WE have seen throughout this pandemic the government has been less than straight with the facts that they have given us.

For example, the number of tests carried out. Their calculations have included home testing kits sent out, not the number that have been returned. Secondly, of those tests that have been carried out, a nose and throat test carried out on one person has been counted as two tests. How is that right?

The Prime Minister stated that we would have a “world beating” track and trace system in place by the end of June, plus he said that we would be carrying out half a million tests a day by the end of October.

I haven’t heard any trumpets sounding heralding the success of either of these promises. I believe that the number of tests carried out was 350,000 and I am not sure if even that figure includes nose and throat as separate tests.

As for track and trace, I believe that there are two organisations involved in it, one is the NHS and the other is Serco, a private company.

This company is being lumped in with the NHS when blanket figures are being put out that of all the people being tracked and traced, only 60 per cent are being reached.

The government would like this figure to be 85 per cent. Personally, I would like the figure to be 95 per cent, but who am I?

The National Audit Office claim that the actual NHS are reaching 90 per cent of those being tracked by them, which means that Serco as an entity are probably only reaching about 40-45 per cent of the people that they are supposed to be tracking as their achievements are part of the 60 per cent.

JOHN NEWTON

Danesleigh Gardens, Leigh

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