MINISTERS in Scotland should remain committed to ending Covid-19 restrictions just as Boris Johnson has pledged to do so, according to the Scottish Conservative leader.
Last night Boris Johnson announced that nearly all coronavirus rules in England will be axed on July 19 despite rapidly increasing case numbers. Masks will become a personal choice, distancing measures will be abandoned and limits on gatherings will come to end.
SAGE advisers had warned the UK Government of the “significant risk” attached to the decision, as vaccination has reduced but not broken the link between cases, hospitalisation and death.
READ MORE: UK Covid cases could hit 100,000 a day within weeks, Sajid Javid says
Johnson advised press conference viewers that cases are likely to reach 50,000 per day by the time July 19 comes around.
Scotland currently has some of the worst Covid-19 rates in Europe – with six health boards in the top 10 for case totals according to the World Health Organisation.
NHS Tayside, Lothian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Fife, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire are all in the top 10 worst hit list, along with areas of northern England.
According to national clinical director Jason Leitch the spike is party due to the lack of “natural immunity” due to lower case numbers earlier in the pandemic.
Despite Scotland recording its highest ever daily case totals multiple times last week, Douglas Ross said it’s time to get back to normal.
“I think it is time to start to get our lives back to normal as much as possible,” the Scottish Tory leader told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland.
“That’s what we’ve told businesses and individuals and families here in Scotland, that’s why we’re working toward that 19th July date to move to level 0 and obviously the 9th of August date to see the bulk of the restrictions removed here in Scotland because we do need to get life back to normal.”
Ross added: “We’ve already seen far too many deaths, here in Scotland, across the UK, and around the world from this virus, but we do have to learn to live with it.
"People die from a number of ailments all the time and we have to learn to live with Covid-19 as it is going to be with us going forward."
READ MORE: Covid in England: Sage warned UK Government of 'significant risk' of ending restrictions
Meanwhile Professor Sir Mark Walport, the UK Government’s former chief scientific adviser, said the lifting of Covid restrictions will make it “even more favourable” for the virus.
He told Sky News: “I don’t think anyone would have imagined taking off all restrictions at a time when there are 25,000 infections a day, doubling about every nine days.
“The reason it’s become possible for ministers to make this decision is because the vaccine programme has become so very successful and has weakened, but certainly not broken, the link between infection and the most serious consequences of disease.
I think there is a very high priority to keep the vaccines up, and I think the other thing is the guidance needs to be very clear for people.”
Walport went on: “People are going to have to behave responsibly and that guidance really matters.”
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