Coronavirus: Scotland must deal with pandemic on basis of public health, not ideology – Angus Robertson

Scotland cannot rule out taking steps to prevent coronavirus from being imported from other areas, writes Angus Robertson

Debenhams, like other shops in Ocean Terminal, has re-opened for business (Picture: Scott Louden)

This week we experience the most significant easing of lockdown in Scotland since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Many businesses are reopening for the first time in months and key personal services like dentistry are resuming.

As we adopt new public health safeguards like wearing face masks, we move towards phase three of the Scottish Government plan to emerge from lockdown. Scotland’s cautious approach is paying off with the prevalence of the infection now five times lower than in England, but we must keep our guard up.

Over recent days in Edinburgh, I have noticed the changes which signal we are in a new stage in dealing with Covid-19: a visit to a city centre supermarket featured every single shopper wearing a face-masks; returning a hire van for a house-move I met a group of people arriving from London, who were in the Scottish capital for a short holiday; moving boxes in and out of my dad’s flat, I bumped into international students moving into accommodation in the same stairwell ahead of the start of the new university year. All of these straws in the wind point to the beginnings of a return to some kind of normality.

In Edinburgh, iconic shops like John Lewis re-opened yesterday as did the Ocean Terminal shopping centre, with one-way customer walking lanes and other safe distancing measures.

In West Lothian, the Livingston Designer Outlet saw 60 of its stores open with more returning shortly.

Meanwhile dental practices across the Capital were able to start treating patients, hospital patients without Covid are able to receive one designated visitor and children are able to play organised contact sport outside.

Tomorrow there is a step change in the lockdown as the rules in Scotland allow indoor restaurants, cafes and pubs to reopen. Hospitality businesses are able to apply for an exemption to the 2m distancing rule with special seating arrangements and appropriate ventilation.

Major changes will also see the reopening of holiday accommodation, museums, galleries, libraries, cinemas and monuments.

People of faith will be able to return to their churches, mosques, synagogues and temples for communal prayer and services, although restrictions will remain. In a relief for many parents, the childcare sector will be able to fully reopen.

Coronavirus levels in Scotland are now at very low levels. Figures released over the weekend showed less than 20 people had tested positive in the whole country over the preceding 24 hours. For a fifth consecutive day, no deaths have been recorded. Thank goodness the Scottish Government is pursuing a cautious approach which protects public health and is allowing the economy to open up again in the safest and most sustainable circumstances.

What is irresponsible are the siren voices that suggest that policy decisions should be taken on the basis of ideology not risk. Boris Johnson and Scottish Tories suggest it would be inappropriate to ever consider the kind of lockdown closures used between Leicester and Leicestershire, between Victoria and New South Wales in Australia and between a host of US states. I hope that we don’t ever need serious outbreak management measures.

Among the biggest risk of renewed infection is its importation from outside Scotland. It would be the height of irresponsibility to rule out proven and effective measures to combat Covid-19. Let’s continue to deal with the pandemic in Scotland on the basis of public health not ideology.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to the Edinburgh Evening News online and enjoy unlimited access to trusted, fact-checked news and sport from Edinburgh and the Lothians. Visit www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director