Sir, – I find the implication of your recent report that "One-third of population not staying within 10km of home" (News, February 22nd) misleading.
Adherence figures for February 7th reached 68.7 per cent of people staying within their 10km zone. The last time this figure was reached was May 22nd and is not far off peak compliance of 76.7 per cent on April 14th, 2020, during the first lockdown. It leaves peak compliance during the second lockdown, 62.9 per cent on November 4th in the dust.
The figures also do not factor in essential travel, understood to be broader in scope now than for the first lockdown.
While no doubt not all of those journeys were essential, let’s not talk ourselves out of our collective personal responsibility when, notwithstanding minor ebbs and flows in the data, high levels of sustained adherence are being observed. – Yours, etc,
ANDREW ENNIS,
Dublin 8.
Sir, – One wonders how much it cost the Central Statistics Office to tell us what was blindingly obvious, ie that during the current restrictions people in rural areas are travelling further than urbanites to avail themselves of services and facilities. – Yours, etc,
DAVE WRIGHT,
Gorey,
Co Wexford.