The Scottish Conservatives have today published a wide-ranging roadmap for Scotland’s recovery from Covid.
The policy paper, entitled ‘Back to Normality’, urges the Scottish Government to shift its approach to Covid-19, and sets out several key recommendations for moving beyond the pandemic.
With the latest data indicating that the most dangerous phase of the pandemic is at an end, the paper calls for blanket Covid measures - such as mandatory facemasks in classrooms and vaccine passports - to be progressively dropped.
The paper calls for a greater focus on advisory public health guidance to respond to future waves, with an emphasis on personal responsibility. It suggests a two-tiered approach with additional protections for vulnerable groups.
It also urges the Scottish Government to scrap their controversial Covid Reform Bill which would make some emergency government powers permanent – including the power to close schools and businesses, enforce lockdowns and release prisoners early.
Other key recommendations to support Scotland’s longer-term recovery from the virus, include:
- Continuing to reduce the self-isolation period
- Publishing an interim report of the Scottish Covid public inquiry as soon as possible, in order to help us learn the lessons of Covid and inform our recovery
- Establishing a network of long Covid clinics to treat patients with chronic conditions
- Ending the staffing crisis in our NHS so that it is better prepared for future healthcare emergencies
- Investing in a national tutoring programme and school catch-up premium, to help children impacted by disrupted schooling
Scottish Conservative Shadow Health Secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP, said: “As we begin to navigate our way out of the pandemic, we need to put personal responsibility at the heart of the Government’s approach to dealing with the virus.
“This policy paper sets out a roadmap for our return to normality and makes several key recommendations for our longer-term recovery.
“With the virus retreating, blanket emergency measures risk doing more harm than good to our health and wellbeing. We are calling on the Government to adopt a new, more targeted approach to Covid which protects the most vulnerable, while rebuilding our public services.
“We are urging the Scottish Government to start tackling issues that have been put on pause, such as fixing our NHS staffing crisis so that burnt-out frontline health workers can cope and giving extra support to children whose education has suffered during the pandemic.
“It is time to move Scotland as close to normality as possible for as many people as possible. That is the only way that we can recover fully from this pandemic.”
Notes: The full paper can be read online at: The Scottish Conservatives – Back to Normality.