IT has to be remarked upon how very poorly over two months our government has organised national response to the pandemic.

Germany, China Wuhan, Bejing, and Shanghi, along with Korea and Taiwan, are all doing far better then the UK in terms of controlling the spread of virus and having the PPE equipment and ventilators to deal with severe cases in hospitals.

In the case of PPE equipment we don’t have enough for our NHS staff and carers let alone for so many other frontline workers in supermakets and transport, all of whom should be wearing disposable gloves and respirator masks.

And in testing, UK is way behind the best in the world. Germany running testing at five times the rate in UK. Germany completing 918,000 tests in recent weeks, the UK completing 163,000.

To quote the Financial Times, April 3: “Germany’s advantages stem from decades of higher health spending, alongside an industrial base better able to scale-up for an emergency”.

Doesn’t that ring so true, with massive closures that government cuts are forcing through in Dorset, with Poole hospital to lose its A&E, maternity, and hundreds of beds?

We sow the wind, we reap the world-wind. Our government has failed us beyond measure. Failure to prepare, policy changing mid-flight (March 23) from herd immunity to mass lock-down. Failure to stockpile adequate PPE equipment. Failure to have the resources to carry out mass testing.

All this falls squarely on the Johnson Brexit-obsessed government. With this horrendous pandemic sweeping the world, Mr Johnson, in late February, instead of convening urgent pandemic meetings, was on leave for a week in his country home Chevering, in Kent.

At that time the country was wracked by Storm Dennis with country-wide flooding. Notably as reported in the media, PM Johnson not making one visit to areas with flooded out family homes.

I am sincerely sorry for anyone suffering, but the truth needs to be stated. We are all victims. Millions suffering, deeply distressed, in many ways.

GRAHAM FURGUSON

Enviro science research student, Bristol University

Huntly Road, Winton