Circuit break looms after deaths surge
SCOTLAND could be plunged into a “circuit breaker” lockdown this month after a surge in deaths was reported yesterday by Nicola Sturgeon.
Health chief Jason Leitch claimed the short-term move may be “part of an answer” on the same day as the Covid-19 death toll hit its highest level since June.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney also said the option is being “explored”.
At her briefing yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that seven coronavirus deaths had been recorded in the previous 24 hours – the biggest rise in three months. There had been 4257 deaths from confirmed or suspected coronavirus up to Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Swinney and Leitch, the national clinical director, did not rule out introducing a “circuit breaker” – effectively a two-week lockdown.
A leaked Scottish Government document made clear this intervention was being considered last month.
According to the paper, measures could include schools and hospitality venues closing. Other options included were travel restrictions, the closure of entertainment venues and visitor attractions. A circuit breaker could also include a message to avoid public transport and further restrictions on care home and hospital visiting.
Swinney said: “The question of some form of circuit breaker in October has been suggested by the advice that has emerged from SAGE (the scientific advisory group).
“I wouldn’t say that that is a specific proposition. It is more the raising of the possibility that, if the pandemic continues to grow at an accelerating rate in the period going forward, there may be a necessity to take some form of what I would describe as interruptive action to try to slow further, and more aggressively the development of the pandemic.”
At the same meeting, Leitch said: “A circuit breaker is not the answer. The answer is whole population measures all the time until we get science to get us out the other end. A circuit breaker would just be a help on the way potentially.
“Some modellers suggest you should do it repeatedly….but that has implications for economy, implications for society, implications for schools. So it’s a very, very difficult balance about whether we think this new iconic measure would be something we recommend for Scotland. It is not the whole answer, but it may be part of an answer.”
Asked about the circuit breaker idea, Sturgeon said: “I’m not going to speculate on future restrictions.
“As night follows day, if we allow infections to continue to rise, they will go from younger people to older people, people in older, vulnerable groups will get sick, be admitted hospital and intensive care and die. And that’s the path this virus will take if we won’t get in its way and interrupt it.
“The measures we introduced last week, a month from now or thereabouts, should start to have an impact on the figures we are seeing, if we all stick to what we are being asked to do.”