The best way to save lives is to stay home

The NHS’s preparations for the coming carnage caused by Covid-19 are impressive in their scale and terrifying in their necessity. This is, without doubt, the gravest challenge the health service has faced in its 75-year history.

Today we reveal details of plans for a series of drive-in assessment centres across Courier Country for patients who may be too ill to stay at home during their illness. We also report on the reconfiguration of Ninewells to create a coronavirus-focused “hospital within a hospital”.

These steps will help give the public confidence that the health service is doing everything it can to prepare for the anticipated surge of cases in the days and weeks to come.

The brightest and the best of the medical profession have worked tirelessly to ensure we are as well placed as we can be to tackle this terrible threat.

Frontline health workers are now swinging into action to ensure the death toll from this horrible illness is reduced as much as possible.

These heroic NHS staff are doing their very best for us. It is vital we do our best for them.

Every single Scot has a solemn responsibility to play their part in limiting the spread of this virus.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has outlined a series of stark measures that we all must obey.

No politician would demand this type of extraordinary interruption to everyday life unless it was absolutely essential.

That means we MUST stick to the very clear social distancing guidelines that have been issued by the government.

We MUST self-isolate for seven days if we live alone and show symptoms. And the whole household MUST selfisolate for 14 days if somebody in it becomes symptomatic.

In short, nobody should leave their house unless they absolutely have to.

The NHS workers on the frontline of this fight are risking their lives to help others.

In contrast, all we have to do is stay indoors.

To not follow this advice is not only unbelievable stupidity – it is the very worst type of selfishness.