Editor

Re: a warning from the boss of the NHS in England that asking all over-65s to shield to slow the transmission of the second wave of coronavirus would be “agebased apartheid” and would not work (Yahoo news).

This point has some validity. I am not old, I don’t know what it’s like to be old, but I’m sure the people concerned feel exactly the same way as when they were 20, yet they’re in the body of an older person with all the problems concerned.

I believe in society, I don’t believe in the supremacy of the individual. Each one of us is important, and each one of us has a duty of care for each other.

If that means that I can’t enjoy a pint of beer in a pub, a meal in my favourite restaurant, or a ride on a steam railway in order to protect the life of an 85-yearold I don’t know, then I’d rather do without those privileges for a year.

If it’s not possible for my child to go to a piano lesson, or a climbing club, or an adventure playground, then I’ll explain to my child that we’ll look for other nice things to do, I’ll spend some time thinking what we can do at night rather than watching a film on television.

It’s not ideal, it is hard. But I’d rather do that and thereby spare somebody from ending their days on a ventilator alone in an isolation bed.

With regards to Ceredigion, I am fully aware of the disquiet emanating from the curtailing of leisure facilities. I am confident that these decisions have been taken with a heavy heart to protect our lives and those of our loved ones.

I have full confidence in our senior officers and that they are working tirelessly to protect us using the delegated authority that councillors have given them during this pandemic.

It is up to us to look after each other, that applies to all of us. I firmly believe in people’s rights, but also believe that this means we have responsibilities too, and I believe this applies without exception.

Cllr Mark Strong Aberystwyth

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