The Reader: Force firms to report number of Covid cases

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5 October 2020
WEST END FINAL

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I am writing in response to your article “Nearly 20,000 Amazon workers suspected of having coronavirus in US, company reveals ”, from your website.

The numbers, as you write, are shocking, and clearly show that many large corporations have failed to keep their workers safe, especially those that are keeping the country going during the pandemic. Reporting the number of cases in every company should be mandatory. It would put pressure on corporate governance to take appropriate measures to protect staff, and also give them a clear idea of the risk they are taking by coming to work.

The pandemic has posed a disproportionate risk for key workers — cleaners, delivery drivers, shopkeepers, etc. However, they haven’t been compensated for it. Transparency about the risk will give them a way to ask for better protection and compensation.
Katja Staple

Editor's reply

Dear Katja

Your idea is sensible, but, I think, unlikely to happen just yet. We can only carry out so many tests a day. We could order companies to report cases but we cannot increase testing capacity by operation of law. And there are many others with equally, if not stronger, claims to tests than those you identify: NHS workers, care home residents, individuals who are shielding. Where I agree with you is that when we can test more people, we should give unsung key workers high priority.
Robbie Smith, Columnist

SNP’s Ferrier should resign

Having survived a brush with Covid-19 myself in March (and self-isolating) I believe it incumbent on Margaret Ferrier (who criticised Dominic Cummings over his own misjudgment) to resign forthwith. Risking fellow passengers health on a 400 mile rail journey after testing positive is inexcusable.
Dominic Shelmerdine

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