Sir, – So we now have final proof that the Scottish Government has lost an oar and is now rowing in circles.
The new restrictions may fit with some of the health statisticians’ models, but they fly in the face of reason.
There seems to be a belief that some form of delay, with its accompanying total economic collapse, will solve the problem.
There is no magic bullet visible on the horizon, if a vaccine does come it is almost certain to share with the flu vaccine its ability to counter last year’s strains but not this year’s.
And it will be at best partially tested and may join other pharmaceutical products as being a step taken too soon and too far.
I try to reduce risk with online shopping and avoidance of crowded bars and public transport. But it should be my choice to do so, particularly when the evidence is not at all clear and very often contradictory.
I belong to a “vulnerable group” on age grounds, but do not wish to spend my last active years “holed up” in a vain effort to protect me or others who choose to get out and about.
These actions are destroying our major economic earners – tourism, the arts and entertainment. The longer we kick the can down the road the longer this will go on.
Come on Nicola and Jason – face reality and let things play out naturally. If individuals want to stay away from family, friends and holidays for fear of Covid they already free to do so without a nanny state trying to micro-manage our movements.
Paul Croft.
Balnaguard, Pitlochry.
Public fed up with ‘boy who cried wolf’
Sir, – Nicola Sturgeon may well be “finding it much harder to cope with Covid”, but here is the real problem.
If you are on television day after day, needing several hours to prepare and debrief afterwards, it is going to wear you down.
In a time of difficulty, no leader gets so close to the grinding detail for fear of losing track of the big picture.
But this is what is happening. Ninety five percent of the population don’t watch the briefing, so the communications strategy is not working properly.
People have switched off and, as a result, incidences of the virus are rising again.
The first minister is like the little boy who cried wolf.
The people got so used to it, that they didn’t notice when the wolf did come back.
The solution is to delegate the task of daily updates to someone else, or a variety of people. The health minister would be the obvious choice.
But change she must.
If the first minister cannot cope, then, it won’t be long before the public decide they don’t want her, no matter how essential she may think she is.
It is the effectiveness of government messaging that dictates how well we will come through all this now.
Victor Clements.
Mamie’s Cottage, Aberfeldy
Inconsistencies in town improvements
Sir, – Councillor Linda Holt is bang on about Fife Council’s Spaces for People scheme, which is grossly disproportionate and characteristically inconsistent.
Of course, dealing with some pavement pinchpoints may be appropriate.
For example, the council cites the Co-op in Crail, and says pedestrians now have 2m extra width, so now perhaps 3m in total.
But across much of South Street, St Andrews, 3m pavements are deemed inadequate, and dozens of parking spaces lost as a consequence. Meanwhile, in one of the busier parts of that street, a 3m wide pavement has been closed for the purposes of a business, with pedestrians funnelled through a 1.5m gap.
Personally, I don’t have a particular problem with that sort of compromise, but other businesses beside wide and near-deserted pavements are now being penalised.
And as someone at higher than average risk of Covid, the last thing on my mind has been lack of pavement space.
It would be interesting to see how the council has assessed the risk of Covid versus the threat to jobs, business, mental health problems and stress-related illnesses.
Stuart Winton.
Dunino, St Andrews.