SHUT SCHOOLS HEADING IN HERE FOR MONTH
Parly recalled to consider new lockdown plans as Sturgeon warns of serious rise in cases
NICOLA Sturgeon is considering plans to close schools until February.
The First Minister has recalled MSPs today as coronavirus cases continue to rise.
NICOLA Sturgeon is set to announce new lockdown measures to fight soaring Covid cases today – and is looking at plans to shut schools for the next month.
The First Minister has called an emergency Cabinet meeting this morning and has ordered MSPs back to Holyrood to announce the move this afternoon.
The Cabinet is looking at plans to keep schools closed for the rest of January and the possible return of restrictions that are closer to the stay-at-home lockdown in March.
Schools in Scotland are due to return full-time on January 18 – but a rise in infections has prompted plans for a longer school shutdown.
Scotland saw 2464 new coronavirus cases recorded yesterday, up from 2137 new cases on Saturday. The daily test positivity rate is now at 15.2 per cent, up from 10.8 per cent on Saturday.
On Twitter, Sturgeon warned the Government would have to act “quickly and decisively in the national interest” raising fears that schools may remain closed for the whole of January.
She wrote: “The rapid increase in Covid cases, driven by the new variant, is of very serious concern.
“The steep increases and severe NHS pressure being experienced in other parts of the UK is a sign of what may lie ahead. So we must take all steps to slow spread while vaccination progresses. We, like other countries, are in a race between this faster spreading strain of Covid and the vaccination programme.
“As we work to vaccinate as quickly as possible, we must also do more to slow down the virus – to save lives and help the NHS care for all those who need it. Please continue to take Covid seriously – it is a real threat to life and health and, if it runs out of control, it damages the economy more too.”
“Please stay at home as much as possible and avoid non-essential interactions with other households.”
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard called for a briefing. He said: “Throughout this pandemic, Scottish Labour has supported a precautionary approach to tackling the public health crisis.
“It is right to consider putting further restrictions in place as a matter of urgency. But ministers must publish the evidence behind all its decisions – to ensure public consent and so compliance.” Scottish Lib Dem
leader Willie Rennie said: “Shutting secondary schools and even primary schools for longer will inflict a heavy price on the future opportunities for young people who have already lost out so much. So we need to see the evidence for such a decision.
“We also need a full joined up plan for childcare as more people are now working than in the earlier lockdown. If we are to restrict people’s movement then we need to see what the benefit will be.”
Rapid testing in schools is being considered but the new strain is spreading so fast ministers may need to close schools until February. All mainland Scotland and Skye are under level 4 restrictions, while other islands are in level 3. Shetland is on the brink of moving to level 4 amid an outbreak infecting more than 70 people.
There will also be a meeting this morning of the government’s advisory Education Recovery Group.
A Scottish Government spokesman confirmed the Cabinet meeting, recall of Parliament and ERG meeting and added: “The recent, rapid increase in Covid cases in Scotland, driven by the new variant of the virus, is a very serious concern.
“The even steeper rises and severe pressure on the NHS that is being experienced in some other parts of the UK is a sign of what may lie ahead in Scotland if we do not take all possible steps now to slow the spread of the virus while the vaccination programme progresses.”
The developments came as Prime Minister Boris Johnson signalled tougher restrictions could be on the way in England.
In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford said plans for schools will be kept “under consideration”.