Government advice tells us not to drive to take a walk – enforcing that does not make us a ‘police state’

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Regulation six of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 states that: “During the emergency period, no person may leave the place where they are living without reasonable excuse.” It goes on to define a reasonable excuse as “[taking] exercise either alone or with other members of their household”. It also states that a reasonable excuse is “travel for the purposes of work or to provide voluntary or charitable services, where it is not reasonably possible for that person to work, or to provide those services, from the place where they are living”.

While Lord Sumption is correct to warn of the potential for the UK to be turned into a police state, I do wonder if he is correct in claiming some of the police have been overzealously interpreting government advice on lockdown measures.

I suggest travelling to a place where one takes exercise is not a reasonable excuse, unless he wishes to argue that exercise includes driving a car.

R D Mehew​
Southport

Walking in the countryside

On the instruction not to drive anywhere to go for a walk, would it not be sensible for town and city dwellers to be allowed to drive out of urban areas to walk in the relatively deserted countryside rather than walking through streets.

Yes, avoid known beauty spots etc. But there is plenty of open space where, unlike in urban areas, you would hardly meet anyone.

Eddie Dougall
Walsham le Willows

Hijacking of democracy

Surely Europe should have learnt something in 100 years?

I think most of us are only too aware of the stark similarities between our current times and the 1920-30s. Worse still, it does appear that the correlation between the eras is increasing by the day.

The latest abhorrent manifestation is the hijacking of democracy in Hungary by Victor Orban. To my mind, this is as close to a mirror image of the Enabling Act of 1933 as you could possibly imagine.

One word that the Hungarian prime minister will assuredly not use in the foreseeable future is “Gleichschaltung” (or “coordination”), the laws used by Nazis to control the lives of Germans, but I believe he will almost certainly start on the path towards it now he has unimpeded control.

This will not end well.

Robert Boston
Kingshill

PPE and social media

One wonders who in the NHS will have time to monitor the social media accounts of frontline staff for complaints about shortages of Personal protective equipment (PPE). Perhaps their time would be better employed as “runners” in the Nightingale hospitals. Obviously they won’t be needing PPE for that task. ​

Mike Skinner
Wantage ​

Funding for the NHS

There is a talk of giving our NHS workers medals (let’s call it the Nightingale award) for their coronavirus heroics, but I am sure they would all prefer a much-needed pay rise, which apparently the government can afford now.

Paul Jellicoe
Portsmouth

Animals for consumption

When this pandemic has calmed down and there is the inevitable investigation, we must ensure that the subject of how food animals are treated is high on the agenda. There do appear to be links between how food animals are kept and the transmission of disease – mad cow disease is but one example.

I believe that animals are treated inhumanely in order to satisfy the demand for cheap meat. I believe that this is morally wrong and detracts from our humanity as well as our health but, even if it is only considered in economic terms, the cheap meat is proving very, very expensive.

Surely we need ethical standards for farm animal welfare that are enforced in this country and required for meat that is to be imported.

Ruth Harrison
New Milton