Data shows Scotland is not ready to go back to normality

I monitor the infection rates in the Highlands, here in Sicily and at all the points in between, through which I would have to travel. At the beginning here, although never anything like that in Lombardy, I would have risked taking the virus into Scotland.

Now with the infection and death rates here a quarter and less of those in Scotland in general, with them worse still in Edinburgh, through which it seems I have no choice but to travel, and with the current situation in your neck of the woods I have to be careful about leaving here infection free and acquiring it in the UK en route.

I will, of course, wear masks at all times and at every stage, something here that is done automatically and without any complaint because it utterly sensible, but seems to be an extraordinary problematic in the UK. I have also left returning for as long as I can, in fact longer, hence three more weeks here, but I have a house, not a second home, that needs attention so return I finally must.

However, I do it with a request. Almost two months ago I wrote from here, having seen what I had, pretty well begging you 1) to try to ensure that lock-down be implemented “subitissimo”, “profondissimo”, as it been here, and 2) for Scotland, if necessary, to act it independently because I did not think England would do it correctly. I do not know if you ever saw the message but I was proved right. The figures are, as I write, telling their own story.For Scotland it was, in my humble opinion, a turning-point missed in a number of ways. However, from where I am now, indeed still, it looks as if there is now a second turning-point that might allow us to get back to the road we should have been.

Data show that Scotland is not ready for even a first opening up. London might be but even then I have my doubts. My other half, as a doctor in London dealing with care-homes, still has significant problems with testing, therefore monitoring, therefore potential infection. Yet a decision will be taken this week and only time will tell if it was right or wrong. However, judging by PMQs this morning it seems Scotland had either not been consulted, or that the Scottish Government had been ignored with the bottom line in either case that whatever is decided will be firstly forced upon and, secondly, be wrong for us.Now, in principle I have no problem with whole country decisions, but the baseline matters and observing it has been what has been done well here in Italy and very badly in the UK. Here it was realised very early on that Lombardy was a disaster area and that literally emergency measures were required.

It was done briefly for Lombardy only, seen to be failing and a very rapid rethink needed. The choice was, because lockdown might not be justifiable at the time for the whole country, medically or politically, to leave things as they were, spreading therefore failing, or do an average lock-down for the whole country, as the UK eventually chose, effectively Lombardy-light, and still risk spreading therefore failing or impose what Lombardy had needed medically but do it everywhere risking overkill and hang the political consequences.

It helped that Conte is a Southern Italian, from Puglia, and would not have wanted to see Foggia like Bergamo but nevertheless it required a leap without a bungee. Yet he did it.

Now we in Scotland are beyond the point where a similar leap would make a difference. Portree tells us that. But we still have the opportunity to do the right thing for us now and, first, say no to a solution that might suit London but does not even suit Liverpool never mind Ullapool and, second, since holding breath and stamping feet is not enough, tell London what we are going to do come hell or high-water north of the border, that it will be different to London and that London is going to have to pay for it as part of the price of a BRITISH and not just English recovery.

Iain Campbell Whittle
Catania/Polbain