Don’t blame the public for surge in Covid cases | Letters

Shannon Turner feels the stay at home message is unclear when so many shops remain open, while Eric Thomas says the government must not use the public as a scapegoat for soaring Covid cases. Plus letters from Dr Stephen Battersby and Dr Michael Quigley

Perhaps if there were fewer shops open, the stay at home message might be more effective (Police in England say they won't enforce masks in supermarkets, 11 January). At the moment I'm in a small rural town, and there are a considerable number of shops still legitimately open.

People are out browsing cards, clothing, cosmetics, slippers etc. Surely none of these items are essential"? If these shops are open they should only be able to sell items classified under a strict set of government guidelines that include the basic necessities to survive a lockdown. The rest should be blanked off or stored off the shelves.