Coronavirus: Nicola Sturgeon must be cautious as signs of Covid second wave grow – Angus Robertson

Scotland is heading towards a further relaxation of coronavirus restrictions. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce on Thursday the country moving into phase 2 of the roadmap out of the lockdown and most people can’t wait.

If all the criteria are met, this will make it easier to see family and friends, travel locally for leisure and exercise and see some workplaces reopen with social distancing. A degree of “normality” may also return with small retail units allowed to reopen as well as pubs and restaurants opening outdoor spaces with physical distancing and increased hygiene routines.

Places of worship may be able to open for private prayer and marriages, civil partnerships and other types of ceremonies may be permitted with a limited number of attendees. Sport, leisure and cultural activities may also be given the green light. Some professional sports could resume and public playgrounds and sports courts reopen with physical distancing.

For all of us yearning for an end to the lockdown restrictions, the changes can’t come quickly enough. However, the second-wave Covid-19 outbreak in China should remind us all that the virus isn’t beaten and the pandemic risks remain significant. After more than 50 days without a single coronavirus case in Beijing, scores of infections have rapidly developed. The outbreak is centred on Asia’s largest meat and vegetable market and the authorities have now applied strict lockdown measures. Whole residential districts have been closed, school reopening has been stopped and sports events suspended. Mass testing has been ordered and a “wartime mechanism” has been activated, putting hundreds of police on the streets.

In Germany a new coronavirus cluster associated with a single church congregation in Bremerhaven has infected 112 people. The country’s seven-day virus R-number reproduction rate, which measures the ability of Covid-19 to spread, has risen above 1 to 1.09. In Bulgaria, new infections have reached a new national record with 555 new cases. The country’s chief health inspector says Bulgaria is probably experiencing a second wave of coronavirus. This is happening as travel restrictions are being lifted in the European Union. Summer flights are taking off for Mediterranean resorts.

The risks from second-wave coronavirus infections are serious and endanger the hard-won gains of the lockdown. That is why the cautious science-based approach of the Scottish Government is essential. Decision-makers have the difficult task of protecting public safety while allowing the economy to reactivate as quickly as possible. Most of us who try and take a regular walk for exercise or do the shopping can testify to a minority who think social distancing does not apply to them. With calls growing for the two-metre rule to be reduced to one metre, the fear of behavioural experts is that infection risks will increase exponentially.

This week in Scotland is a pivotal point where Covid recovery means early steps can begin towards economic recovery. The green light from the Scottish Government towards tourism opening in July is hugely encouraging, especially for places like Edinburgh. As international cases show, we cannot however lose sight of the risks of a second wave of coronavirus cases and the increased damage this will wreak to jobs, businesses and the economy. That is why the cautious but responsible approach of Nicola Sturgeon is right for public health and the economy.

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