellor, Warrington

■ The very definition of irony has to be Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick talking about stricter Covid regulations and marshalls ensuring they aren’t breached. This follows his own breach of the rules. What a bunch of hypocrites these Tory MPs are. R Kimble, Leeds

■ In response to the letter from ER Thwaites ( Your Voice, Oct 7), the carnage has been caused all over the world by a deadly plague. Blaming the Prime Minister is a political nonsense. A Coombe, Essex