SNP Heallth Secretary Humza Yousaf says COP26 will worsen Covid but more restrictions still avoidable
HUMZA Yousaf has stated that “after all” there will probably be a enhance in coronavirus because of the COP26 climate change summit descending on Glasgow subsequent month.
The Well being Secretary stated there was “completely a threat of Covid instances rising thereafter”, however stated the Scottish Authorities would do all it may to maintain them to a minimal.
Labour stated Mr Yousaf had “no solutions” concerning the potential health influence of the occasion.
Final week, the Authorities’s public well being adviser, Professor Devi Sridhar of Edinburgh College, warned COP26 was more likely to set off a spike in infections.
She stated the arrival of round 25,000 individuals from across the world would “make Covid worse for Scotland” and “enhance the chance of additional restrictions”.
On BBC Scotland’s Sunday Present, Mr Yousaf was requested about COP26’s impact on Covid.
He stated: “In fact we’d count on there to be optimistic instances which are linked to COP, however we’re additionally very, very assured by the protocols we’ve acquired in place to isolate these instances as finest we presumably can.”
Requested if he anticipated a COP26-related Covid spike to lead to a reintroduction of restrictions, Mr Yousaf stated: “We’ll do all the things we will to ensure we maintain [cases] to a minimal.
“However there’s no public well being professional on the planet who would say there’s no threat, within the midst of a world pandemic, to have tens of 1000’s of individuals descending onto largely one metropolis.
“So there’s completely a threat of Covid instances rising thereafter, however we’ll do all the things we will to mitigate that.”
Covid instances rose in the summertime as restrictions relaxed, however started to fall in September because the vaccination programme reached its finish with younger individuals being included.
Nevertheless the drop has levelled off, with instances this month hardly ever beneath 2,000 per day.
Regardless of the cussed statistics, Mr Yousaf stated there aren’t any rapid plans for a return to robust restrictions.
He stated: “We’re not actively contemplating restrictions.
“We all know the hurt restrictions have had up to now and due to this fact doing issues like making certain as many individuals get vaccinated as doable, persevering with to make face coverings obligatory in sure settings, making certain we now have that common testing provide, in addition to different mitigations… all of these items hopefully proceed to assist us keep away from restrictions.”
However he added it will be “silly” to take a position on doable restrictions at Christmas.
“I’m not going to inform you what’s taking place in a few months time,” he stated.
Scottish Labour well being spokesperson Jackie Baillie stated: “The Well being Secretary merely had no solutions to the potential influence of COP26 on our NHS.
“We have to see motion to hurry up the booster programme, ramp up testing and to safe surge capability for our NHS.
“We’re wanting down the barrel at a winter of utmost strain on our NHS and probably surging ranges of Covid.
“We’d like motion from the Well being Secretary to keep away from this, not heat phrases.”
Tory Well being spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP stated: “Humza Yousaf was unable to offer any confidence that our NHS is ready as delegates begin to arrive for the COP26 Convention.
“This occasion is in contrast to something that Scotland has beforehand hosted, and below the backdrop of Covid there must be reassurance that each mitigation is being taken, so well being companies will not be overwhelmed by a surge in instances.
“The minster must deal with stepping up testing and the booster programme to guard capability inside our NHS and people most weak.
“Humza Yousaf must take motion if the SNP are critical about managing the potential influence COP26 may have on our NHS.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat chief Alex Cole-Hamilton stated: “Glasgow is about to host one of many greatest post-lockdown occasion and it’s, sadly, spectacularly unprepared.
“The NHS is already overwhelmed, it should wrestle to deal with the additional added strain an occasion like COP26 will convey.
“The Well being Secretary was solely capable of provide smoke and mirrors.
“The well being boards needed to ask for assist from the military to hold out the booster program, a hospital in Lanarkshire triggered code black on account of workers shortages, we’re clearly nonetheless in a disaster with no concrete options in sight.
“Covid continues to be a menace and NHS Scotland is about to face its winter worst but. I urge the SNP authorities to ship an actual, revised and improved Winter bundle to guard and help our NHS.”
