Dear Editor-in-chief,
Nearly a fortnight ago the Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, resigned after taking personal responsibility for nearly 17,000 deaths from Covid-19. This, in a country of some 126 million people which has recently hosted the Olympic Games. Many in Japan thought the games should be delayed again, but they compromised by not allowing spectators and obviously suffered a great financial loss.
Compare the Japanese prime minister’s action with that of our own. With a population half the size of that of Japan, Johnson has ‘guided’ us to an official death toll of 135,000+ , with the real number being much higher.
Has he resigned? No. Does he care? Well, obviously not. He has encouraged multiple sporting fixtures with little or no Covid restrictions, many of which have become ‘super spreader’ events. He is ignoring infection rates, hospital admission numbers and a rising death toll and often seems to be attempting to suggest that Covid-19 is over!
His announcements last week only add to this dangerous misapprehension.
I am sure that I am not alone in being amazed to see him hosting a cabinet meeting with no-one wearing masks, I was equally shocked to observe that virtually all the Conservatives packing the government benches were mask-free.
The Japanese Prime Minister obviously treats loss of life with more seriousness than does Johnson.
Ian Jacques
