Every edict chucked upon us by this government about the Covid fiasco is contradictory, confusing and inconsistent.

I live in a tiny village outside York. No shops, no pubs. My husband and I just celebrated one year exactly since we moved here - half of which has now been in lockdown. York is a very resilient city. Until now, businesses have kept high streets busy; eateries have been hard to get bookings at.

Yet driving through the city today there was a horrible air of gloom: the latest orders from above seem to be grinding us down.

Please can the government admit they have no idea what they’re doing, and let us use our common sense? The massive majority of us would respectfully be careful. A woman screamed at me earlier this week while I was swimming in my local pool because my little finger slightly impacted her foot. Apparently there are no recorded cases of virus being passed through water, much less the chlorinated stuff. Her screaming at me open-mouthed was surely more ‘dangerous’.

My heart utterly weeps for our young adults starting university. They are going to be so angry and resentful at this robbery of their lives, and the restrictions which they have had no say in. And that’s the confident ones - what about those who are shy, quiet, naturally solitary, away from the safety of home and family for the first time?

Joanna Appleby, Ainsty Garth, Appleton Roebuck, York