Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
91% of Tele voters say English border should be closed
MORE than 90% of Tele readers support closing the Anglo-Scottish border to reduce the spread of coronavirus, according to our latest poll.
With experts predicting Scotland could be on course to eliminate Covid-19 by the end of the summer, the country finds itself at odds with England, which this week introduced its first ‘local lockdown’ after a spike in coronavirus cases in Leicester.
This plus the growing difference in approaches between Holyrood and Westminster over the pace of easing lockdown has led to the question of cross-border infection.
We asked readers if they backed a closure, after a petition calling for the measure was signed by thousands of people.
In just 24 hours, 4,024 people voted in our poll asking if nonessential traffic coming to-andfrom England should be restricted.
This means vehicles such as those delivering essential supplies, the emergency services and other vital traffic would be allowed to pass through.
A majority of 91.33% (3,675) said they favoured the move, with 8.67% (349) disagreeing.
At present there are no hard borders between Wales and England or England and Scotland. However, Nicola Sturgeon has said she has “not ruled out” a possible quarantine period for visitors to Scotland, although there are no plans to do so right now.
The first minister said yesterday there were eight new cases of Covid-19 in Scotland, with one person dying in the previous 24 hours, following three deaths the day before. These announcements came after four days of no recorded Covid-related deaths.
In England, 196 more cases were recorded between Tuesday and Wednesday, with 151 deaths.
Comments on the Tele’s Facebook page offered wideranging views.
Shirley Hughes wrote: “Totally agree with this, I have family in
England and soon to be another two arrivals which we would love to get the chance to meet, but there is still way too much risk for either family to take a vacation and there should be checks done, otherwise we will just end up way worse than before.”
But Claire Lawson wrote: “I live in London but I am from Dundee. I am desperate to get home to see my family who I haven’t seen since Christmas. They had a trip booked here at the beginning of lockdown which was cancelled. Everyone was so disappointed but it was the right decision at the time.
“I have direct flights booked from London to Dundee at the beginning of August. I have followed all of the rules so why shouldn’t I be allowed to come and see my family?
“Obviously I will only be travelling if I am completely well. I have worked the whole of lockdown and couldn’t arrive and isolate for 14 days as I would have to be back here for work.”
Meanwhile, a cross-border “incident management team” has been put together by Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England.
It comes after a “cluster” of coronavirus cases were identified across south west Scotland and north west England, stretching across the border.
The cases are “complex” as some may live on one side of the border but have been infected or tested on the other side, according to Professor Jason Leitch, the National Clinical Director of Healthcare Quality and Strategy for Scotland.