Risks can increase with more time spent online

WITH most children at home for the foreseeable future, it’s inevitable they’ll be spending more time online – at a time when they may be feeling lonely or anxious because of the lockdown. While this provides a lifeline, enabling home education and being able to socialise with friends, it’s important parents and carers know how to keep children safe in their digital worlds.

Online, there’s likely to be an increased risk of sexual abuse and exposure to harmful content with abusers ready to exploit the global pandemic to target young people as tech firms scale back on moderators.

It’s important children feel reassured about sharing worries with their parents, whom I’d encourage to have regular conversations with their children about their online activity.

Resources like Net Aware, a site co-created by the NSPCC and O2, can help parents and children understand how to minimise the potential risks and ensure that online resources can be an important, and safe, part of coping with the implications of social distancing. Candia Crosfield

NSPCC Schools Service, Wales

A case of do as I say, not as I do?

Whilst it is a laudable thing to look after your elderly parents, and travel 40 miles to take them essential supplies, that would be a wonderful thing to do at a time different to the current period.

But during this troubled time with Covid-19 everywhere, and the message that the authorities are impressing upon us, that only absolutely necessary travel is allowed, were the actions of MP and housing minister

Robert Jenrick wise?

It seems to me that there is a degree of hypocrisy in the air, where government officials are instructing the public to do one thing and they themselves are doing the opposite. He is not the only MP who seems to have broken the rules, for didn’t Stephen Kinnock also travel a great deal in order to visit his father Lord Kinnock on his birthday? One law for them and a different one for us?

Another anomaly is the request to keep your two-metre distance, that is what our rulers are informing us, and yet the Prime Minister Boris Johnston, the chief health officer Chris Whitty and others in government have contracted the virus. Why?

We are fortunate that we have a caring bunch of people who go under the umbrella of the NHS, who I feel have been let down with the lack of PPE equipment, and sad to say, several of this heroic workforce have lost their lives.

Finally I wonder if the initials MP stand for Member of Parliament or My Prerogative? You decide. Lyndon Morgan

Gelli, Rhondda

Masks for all could help stop spread

AT the beginning of January, we were all told, that coronaviruses would be expelled in small wet globules from the lungs of infected patients, 24 hours a day, to float through the air and stick to hard surfaces.

Since we might pick up that infection with our fingers and transfer it to our faces, we were urged to wash our hands.

Why is it not a good idea to reduce the quantity of globules floating towards those hard surfaces, by asking all people who consider that they might have the infection, to wear a face mask to catch a proportion of the globules, and dispose of them by regular washing of the mask in soapy water?

Of course the mask will never prevent all the infection reaching the air we breathe, or any hard surfaces. But, in as much as the mask will catch a proportion of globules, then it must be true that the infection rate must decrease by that proportion.

The benefits might stretch from hard surfaces, to include the purity of the air which we breathe in.

UK authorities have always strongly opposed the idea of anyone wearing a mask, to breathe infections in or out, but it seems a harmless precaution.

Neville Westerman

Brynna

Are those in need being prioritised?

THE eight biggest supermarkets in Wales all received a list of families who are advised not to leave for any reason for at least 12 weeks last Wednesday, after they had signed a data sharing agreement. It is very important that those who cannot leave home are still able to choose what they want to eat from what is available.

Before that information became available, as in England, the supermarkets had the option to use the information they held on loyalty cards to give certain people priority delivery slots following the lockdown. The supermarkets need to be asked whether that happened in Wales and if not, why not?

Now supermarkets do have the lists of shielded households, we need to scrutinise how efficiently they reach out to these people who do not have friends or family to shop for them and give them priority delivery slots, starting with enabling them to register for online shopping deliveries.

These organisations that dominate our food system should have the modern electronic algorithms to sort this out without delay.

If supermarkets prove to be inefficient deliverers of prioritising need, then the state may need to take over from them.

Jenny Rathbone AM Cardiff Central

Family firm going above and beyond

MANY thanks to all at Vic Hopkins butchers of Barry.

They are working tirelessly to support the community while prioritising the vulnerable with their delivery service.

Mr and Mrs H even found time to send gloves and masks to me, in case I needed them while working at the Heath hospital.

As Nessa would say: “Crackin.”

Tracy Warrington Cardiff

Application needs a quick decision

THE Welsh National Party Group on Cardiff council are very concerned at delays in applications for plan

It’s important children feel reassured about sharing worries with their parents Candia Crosfield of the NSPCC Schools Service

ning permission for access roads to the new Velindre Hospital at Longwood Drive Coryton.

All Cardiff council planning permission applications have been delayed by Covid-19.

But we think this application should be dealt with as quickly as possible. The current emergency shows that Cardiff and Wales needs more modern hospital space as soon as possible.

We have written to the chair of planning asking that there is no delay to the building of the much needed new regional cancer hospital.

Cllr Keith Parry,

Group leader Welsh National Party, Cardiff Council

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