The First Minister has asked the Presiding Officer to recall parliament on Monday after a meeting of the government’s resilience committee on Saturday to discuss the spread of the new variant of the virus.
A meeting of the Scottish Cabinet will be held on Monday morning, as well as a meeting of the Education Recovery Group ahead of a statement by the First Minister in the afternoon.
Opposition leaders are united about the cautious approach, but want some more information.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “Throughout this pandemic, Scottish Labour has supported a precautionary approach to tackling the public health crisis – and with the spread of the virus now accelerating, it is right to consider putting further restrictions in place as a matter of urgency. But ministers must publish the evidence behind all its decisions – to ensure public consent and so compliance.
“As a first step opposition party leaders should be briefed today, in advance of the statement to Parliament tomorrow, on the evidence and the reasoning behind a tightening of restrictions.
“What is clear is that we need to see an acceleration of the vaccine roll out and a step change in testing.
“It is also clear that financial support from government has simply not been nearly sufficient to make up for the damage that lockdown measures have done to jobs, livelihoods and businesses. The SNP government must distribute additional funds to the front line now.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie commented: “With tighter restrictions on movement and in schools, comes a greater responsibility on the government to show its workings.
“Shutting secondary schools and even primary schools for longer will inflict a heavy price on the future opportunities for young people who have already lost out so much. So we need to see the evidence for such a decision. We also need a full joined up plan for childcare as more people are now working than in the earlier lockdown.
“If we are to restrict people’s movement then we need to see what the benefit will be.
“We need an exit plan to give people hope, as well as to show them what is required to ease the restrictions on our freedoms.”
The safety of pupils, teachers and school staff must be the determining factor in deciding whether to delay the return to schools, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie MSP has said.
Speaking after it was announced that the Scottish Parliament will again be recalled tomorrow to hear an update on the Covid-19 situation Mr Harvie said that safety must be paramount in government decision making.
Patrick Harvie MSP said: “With COVID-19 once again out of control and concerns about the new strain growing it’s clear that a cautious approach needs to be adopted by the Scottish Government.
“We must be honest and accept that most pupils, teachers and support staff cannot go back to schools until the situation is brought under control. It’s time that the government listened to teachers who have said repeatedly that they don’t feel safe in their classrooms.
“Everyone accepts that schools should be kept open in an ideal world, but the current situation is far from ideal.
“When parliament returns on Monday I expect the First Minister to explain exactly what support will be provided to ensure that periods of online learning, for however long they need to last, are as successful as possible.
“The Scottish Government must also reconsider its decision not to prioritise teachers and school staff as vaccines are rolled out.”
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