Are draconian rules really necessary?

THis week has ended with a significant diminution in freedoms we once took for granted. Yet nicola sturgeon’s ‘rule of six’ – the cap on gatherings – is based on questionable logic.

she conceded yesterday there is ‘always a degree of arbitrariness around this’.

and she added: ‘i’m going to be really frank with people that it is not an exact science for six versus four versus eight.’

Yet the rule, as arbitrary as it appears, has the power to disrupt lives – and possibly cancel Christmas.

as the First Minister made clear, high levels of compliance with public health guidelines now could mean these tough curbs will be relaxed.

But in the meantime the restrictions are having a major impact.

Countless family parties – from landmark birthdays to anniversaries and communions – have been postponed, or scrapped.

The prohibition of indoor meetings in Glasgow has been widened to Lanarkshire, meaning nearly two million scots are subject to the ban.

While the number of fatalities and hospital admissions remains low, the hope is that – on the cusp of flu season – exponential growth in the virus can be prevented.

The new phone app, which helps to detect and warn those who have come into close contact with Covid sufferers, is proving popular, and should help to contain the virus. and there was good news yesterday, as figures revealed the uK economy has posted its third month of growth.

But there are dark months ahead, and it will become harder to abide by the complicated rules that govern our lives.

We can only hope that ministers know what they are doing, and their high-risk strategy works. By maintaining the herculean efforts of the past six months, we can help to ensure it does – and finally put the nightmare of Covid behind us.