Coronavirus in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon 'concerned' bad weather will affect Covid-19 vaccine rollout

Concerns have been raised that bad weather may affect Scotland’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout, as several weather warnings are due to come into place over the next few days.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she had been in discussions about the weather prior to her coronavirus briefing on Thursday.

When asked whether the conditions could cause supply and delivery issues, or prevent people accessing appointments, she said: “I am concerned, I’m always concerned when there are severe weather forecasts. We want people to be able to get to vaccination centres, and forecasts and reports of heavy snow concern me and make my heart sink a little bit.”

She added that the Scottish Government and local authorities had “resilience preparations” in place to provide gritting and snow clearing to keep the vaccine programme running “as smoothly as possible.”

A view of Edinburgh Castle from The Braids with people sledging in the snow. Picture: Andrew O'Brien

"Of course, logic and common sense tells you that severe weather does have an impact on these things, we just have to try and minimise that as much as possible,” she said.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who leads the weather resilience plans, will lead the coronavirus briefing on Friday and will give more information, Ms Sturgeon said.

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow for central and northern Scotland from Thursday to Saturday, and an amber snow warning for the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and central Tayside.

Ms Sturgeon told elderly patients not to travel to vaccination appointments if this would be dangerous due to the bad weather.

"People should go and get vaccinated when they [have an appointment], but if an older person in particular is worried because there are icy conditions and they don’t have anyone who can help them or perhaps drive them to their appointment, then contact your local health board who will attempt to be as flexible as possible,” she said.

Snow has caused travel disruption around Scotland in recent weeks.

On Thursday, train services between Edinburgh and Glasgow and Inverness were delayed due to heavy snowfall, with Network Rail warning of drifts up to two feet high on some sections of the tracks.

The Met Office predicts up to 20cm of snow in low levels by Saturday, with more expected on higher ground.

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