Christmas Sturgeon ‘deeply irresponsible’
NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of “deeply irresponsible” behaviour by not investigating the true impact of relaxing coronavirus rules over
Christmas without knowing the consequences as official guidance was published.
The Scottish Government has announced that people will be able to form an extended bubble with two other households from December 23 to 27.
But Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly warned Scots to only form an extended bubble if absolutely necessary.
NICOLA Sturgeon has been accused of “deeply irresponsible” behaviour by not investigating the true impact of relaxing coronavirus rules over Christmas without knowing the consequences as official guidance was published.
The Scottish Government, along with all UK administrations, has announced that people will be able to form an extended bubble with two other households from December 23 until December 27.
But Nicola Sturgeon has repeatedly warned Scots to only form an extended bubble if absolutely necessary amid a message to “err on the side of caution”.
People in Scotland have now been told to keep their extended bubbles “to a maximum of eight people”.
Children under the age of 12 do not count towards the total number of people counted in the bubble.
But Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of sending Scots a “confusing message” by lifting restrictions on household mixing but simultaneously appealing for people to try to avoid gathering over Christmas if possible.
The First Minister has warned Scots to “think carefully” about meeting up with loved ones at Christmas.
Tailored guidance has now been published by the Scottish Government – including that one current extended household can be included in the three-household bubble.
The guidance recommends that “you should limit your social contact with others as far as you can before and after forming a bubble to minimise transmission risks and to protect your loved ones”.
Scots are also being advised to “remain two metres away from people outside of your household as much as possible” while forming an extended bubble, but children 12 and under do not need to.
The advice warns that those who live in a shared flat or house, other than students, “are considered a household” and the Scottish Government’s “strong advice is that households should not split up and enter separate bubbles over the festive period”.
People who wish to visit loved ones in care homes, hospitals and hospices over the festive period are being advised to “stay within your
own household and not form a bubble with any other household”.
But Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie challenged Ms Sturgeon at First Minister’s Questions about whether the Scottish Government is prepared to tackle a third wave of the virus caused by increased gatherings over the festive period.
While acknowledging the “difficult decisions” that had to be made, Mr Harvie said: “At Parliament’s Covid-19 committee, the national clinical director confirmed that no risk assessment has been made of the impact this relaxation will have.
“This seems deeply irresponsible.” Ms Sturgeon said she had “agonised over” the decision but argued the Scottish Government is
right to ease the restrictions on gatherings “instead of just allowing that to happen naturally in a haphazard way”.
She added: “We’ve not modelled at this particular arrangement, we are looking at if and how it is possible to do that. There are difficulties in trying to model an arrangement, particularly where you’re trying to persuade people only to use flexibilities when necessary.”
Travel restrictions will be lifted across the UK to allow people to move about to form their extended Christmas bubble. But the guidance sets out that “once you arrive you must follow the rules about travel that apply in that local authority area”.
But those who fail to return home by December 27 could face enforcement action for breaching
travel restrictions. The guidance warns that “the only exemption” to Scots not returning home by the end of the festive relaxation period is “where you are delayed as a result of travel disruption or ill-health”, which could include having to self-isolate.
Scots who have formed an extended household cannot visit shops together, amid a warning that “retail premises could be busier than normal”.
Extended bubbles are allowed to gather in a place of worship during the festive period, so long as places of worship limit capacity to rules in the Scottish Government’s tiered system.
Bubbles are also banned from visiting pubs and restaurants and leisure or hospitality venues.