Big events are making a nonsense of Covid rules
Your article on the spike in Covid cases in places that were most used by G7 personnel during the summit in Cornwall (No 10 says G7 summit not to blame for rise in Cornwall’s Covid cases, 22 June)missed a major impact source: the 1,000-plus police officers housed on a cruise ship in Falmouth. They – like the other 4,000 or so police brought into the county – came from all over England and, unsurprisingly, a number of them were self-isolating on the ship after testing positive.
During the summit, off-duty officers were visible out in the town, in bars and other venues, and whereas it is assumed they adhered to Covid rules, it’s unlikely that all were Covid-free. Also, a large number of journalists were in the town. Falmouth has had one of the biggest spikes of Covid cases in Cornwall in June, and while half-term visitors and university students are a factor, the G7 must be seen as a major player in the outbreak. It’s disappointing, since Cornwall had hitherto made a huge effort in keeping Covid infection rates to among the lowest in the country. Nick JemmettFalmouth, Cornwall
• The Burnham-Sturgeon spat (Burnham calls on Nicola Sturgeon to justify travel ban, 21 June)should be seen as a late effect of the most irrational lockdown measure of the entire pandemic, namely excursion bans. It made complete sense to stop people from filling pubs, theatres, stadiums and other indoor venues. It made no sense to stop them from walking across Rannoch Moor, the Pennine hills, or a Welsh beach.
When the great Covid inquiry eventually proceeds, two questions will be asked: “How many infections happened among citizens freely moving in the open air?” and “How many infections were avoided by preventing citizens from making excursions into open countryside?” The answers to both, I think, will be “negligible ”.Brian HattonLondon
• Your report from Budapest (Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic double helps Portugal sink stubborn Hungary, 15 June)described the logistics involved in assuring the orderly entry of over 60,000 fans into the Puskas Arena, with proof of a negative Covid test required from each spectator. The result was a tremendous atmosphere, which undoubtedly inspired the home team’s fierce resistance. But at what cost to the overall health of the nation?
An authoritarian leader, populist and Eurosceptic, eager to suppress opposition, whether from the judiciary, academia, the media or on the streets – the staging of this match perfectly supports Viktor Orbán’s crude nationalism and xenophobia. For once, in comparison, our own prime minister’ s latest actions appear measured and responsible. Richard Burt le- Lace by, Lincoln shire
• Your front-page picture in the print edition showing jubilant Scottish football fans outside King’s Cross station was one-sided (Scotland fans arrive in London for the big match, 18 June). It should also have shown those intimidated passengers who, like me, travelled the eight-hour journey from Inverness in the company of brawling fans who refused to wear masks, consumed massive amounts of (forbidden) alcohol and blocked the aisles in their community singing. The guards and two police officers were unable to impose order. Eighteen months of observing Covid rules was wiped out in a single journey. I wonder what rise we will see in Covid infections two weeks from now.Jane McAdooLondon
• Jennifer Jenkins is right (Letters, 22 June) that we are governed by a bunch of populist philistines. The government accepts that there are certain professions that need to travel as part of their work and are therefore exempt from the quarantine restrictions imposed for travel from amber list countries. This has more than 40 professions listed, including diplomats, journalists, lorry drivers and “elite” sportsmen. And we now hear that Uefa officials and sponsors are going to be added. By contrast, professional musicians are not deemed sufficiently important by this government to be included on this list.
Here in mid-Devon, we put on small-scale concerts with professional musicians over the summer months, which have been well-supported by the local community, but we have had to cancel our July events. This was not because of the Covid-19 restrictions (although these made the economics even more precarious), but primarily because some of our musicians were coming from France and the quarantine restrictions made the whole venture impossible.
Following on from the fiasco of the visa restrictions imposed on professional musicians and the continued restrictions on amateur choirs, we need some moral outrage at the policy decisions and priorities by this government that, notwithstanding protestations to the contrary, are doing real damage to the cultural sector in this country.Simon RouthClayhanger, Devon
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