It is time to stop dithering and let people get their lives and futures back

Also that he retweeted an article he wrote as far back as last month about the NHS not being as badly hit as expected (‘We can’t just ignore signs virus is hitting NHS far less than feared,’ April 16).

I can only agree with him.

The lack of detail is not based on science which seldom agrees (as he rightly says) but, and I truly hate to say this, a political cop out.

This document is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Northern Ireland as are the repeated statements of certain ministers, most notably the Heath Minister Robin Swann, that they fear giving more detail as it might result in the public becoming careless in observing the rules.

While there certainly are exceptions, the vast majority of people have observed the lockdown, social distancing measures etc with great care as has been stated by Dr Michael McBride on several occasions.

Yet we are being treated like children who cannot be trusted to behave.

I very much fear that power has gone to their heads and I also believe it is time someone began legal proceedings to challenge these measure which are making all our lives a misery.

This has already happened in England.

I am a long serving volunteer with the Belfast Trust and for weeks now we have been told that we would be posted to the reception area of the City Hospital where Covid patients are /were being cared for.

This has not happened and I see that this facility has been stood down.

I have emailed the minister about his call for extra help, once on April 9 and again earlier this week but to date I have not received as much as the courtesy of a reply.

In the meantime, operations and the vast majority of outpatients’ services have been cancelled and patients are suffering as a result.

No one is denying the very real dangers and challenges caused by this virus but I feel that the balance of risk is well off balance.

Arlene Foster was super critical of Boris Johnson’s weekend statement and while I understand why at least he has given the citizens of England a coherent plan which does offer ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ even if it is a very long tunnel.

It is time to stop the dithering and allow people to take responsibility, get our lives back and rescue jobs and businesses which out young people are depending on for their future.

Evan Bingham, Belfast BT5