Test, trace, isolate is essential says Carlaw
Scotland must have a robust “test, trace and isolate” system in place before it begins to move out of coronavirus, union leaders and opposition parties have warned.
It came as Nicola Sturgeon rejected claims that Scotland is “lagging behind” the rest of the UK in recruiting staff for the strategy which will be pivotal to the emergence from lockdown.
The Scottish Government hasbeen severelycriticised for not testing enough people, not using capacity properly, as well as and not getting the tests out to the people who need them most.
Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said yesterday: “Failings on testing so far have been the weakest aspect of this SNP government response to the coronavirus crisis.
“Tens of thousands of tests have gone unused and there have been major problems in getting tests to the vulnerable people who need them most, and those who work with them.”
Greens co-leader Alison Johnstone said the emergence from lockdown in England has seen many people sent back to work without “the clear ability to test, trace and isolate every case” in place.
She added: “That’s why we need confidence in Scotland’s capacity to do this properly. The World Health Organisation is clear that testing and tracing every case is needed before restrictions are lifted, yet we have seen Scotland fail to meet its own capacity for testing and contact tracing is not yet rolled out across the country. This clearly needs to happen as soon as possible.”
Teaching union the EIS also issued a statement yesterday making it clear it has “consistently called” for a full test trace and isolate capacity to be established before its members would back a return to classrooms which has now been earmarked for August.
Ms Sturgeon told MSPS that Scotland’s lifting of lockdown will be aligned with the ability to implement a “substantial, significant test and protect operation”.
“Wewillbeabletodothat from the end of next week in every health board area in the country,” she said.
“The plans for that are not lagging behind.
“They are moving at pace. The health secretary confirmed at the weekend that health boards have already identified 600 individuals who are ready to do that. We will have a capacity of 2,000 in place by the end of this month. We have the testing capacity that we need for that.”
The SNP leader also said the government would publish figures on testing at a local level in response to a question from Liberal Democrat Orkney MSP Liam Mcarthur.
He said: “At the moment, the government publishes figures for the number of covid-related deaths, and the number of confirmed cases. In the absence of widespread testing, there are already question marks over how accurately these figures reflect the state of play on the ground. That situation is not helped, however, when we have no idea how many tests are being carried out at a local level.
“The expansion of testing and contact tracing is welcome, if overdue. However, in order to build public confidence and ensure any issues are identified early on, the government needs to be as transparent as possible.”