From Colin Bargery, Ottery St Mary, Devon, UK
It seems very likely that, to slow the spread of covid-19, many people will be encouraged to self-isolate (29 February, p 7). This policy poses risks to local food banks and similar aid organisations. Hungry people may go to food banks and come into contact with others who could be in a poor state of health. At the time of writing, those on zero-hour contracts – whose employer has no obligation to provide minimum working hours – may have no money to buy necessities, even if they have a friend who can shop for them. They are well-represented among food-bank users.
A self-isolation policy assumes that people have both the financial and the social capital to survive for two weeks. Many visitors to the food bank with which I am involved have neither.
