Weekend is the worst time for lockdown rule changes
The Scottish Greens have asked the Scottish Government not to relax lockdown rules on a Friday again, after last weekend saw over one thousand arrests and eight hundred dispersal orders issued by police.
Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer, who represents Luss and other Loch Lomond communities badly affected by antisocial behaviour at the weekend, asked Cabinet Secretary Michael Russell to introduce further changes to lockdown rules earlier in the week, to allow for the message that lockdown is not over to be reinforced across multiple days before the weekend.
Responding to Mr Greer’s request at Holyrood’s COVID Committee, Russell confirmed that he would consider the proposal.
Commenting, Ross Greer said:
“Clearly the relaxation of lockdown restrictions immediately before the weekend led to confusion over what was and was not allowed. That resulted in dangerous situations emerging across the country, particularly at Loch Lomond. As the lockdown is eased public health messaging will become more complicated, so it’s essential that there is time to reinforce and explain each change ahead of weekends where people will be looking to go out and exercise their new freedoms.
“Police Scotland’s deputy chief constable said on Good Morning Scotland that further legally-binding restrictions would be ‘impractical’ for officers who are already busy, so clear public messaging needs to be the priority. Moving announcements to earlier in the week is the easiest way to make that possible.”