As the number of new cases in Scotland holds around the 3000 – 4000 mark while England’s numbers increase it seems only a matter of time until the First Minister proudly proclaims that we are no longer the worst kid on the block.
Having had the highest case rate in the UK for since early May, Scotland has 4 (down from 6) regions in the WHO European Region COVID19 top ten hotspots, Tayside (2), Lothain (4), Greater Glasgow and Clyde (6) and Fife (9). England has 3 – or 4 if you include Jersey which I’m suspicious she might – North East(1), Jersey (7), North West (8), Yorkshire (10).
So, even with Jersey included we are still beating England on ‘goal difference’.
Past experience tells us that Ms Sturgeon will demonise the Prime Minister and criticise his decisions regarding removing restrictions, quarantine rules and so on. If the case rates in Scotland fall below the English numbers we can then expect her to tell us that we seem to have turned a corner, our perseverance has paid off and that she’s as scunnered as the rest of us.
What we can’t expect her to tell us is why, when parliament broke up, the First Minister, Health Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery (John Swinney) all went on holiday at the same time – as case numbers rocketed 6-fold in the space of a month.
I’m certainly not qualified to say whether the record case numbers are a real danger with so many vaccinated, or whether maintaining restrictions for a few weeks or months would make a difference.
What I can say is that the mixed messages of telling us all to be careful and follow the rules while also telling us the rules will virtually end in a few weeks has played it’s part in many peoples seeming abandonment of caution.
The insistence that attending small events at schools and nurseries is dangerous while encouraging 3,000 at a time to gather in Glasgow’s fanzone has left even the most diligent of rule followers bewildered.
Where is the ‘scientific advice’ that allowed the First Minister to watch Scotland playing football saying ‘Yes,Sir, We Can Boogie’ while also saying ‘No, sir, you can’t carry that loved ones coffin’?
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