DEAR EDITOR:

I had viewed that Hillary Clinton and others were mocking President Donald Trump on the fact that the USA had more patients diagnosed with the novel coronavirus than any other country. This is true.

What they seemed not to comprehend was the mortality rates. The USA is at 1.3 percent and will probably continue to drop. China is at 4.6 percent, and Italy about 11 percent. This is a tribute to our health care system.

Perhaps the individuals who embrace a government health care system may want to examine their position.

The CDC’s first test kits were faulty, but then the private sector jumped in, although not always without problems. Abbott Labs has just developed a small portable test unit that can give results in approximately 10 minutes. It probably would have taken months, or years, for a government agency to develop this. Also, this unit can be deployed anywhere.

Also, for the individuals who have mocked Trump for wanting to open things up by Easter, perhaps they should listen to what he really said. He had said that it would be nice do this, but it will be evaluated at the appropriate time. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he may have been wrong to lock down the whole state.

Regions have to be treated differently depending on the severity of the infection. Destroying the economy will not help us in the end.

JIM McCLOSKEY

Boardman