After alarming Covid Christmas predictions, there has been a lack of virus statistics over the holiday period

In the aftermath of Christmas, and of the doom and gloom report given by our deputy first minister of “potentially” (safe word to use) 11,000 cases of Covid a day at Christmas, there has been virtually nothing in newsprint since.

Surely there are figures. In a pandemic you can’t have days of holiday. The work has to go on unfortunately. But not a statistic, even in the News Letter, which always gives the data.

Is this a good time to ‘hide’ good news. The Republic of Ireland have been publishing daily figures (shown in the News Letter) but none here in Northern Ireland! Has anyone noticed that patients in hospital with Covid dropped by 25% between December 13 and Dec 23?

This is good news, but not a word of mention. Don’t lift the peoples’ spirits whatever you do.

Are we waiting for a reduction in case numbers and then the executive will say: ‘That proves the restrictions we brought in have worked?’

Many elderly people will have been scared by the talk of 11,000 case and 30,000 cases talked up by Ms O’Neill to the extent they may not have ventured out of their home over Christmas, or, New Year, for all we know. Where does the responsibility for mental health issues lie?

Gordon McNeill, Portadown

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