After the stark warning from Chancellor Rishi Sunak about the economy, the government surely needs to evaluate a return to work and school? This country has applied great discipline in staying at home and observing social distancing over the past few weeks, to protect the NHS from overload. Thankfully, hospitals, including York, are coping with coronavirus patients, one of whom, an 84-year-old friend, has returned home.

How inappropriate that in this national crisis, York council’s public health chief, Sharon Stoltz, has taken holiday leave? Strange leadership.

I am more worried now about the economy than the hideous virus, and hope that Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, will be well enough in a week to decide, politically, on an immediate return to work to end this nightmare.There has to be a balance of risk of the virus and allowing a possible depression with millions unemployed - with all the serious long term health problems from a wrecked economy. We cannot endure another ten years of austerity! It takes years to grow a business. For them to go bankrupt - so few have yet received government-backed emergency funding from the banks - would be a national disaster.

Keith Massey,

Bishopthorpe, York