Nicola Sturgeon says ‘there’s a case’ to tighten Christmas Covid-19 rules
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she has no “fixed position” on how relaxed restrictions should be over the festive period in the light of a new variant of coronavirus being detected.
And there will be no change to the priority list of who receives the Covid vaccine, Ms Sturgeon said, after research showed those living in Scotland’ s poor est areas had been“disproportionately” affected by the virus.
The First Minister held talks with fellow devolved leaders and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove last night about the prospect of tightening up the proposed five - day relaxation of Covid rules between December 23 and 27.
No final decision was reached after the half-hour call, but further talks will be held today.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said afterwards :“The Four Nations call was a good opp or tuni ty to review the position on Christmas and discuss whether the messaging or guidance requires to be reinforced.”
Ms Sturgeon yesterday rejected claims that the decision to ease the rules over the festive period had been “rushed”.
"It was carefully considered and agonised over because these decisions are not straightforward ,” she told MSPS at Holyrood.
“But it’s important to retain the ability to be flexible, which is hard when people want certainty.
“Right now the rise is less severe here than in parts of England and in Wales, but we are seeing signs that the virus has not gone away. We also need to consider whether the the new variant could lead to more precautions."
The Scottish government requested yesterday’s call in the wake of the news of the new variant in England.
Ms Sturgeon said: “There’s a case at looking at whether we tight en the flexibilities that were given further in terms of duration and numbers of people meeting.
“It would be prefer able to come to a four nation agree - ment, but if that' s not possible then we will consider within the Scottish Government what would be appro - priate."
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard asked if the roll out of the vaccine could give a“higher priority to those living in higher areas of deprivation?”
Ms Sturgeon said the government had been “aware for most of the past ten months there' s a disproportionate impact on people living in more deprived areas and in becoming seriously ill, and perhaps dying”.
She said :“From the start we’ve tried to factor that into our responses, so much of the work we've done to pro - vide additional financial support has been geared towards those living in poverty .”
However, Ms Sturgeon said there would be no change in terms of the vaccine rollout.
“We take recommend ati ons from the Joint Comm it tee on Vaccination and Immunisation, and they have put forward an order of priority based on greatest clinical risk ,” she said.
“The order that they’ ve put for ward means the first group is for all population over the age of 50 and by the time they’ re all vaccinated that will cover more than 90 percent of prevent able deaths.”
The talks over Christmas restrictions took place after two leading medical jo urnals warned that a lessening of restrictions would" cost many lives" and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer demanded an urgent review.
A spokeswoman for Northern Ireland's First Min ister Arlene and Depu ty First Minister Michelle O' Neill said they would discuss the situation with medical and scientific advisers before bringing an update to the Executive tomorrow.
In Wales, First Minister Mark Drake ford told the Se nedd that" the choice is a grim one, isn' t it ?" and highlighted" heartrending pleas" he has received from people to not reverse the existing plan. "I think the choice is an incredibly difficult one ," he added.
Sir Keir urged Boris Johnson toc allan emergency meeting of the Government's top level Cobra committee within 24 hours to assess the situation.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Lab our leader accused ministers of having "lost control of infections" and warned that" the si tu ation has clearly taken a turn for the worse since the decision about Christmas was taken".
"If you conclude with Government scientists that we need to take tougher action to keep peoples afeoverChri stmas, then you will have my support ," SirKeir said.
Earlier, the British Medical Journal and Health S er - vice Journal published a rare joint editorial calling for the "rash" decision to relax social distancing measures over the festive period to be scrapped.
They said that the Government" is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives".
In response to suggestions that the Christmas arrange - ments could be restricted to three days or two households, the Prime Minister' s official spokesman said: "We have set out the guidance for the Christmas bubbling arrangements.
"But ... we obviously keep all advice under constant review."