Covid-19: the numbers...

THERE HAS BEEN a relaxation in the rules and guidance around Covid-19 in England where the Prime Minister announced the end of Covid restrictions and the discontinuation of free mass testing from 1 April. Boris Johnson said it was time to “get our confidence back”. The Chief Medical

Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser, Patrick Vallance were more careful in their approach saying that this was not a trivial illness and could still create “significant problems”.

The Scottish Government in an updated Strategic Framework has removed the requirement for face coverings from 21 March, but the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said to MSPs: “Covid is still a public health risk here and elsewhere.”

Ms Sturgeon said that The

Scottish Government will retain free testing and she confirmed that those who test positive will be asked to continue to self isolate.

She expressed frustration at the lack of clarity from Westminster on any support for the testing system in Scotland, and explained there is a change from the early days of the pandemic when the idea was to try to eliminate Covid or suppress it.

She said: “The strategic framework makes clear that in future we will rely less on legally imposed measures to control the virus, and more on vaccines, treatments, sensible adaptations and good public health behaviours.”