Saving lives beats saving Christmas

So there you have it. Christmas wasn’t quite cancelled yesterday but it suddenly became a lot less merry.

The First Minister delivered a triplewhammy that was enough to leave most of us needing to open the sherry a few days early.

We were rocking on our heels when told five days of relaxed Covid-19 restriction was being reduced to just one on December 25.

Then viewers of Nicola Sturgeon’s emergency announcement would’ve felt their legs wobble when she revealed that the entire nation would be locked down in Tier 4 of the Scottish Government safety rules by Boxing Day.

Smelling salts were needed to clear the heads of parents left reeling from schools and nurseries having an extended holiday whi le we tackle this new variant of the virus.

Scientists say its latest mutation is 70 per cent more transmittable and believe that’s the reason behind the sudden spike in cases around the UK.

The Scottish Government believe just 17 of these patients have been located north of the Border.

No doubt there will be more.

We have all sacrificed so much already this year.

The last nine months have been tough for everyone, so we all hoped a little festive cheer with friends and loved ones would be a welcome tonic.

But saving lives and protecting the NHS from a tsunami of Covid patients is eminently more important.

Other faiths have been forced to observe strict coronavirus rules during their religious festivals this year.

Jews couldn’t celebrate Hanukkah as normal this month and Muslims made the same sacrifice during Eid in May.

Christians will need to do much the same now.

What is more worrying is the further damage that will be done to the economy and children’s education.