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In a letter to Cllr McVey, Swinney explained why the Scottish government decided to keep Edinburgh at level three lockdown restrictions despite many calls from locals and politicians for the capital to be reduced to level two.
Explaining the government’s reasons, Swinney said: “A move to Level 2 in Edinburgh would mean opening significantly more services in our second-largest city in the two weeks leading up to Christmas. So we wanted to be as confident as possible that the situation is as stable as possible before making that move.
“In that context, the recent increase in cases, albeit relatively slight, was cause for concern when seen in the context of a much slower decline in cases and test positivity for Edinburgh over the past two weeks than for Scotland. as a whole.
“In the same way, while Scotland as a whole has seen a decline in test positivity, the test positivity for Edinburgh is increasing. So, weighing the data in a broader context, we decided that it was prudent to keep Edinburgh on Level 3 this week, monitor position closely, and check level again next week. ”
Swinney also added that suppressing the prevalence of the virus to a very low level before Christmas is “key to avoiding the need for more restrictive protective measures in the New Year and ensuring that the NHS is not overwhelmed by COVID-19 in January.” . .
He concluded that he understood that the decision to keep Edinburgh at level three has disappointed Cllr McVey and his constituents, but hopes that the council leader understands “the basis on which it was made and the seriousness with which we take our responsibilities.”
Councilors will debate the approval of the motion at tomorrow’s council plenary meeting.
You can read Mr. Swinney’s letter in its entirety here.
