How does Mick Horseman (Soaring infection rate is sadly not surprising, Letters, December 30) know that ‘idiots from other areas swarming into the city’ and drinking alcohol is why York’s number of virus cases has risen so dramatically? Is he a scientist?

There may be a link, but what about households mixing? Schools being open? Students originally from York returning? Within North Yorkshire, I know of a teenager testing positive with no symptoms, a care home cook who was positive, but no symptoms and a GP, also positive without symptoms.

Like Mr Horsman I find it frustrating to see people breaking the rules but it’s wrong to simply blame people from other tiers.

It’s also scaremongering to say the virus could be man made. China would potentially shoot itself in the foot (if not suppressed, the virus there could have killed a lot more than 4,500) as well as mess up the rest of the world, which it does so much trade with? Really?

One wish for 2021 is for more people to really think. Saying I’m an alien with three heads doesn’t make me one.

Helen Leavey, Fishergate area, York