Volunteers helped Covid vaccination go smoothly

Last Friday we were lucky enough to be offered appointments at Steam for our first Covid vaccinations.

We were not sure what to expect, but from our arrival in the car park to leaving Steam about half an hour later we were treated to the most amazing help, friendliness and courtesy. Smiling volunteers standing in the cold welcomed us and directed us to the right place.

This was repeated within the building where again amazing volunteers were making sure that everything ran smoothly.

Of course the doctors, nurses and clerks were brilliant and after the injection directed us to the waiting area. More smiling volunteers, keeping a watch to make sure that everyone was all right and washing every chair as soon as people left.

We would like to thank everyone involved in making this such a pleasant experience. Thank you all.

Pam and Sudesh Nayar

Okus

Govt reaction was too slow on pandemic

The EU have messed up, big time. They failed in their COVID-19 vaccine orders and then took unforgivable action to prevent vaccines, manufactured in Europe and paid for by the UK, from reaching us via Northern Ireland.

Apart from anything else these actions were taken without talking to Ireland, an EU member, whose Government was furious, as was ours and that of Northern Ireland. In short, the EU could not have made a bigger fool of itself if it had tried.

However, there is one thing that can be said for them.

When their serious error became obvious, they were quick to admit their mistake and perform a U-Turn, one that has left egg on the face of Ursula von der Leyen the European Commission President.

This mistake of acting far too fast is one that Conservative’s will milk for some time to come.

But they would do well to remember that ‎far from acting too quickly, this Tory Government has been too slow to act. Too slow to curb the spread of COVID-19 by locking down in Spring last year. Too slow to get life-saving PPE into our care homes. Certainly too slow to stop people from travelling into Britain, bringing new variants of COVID-19 with them.‎ Those delays did not just cause embarrassment, they cost lives.

Conservatives would do well to remember that the real pandemic heroes are the scientists who have co-operated internationally to create the vaccines. They are joined by our underfunded NHS, staffed by brave and dedicated people from not only the UK but from Europe and beyond.‎

We all owe them a deep debt of gratitude, and while we’re at it, a thought and a prayer for Col Sir Tom Moore who did so much to raise both funds and national spirits last summer and is himself being treated for COVID-19.

Stay safe everyone.

Dr Brian Mathew

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for North Wiltshire

& Wiltshire Councillor