SIR - That Roger Ingham could invent facts (Letters, Craven Herald, March 26) on which to base his sweeping statements undermining the Government's coronavirus response seems extraordinary.
"Correct me if I am wrong" he wrote. I must indeed. He stated "Jersey does not have the virus, neither Guernsey ..." whereas freely available news websites showed that Guernsey's first case was recorded on March 9 and Jersey's the following day.
By the date of publication of his letter, the islands had had over 80 cases and one death.
Mr Ingham strongly criticised Britain for not pulling up the drawbridge far earlier whilst "the people responsible for running (Jersey and Guernsey) were obviously not wearing blinkers". The facts: the first measure by either island, Guernsey's discouraging of unnecessary travel, did not come until March 12. Although Jersey and Guernsey are not part of the UK and are, to a large extent self-governing, virtually all of their coronavirus measures have been similar in both nature and timing to those of the UK government. (I was watching these matters carefully in connection with an imminent, but cancelled, visit to Jersey, my father's home.)
We should be grateful for all that is being achieved and be adding our voluntary support where possible, rather than inventing fake news to undermine it.
Susan Sims
Settle
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