With rising coronavirus cases, the government could at least cancel local elections

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We are calling on the government to postpone all local and regional elections in the UK, currently scheduled for 7 May, in response to rising rates of coronavirus.

Unless the government takes this action, the social impact of the disease on women, minorities, elderly people, and other marginalised groups could prevent them from participating in the upcoming elections, to the disadvantage of those groups and the detriment of our democratic process.

After a decade of brutal austerity stripped back vital services, and as we teeter on the brink of a crisis in our social care system, women, the elderly, those with disabilities and people from other marginalised groups need to be more engaged in politics than ever to protect the services they rely on. But the impact of coronavirus will be felt most acutely by precisely those groups, potentially restricting their ability to engage with the election process or even to vote.

As this virus spreads, it is shining a light on the appalling state of our social infrastructure. The NHS is our first line of defence but it has been understaffed, underfunded and undervalued for years and is now in crisis. Meanwhile, many of those most at risk from the virus are already dependent on a social care system which is in tatters. Women, who staff 75 per cent of our NHS, make up 82 per cent of our social care workforce and also account for the majority of the 6.5 million unpaid carers in the UK, are likely to be overwhelmed by the strain of caring for those affected.

If schools and nurseries are closed, the burden of that extra unpaid childcare will also disproportionately fall to women. At the moment, elections are scheduled in May to elect a third of England’s local councillors, the London Mayor and the London Assembly, four other regional mayors and 40 police and crime commissioners. Participation in these elections is a core right of the electorate, but this imminent healthcare crisis is likely to prevent potentially hundreds of thousands of women from exercising that right.

Women are already underrepresented in our political system. We urge the government to take this vital step to ensure they are not further excluded.

Mandu Reid, leader, Women’s Equality Party and candidate for London mayor
Sian Berry, co-leader, Green Party and candidate for London mayor​
Sophie Walker, chief executive, Young Women’s Trust
Aisha Ali-Khan, women’s rights campaigner and founder of Inspirational Muslim Women
Tam O’Neil, senior gender advisor, CARE International UK
Mary-Ann Stephenson, director, Women’s​ Budget Group
Sam Smethers, chief executive, Fawcett Society
Joeli Brearley, chief executive, Pregnant Then Screwed
Hannah Barham-Brown, GP registrar and disability rights campaigner
Faeeza Vaid MBE, executive director, Muslim Women’s Network UK​

Pay attention to the numbers

Yesterday we learned from professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer, that the UK will now only test patients admitted to hospital. The reason provided was that it is no longer necessary to identify every new case.

It is worth noting that by only testing in hospitals, only the most extreme cases will be recorded. Already, Whitty himself estimates the total cases at 5,000-10,000 in the UK. Irrespective of intention, the government will be in a position to boast a lower number of new cases compared to other infected countries, but in reality, this will not necessarily be the case.

We saw a massive jump in cases after the diagnostic criteria were changed. Similarly, we may expect to see fewer new cases if the only ones recorded are those that lead to hospitalisation. It is worthwhile keeping this in mind as we continue to observe the spread of the virus.

Alexis Gkantiragas
London, NW5

Coronavirus and the elderly

Several times recently, official advice concerning the coronavirus has stated that elderly people aged 65 years or over should exercise caution. As I am elderly, will the official advisers explain why I do not yet receive my state pension?

Beverly Mayle
Warlingham

The great loo roll shortage of 1974​

Many people of a certain age will remember the great loo roll shortage of 1974, when supplies were disrupted by the three-day week and it led to panic buying. Since then, supply chains have greatly improved, and factories are continuing to churn out loo rolls at their normal rate. However, the irrational behaviour of many shoppers has not improved, and one has to wonder about the intellectual capacity of those who throw all reason to the wind when turning their homes into warehouses for unnecessary purchases. Maybe someone ought to do a PhD thesis on this phenomenon.

Sam Boote
Nottingham

Are gloves safe?

The standard guidance on hand-washing to protect against coronavirus must be absolutely on the ball. But why not simply wear gloves when you are out of the house? Am I missing something?

John Polley
Andover

Billions for the NHS

Even if it were true that the government will give the NHS “billions, or whatever it takes”, it wouldn’t solve the problem. What the health service needs is more people with the right skills. A lot of the immigrant staff have been frightened away by Brexit. Training up home-grown workers will take years.

Can Messrs Sunak, Cummings, or whoever planned this Budget not understand that?

Susan Alexander
Gloucestershire

Labour’s far left

I find it hard to imagine that after such a bruising defeat in the December election, that a leader has not only maintained his position as Labour party leader, but his far-left communist ideologies seem to be woven into the legacy of the potential future leader, Rebecca Long-Bailey.

More respectful leaders stand down in the face for such humiliating loss to allow other party members to learn from the situation and rebuild without the continuing weight of his embarrassing presence.

When will the Labour Party stop this self-harm, learn to throw out the reason for their self-destruction along with any of Corbyn’s influencers and move on to become a credible opposition party again?

K Anderson
Shrewsbury