These latest restrictions betray the SNP’S Central Belt obsession

ADDITIONAL Covid-19 restrictions may be necessary for some parts of Scotland, but they demonstrate the Central Belt obsession of the SNP. Areas such as Arran and parts of South Ayrshire have already missed the tourist season, which ideally, would have fattened up businesses for a lean winter.

I live in a town of 6,500, 60 miles from Glasgow with a low population density, no student population and acres of outdoor space. But for the purposes of the SNP, all communities are being treated as if they are a dormitory town of Glasgow with no distinction between 700 and 700,000 people (“Hospitality shutdown branded ‘shambles’ amid cafe confusion”, The Herald, October 9).

I appreciate that the SNP doesn’t really understand the rest of Scotland, preferring to pump resources to the conurbations that stretch from the Clyde to the Forth, but there are many forgotten rural areas that were not thriving before Covid, thanks, in part, to governmental neglect, centralisation, a policy of managed decline and an obsession with constitutional questions.

This blanket approach for the entire Central Belt will only make this situation worse.

David Bone, Girvan.

I AGREE with Max Cruickshank’s point (Letters, October 9) that over-indulgence in alcohol can lead to the crowding which can spread Covid-19 infection; however, I disagree that Nicola Sturgeon is “wiser than many of us realise” with her latest closure assault on the hospitality industry. The Scottish Government now admits that there is no scientific evidence that hospitality venues are spreading Covid infection.

Rather, I think that the FM has just picked the easy target of imposing further restrictions on hospitality to make it look like the Government actually has control of the situation, when in fact, its continuing diktats are just making a shambles of it, while destroying the economy.

Where we are now in regard to Covid is the result of a perfect storm of gullible MPS and MSPS taking misguided advice from blinkered advisors, many of whom are apparently still failing to see beyond their specialisms and tailor their advice towards managing Covid while keeping the economy and the country running.

Indeed, as Brian D Finch (Letters, October 9) points out, Sweden did this, and no apocalypse followed; the picture there now is practically the same as here in Britain.

Just as with the many other potential infectious agents which we have always been taking precautions against before Covid appeared, we must live with an acceptable level of Covid infection and “get on with it”; unfortunately, many people seem to be failing to recall that we have always done this, and condemn themselves to cower in fear before Covid rather than realistically manage their risk of contracting it.

Philip Adams, Crosslee.

OPERATIONS being cancelled to accommodate Covid-19 (“Operations axed by mistake in rush to tackle Covid cases”, The Herald, October 9) is just another manifestation of the utter chaos that reigns across Scotland aided and abetted by Nicola Sturgeon and her advisers.

Of course this pandemic is deadly, but half-baked Government interventions all over the place in an increasingly futile effort to suppress it is simply diverting the virus down different pathways. In the meantime, Scots with actual health problems are being ignored, the huge damage to our economy and infrastructure is gaining pace daily and our children’s education is being tipped over a cliff edge.

Ms Sturgeon is a politician with a fixed mission, be it currently reducing pandemic deaths or the over-arching one of independence but the glaring problem with this approach is that other equally valid issues are sidelined. This inability to cope with everything else in turn shines the spotlight onto the SNP’S ability to master a multi-layered, highly problematic and terribly difficult independence process with far more serious consequences for us all than Covid-19.

Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow G77.

THE stipulation that public houses close at 10pm as against 11pm was ridiculous. How was an earlier closure by one hour going to make any difference in infection rates? If anything, it was only risking the likelihood of household gatherings. The supermarkets must be rubbing their hands with the undoubted increase in alcohol sales, whereas the licensed trade and indirectly the restaurant sector through slightly differing rulings, will suffer extensively. Businesses in both sectors will fold and many jobs will be lost, yet the building sector has been able to function near normally for quite some time, with no appreciable impact on the infection rates.

Despite protestations to the contrary, the problems concerning the university students’ return were caused by flouting the rules. I sometimes now wonder if consideration of just opening up everything once again should now be effected, with greater emphasis on face coverings, social distancing and random testing, yet still keeping some restrictions on household gatherings.

Care home and vulnerable people should be taken more note of by way, in particular, of greatly increased testing of staff and residents to allow some better visiting rights. The country is going to hell in a handcart with this piecemeal approach.

George Dale, Beith.

I AM paying particular attention to the Covid-19 update by our First Minister today (October 9). The common denominator of the majority of media questions seems to be “let’s be as deliberately obstructive as possible and be determined to undermine our Governmental effort to protect us from Covid19”.

Why cannot they put their preferences aside instead of trying desperately to score a political point at every opportunity? Or are they incapable of comprehending the dangers of not taking the action which has the guidance of science?

John Hamilton, Bearsden.