Scotland set for ‘fundamental differences’ when lifting restrictions
Scotland will have "fundamental differences" to England after July 19 with certain restrictions continuing for a much longer time, Kate Forbes has said.
The Finance Secretary said some legal restrictions such as wearing face masks are likely to continue even after August 9 when Scotland plans to move "beyond Level 0".
Her comments came ahead of the latest coronavirus figures showing the deaths of six coronavirus patients in Scotland were recorded in the past 24 hours.
New daily cases north of the bordercontinuedtofallto2,363 butnumbersinhospitalcontinue to rise.
Under the current plan, all of Scotland is expected to move to Level 0 on July 19, allowing slightly more freedoms including groups of up to eight peopleinhomesand10inpubsand restaurants,althoughfromjust four households.
But on that same day, all laws on mask wearing and social distancing in England are likelytobescrappedentirely,prime Minister Boris Johnson said yesterday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously announced that the next easing of "major" legal limits are expected to happen on August
9 north of the Border.
Speaking on the BBC'S Good Morningscotlandprogramme, Msforbesalsosaidthescottish Government"expecttheretobe some baseline measures" that willbeinforcebeyondthatdate.
Warning that Scotland was still in a "fragile position", she said: "We all want to get back to some form of normality and the First Minister has set out in Scotland our own timetable.
"There are some similarities but there are two fundamental differences with Boris Johnson's announcement yesterday.
"The first is, on the timetable itself: we have said that all of Scotland will move to Level 0 on July 19, so that includes the easing of physical distancing indoors and outdoors, and then we'll move beyond Level Zero from August 9."
Ms Forbes added: "But we do think that there will still be some baseline measures - for example the wearing of
face masks - which will continue for a longer period of time because we all know the virus is still with us and it is still infectious."
Earlier on the programme, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said he would like Scotland to follow the UK Government's plan to lift all restrictions.
"We have to learn to live with Covid-19, it's going to be with us going forward, and I think it is time to start to get our lives back to normal as much as possible," he said.
Mr Ross said that businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, are "really struggling" with the restrictions currently imposed and the success of the vaccine rollout should allow them to be completely lifted.
He said the Scottish Government should be "signalling that these restrictions will be eased from July 19".
But he added: "What we've heard here in Scotland is the Health Secretary suggesting we may not see a reduction in the restrictions on July 19 or August 9.
"I'm saying that's as a result of the increase in cases according to the Health Secretary, but what he should really be focusing on is the fact that the number of people being contacted by test and protect in Scotland has dropped."
Responding to Ms Forbes' comments, Mr Ross accused the Scottish Government of "constant ambiguity and lastminute decision making".
He continued: "Kate Forbes this morning fell short of giving them a concrete guarantee that there won't be a further delay in easing restrictions. Ministers must avoid muddying the waters ahead of any futureannouncementsoncurrent restrictions easing.
"The Scottish Government are also saying that we will face longer term restrictions after August 9 like continued mandatory facemask wearing, but have so far failed to say exactly what they are.
"The public deserve to know what longer term measures are going to be in place."
In England rules on self-isolation are being eased for the fully vaccinated and under18s. People in those categories who have come into contact with a coronavirus case will not need to shut themselves away for the 10-day isolation period once the change comes into force on August 16. They will be advised to take a coronavirus test, but that will not be compulsory.
Meanwhile the "bubble" system in schools will be scrapped following concerns about large groups of children being forced to miss out on education if cases were detected.
The UK Government’s Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: "Step by step, jab by jab, we are replacing the temporary protection of the restrictions with the long-term protectionofthevaccinesowecan restore the freedoms which we cherish and the experiences which mean so much for us all."
The latest Scottish Government figures published yesterday afternoon show the death toll under the daily measure of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - is now 7,735.
The daily test positivity rate is 10.2 per cent, down from 12.6 per cent the previous day.
A total of 346 people were in hospital on Monday with recently confirmed Covid-19, up eight in 24 hours, with 32 patients in intensive care, up two.
So far, 3,879,458 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination and 2,791,071 have received their second dose.