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Synchronise times

On Sunday Tesco allowed NHS workers (my wife is one of them) to go into their store before normal opening time so they could do their weekly shop.

One must applaud them, however, they must really look at what happened. The queue stretched from the main door right back and around the car park. Everyone stood next to one another, there was no social distancing.

It appeared that the whole of Swindon NHS was there. When the door finally opened it seemed like the charge of the light brigade. Once inside it became a bit of a free-for-all.

Now in the paper it stated that Sunday mornings they would be opening to the elderly and NHS employees. If this correct I feel this is without doubt a bad idea.

The government has been encouraging the elderly to stay home, they don’t want them out and about and shopping, especially with those who have been looking after the sick

Finally, when we got to the checkout about 9.30am, we where told that there would be no one on the till until 10am. Everyone was on top of one another for half an hour, if anyone had coronavirus I’m afraid they were going to get it. There was more chance of catching the coronavirus at Tesco check out till then at one of Swindon Town Football Club’s games.

When we left the store the queue outside was unbelievable. There where families with children, it was like a day out. Are people so dense, do they not comprehend what is happening around the world? Have they not watched the TV and seen Italy, Spain and USA?

The government is trying to keep us safe. It has asked us not to go out if it’s not vital. The time is fast approaching when we in turn may find ourselves in complete shutdown. In the meantime I feel all superstores should have synchronise times to allow NHS and emergency workers to do their shopping, Then they can go to their local store. Better still, all essential workers should have there weekly goods delivered.

Allan Woodham, West View, Nythe

Petty point-scoring

We are being told we are on a war footing with coronavirus.

I would have thought that all of the MPs in Parliament would be behind the government, which is having to make life-changing decisions for everyone. But day after day I keep hearing from MPs not in the government ruling party asking on mainstream TV why is this or that that not being done.

In this horrific time all they are doing is trying to score brownie points with the British public. Instead of spouting to a media outlet, what you should do is take your thoughts to the relevant government body and talk to them instead of trying to upstage others.

I’m not going to mention names but none of them are from the Tory party.

In view of the panic buying by the selfish few whereas the majority cannot get a toilet roll, a hand sanitiser or a certain packet of food, I hope you are hanging your heads in shame. Maybe the government should put rationing in place with a ticket type book per item. The supermarkets cannot control it – there are signs up saying each shopper is restricted to two items etc but they cannot or will not enforce it for fear of upsetting someone.

What I often think of is all the NHS workers going on or coming off shift after a 12-14 hour day looking after the sick, going to a supermarket and unable to get basic items. The same goes for the older generation. It makes me so angry and frustrated with hoarders.

The majority appreciate you all in the NHS. God bless you all, let’s hope we are all not tarred with the same brush as the shameless few.

John L Crook, Haydon Wick