Why it’s not so grim up North

NICOLA Sturgeon is under growing pressure to scrap a cross-Border travel ban after Scotland became the UK’s top coronavirus hotspot.

Official estimates show one in every 220 people had the virus last week, double the rate of one in 440 in England and four times higher than Wales, at one in 830.

Separate figures show East Lothian and Dundee have the highest proportion of positive tests of any council area in Britain. Case numbers are higher in both areas than in Manchester, where Miss Sturgeon imposed travel restrictions due to concerns about its Covid rates.

Non-essential travel has also been banned between Scotland and Bolton, Blackburn and Salford. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: ‘Based on stats, there’s no justification for Bolton remaining in [the ban].

Parts of England and Scotland have much higher rates. We want to see consistency and fairness.’

The latest infection survey by the Office for National Statistics showed that 0.46 per cent of people in Scotland are estimated to have had Covid in the week from June 13-19 – about 24,400 people.

In England, the percentage of people testing positive was 0.22 per cent, while it was just 0.12 per cent in Wales and 0.14 per cent in Northern Ireland.

The proportion of positive tests is estimated to have increased fastest among under 30s – although the ONS report also said ‘there are early signs of an increase in some older age groups’.

This is despite 2,647,397 Scots having received both doses of a vaccine, including nearly every

one over 60. Swathes of Scotland now have upwards of 300 cases per 100,000 people, Public Health Scotland figures show.

East Lothian had 480 cases per 100,000 people in the week to June 22, the highest in the UK, followed by Dundee at 449, and Edinburgh at 403. This compares to 384 per 100,000 in Manchester.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: ‘SNP ministers have sought to justify this decision, which is potentially unenforceable, by saying it is necessary to protect public health.

‘That messaging simply isn’t being borne out in the stats. SNP ministers should be ensuring restrictions do not continue to hit businesses.

After making huge sacrifices for over a year, the public want ministers to be clear and consistent when it comes to public health decisions.’

Yesterday’s figures showed 1,747 new confirmed cases in Scotland. There were two deaths, while the number of people in hospital with the virus rose by 11 to 188.

Dr Gregor Smith, the chief medical officer for Scotland, said: ‘The rise in cases might be alarming, but it’s important to emphasise that we’re in a very different phase now – vaccines significantly modify the spread, impact and severity of disease.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Travel restrictions are to help protect public health. We keep them under review, and will remove them when they are no longer necessary.

‘We are vaccinating as fast as supplies allow, however a significant proportion of the population is not yet fully vaccinated which is why cases are going up.’

‘We want to see consistency’