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A SNP politician has urged Nicola Sturgeon to rethink the planned relaxation of closure rules over Christmas.
Scots will be able to form a festive “bubble” with up to three households during a five-day period starting on December 23, which means they can meet indoors if social distancing rules are followed.
But rising infection rates in other parts of the UK, with London on the brink of a tighter lockdown, has led some to question whether now is the time to relax lockdown restrictions.
The Prime Minister insisted today that the Christmas guide published earlier this month is still valid, but urged Scots to be cautious if they plan to meet with others.
But Chris McEleny, an Inverclyde councilor and well-known advocate of a ‘Plan B’ approach to independence, said the holiday relaxation could result in 50,000 cases of the virus in January and a total national lockdown.
The SNP member has now asked the Scottish government to reconsider and not follow the UK government’s approach for a Christmas relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions.
McEleny said: “The people of Scotland have done well to adhere to the rules these last nine months.
“However, the four-nation approach to broadly loosen the rules runs the risk of being the biggest mistake made in this entire pandemic.
“The spread of the virus will increase and if it grows as an exponential virus would be expected to grow, we could see 50,000 new cases in January because of this decision.
“With a vaccine now being released, it is an act of extreme madness to risk the virus becoming so severely out of control when there is now light at the end of the tunnel.”
Speaking at her daily media briefing, the Prime Minister today urged people to think carefully about meeting others when the rules of domestic mixing are relaxed between December 23 and 27 and to think about reducing unnecessary contact with others. in the lead up to Christmas to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
He also urged people not to have office parties, but to celebrate virtually.
The Prime Minister said: “Meeting other households indoors is not risk free, so I want to remind everyone once again that just because we can visit people indoors during Christmas on a limited basis does not mean that we have to.
“Any indoor meeting between different homes obviously creates risk, carries risk. The virus won’t take a break during the Christmas period, so don’t give it a chance to move from one home to another if it can be avoided.
“However, if you decide that it is essential to meet other people during Christmas, now is the time to start thinking about reducing the unnecessary contacts that you would normally have between now and then.
“That is particularly the case if you plan to reunite with older relatives.”
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