Curbs could return, warns Leitch

COVID curbs could come back as we are only halfway through the coronavirus pandemic, Scotland’s national clinical director has warned.

Professor Jason Leitch said he could tell ministers to reimpose restrictions in response to new variants or the health service being overwhelmed, adding: ‘This pandemic is not over.’

As the final legal restrictions imposed during the pandemic were lifted yesterday, Professor Leitch said there was ‘no way you can rule anything out’, when asked if Covid rules could be reintroduced. Speculating whether tougher, legally enforceable rules could return, he told the BBC Good Morning Scotland programme: ‘We need to keep things like [restrictions] in the cupboard in case we require it.’

No legal restrictions are currently in place for the ‘vast majority’ of Scots, Professor Leitch said, but the Government is still advising people to continue to wear masks in busy indoor places and on public transport.

He added: ‘[Face coverings] are so simple, they don’t really cost us much and if you can do it for another little while in public transport, in a restaurant, in a crowded place, then that may be a small price to pay.’

Professor Leitch said that most health experts think the pandemic will last for another two to three years and he expects over 50s will need annual vaccinations against coronavirus, with the second boosters likely to be offered ahead of winter.

The health adviser also said he feared that Scotland’s NHS was already ‘overwhelmed’, but primarily due to the backlog rather than current Covid cases.