Be vigilant - virus is still amongst us
As each week passes, we all become accustomed to the many differences that are taking place in Scotland due to the COVID pandemic.
The dangers of the direct health impact, the sense of isolation that many have faced during lockdown and the acute financial and economic worries that people face have all been part of the way of life for the last few months.
Looking back to the position we faced in March and April, we can definitely see that we are making progress in tackling the serious effects of the virus as a result of the active support and participation of members of the public.
In the latest data available, the number of infectious people in Scotland is estimated to be less than 2000 out of a population of five and a half million and the really encouraging part of that progress is that number of people judged to be infectious is falling by about 30 per cent each week.
That is only happening because the public is following the guidance the Scottish Government has set out.
Unfortunately we have been reminded in recent days that progress is still very fragile. In parts of Dumfries and Galloway, we had to halt plans to relax the lockdown as there had been an emergence of a cluster of COVID cases where there had been only a few in the past few months.
And we still see new cases emerging across the country. These events make it clear that we have to proceed with great care. That is reinforced by the fact that around the world various countries are having to reinstate lockdown or further restrictions as the number of cases increase and the dangers to the population become more acute.
So although we are making progress we are not out of the woods yet.
There is a lot we can continue to do to help tackle COVID.
We can all follow the physical distancing rules which remain generally at two metres but some exceptions will be put in place.
We can all continue to follow the hand hygiene advice that has been set out regularly.
And we can all wear face coverings in situations where they make a difference, especially on public transport and in retail situations.
My message to everyone would be that we have made good progress and if we want to continue that direction, the small steps we can all take will help us to cement that progress.
Throughout this crisis, my constituency staff and I have been focused on helping individuals and businesses to manage through these difficulties.
We have managed to resolve many, many cases and have been grateful for the help and co-operation of local authority and government staff for helping us to get to these good outcomes. It is encouraging to see the reopening of local shops and other businesses as we begin to take some tentative steps back toward a new normal.
I wish all our local shops every success in operating in this new environment and look forward to giving them my support and encourage everyone in the community to shop local.