I NEVER thought I would find myself agreeing with the Tories down south, but there is a lot to be said in favour of reducing the social distancing limit from two metres. The World Heath Organisation guidelines recommend one metre, and I think this achieves a sensible balance between risk and practicality.
Research from the 1930s found that respiratory droplets from a cough are greatly reduced after one metre, and although the risk is by no means negligible after one metre, the modifications required to the built environment to allow a social distancing limit of two metres greatly outweigh the reduction in risk. For instance, it would be almost impossible to enforce two-metre social distancing in schools and workplaces without extensive modifications, but one-metre social distancing would be achievable in most places with only minor alterations. As a caveat, the limit could be set at a MINIMUM of one metre, making it clear that if greater distancing is possible, then it should be adhered to.
READ MORE: Public 'confused' about lockdown over London-based news reports
I am also not convinced as regards the efficacy of face masks. The guidelines for personal protective equipment state that your hands must be washed prior to donning a face mask and prior to removing it. If you do not wash your hands, then there is a good chance that the virus will be transferred from your hands to your face.
If you observe the majority of people wearing a face mask who have not been trained in using PPE, they constantly lift their hands to their face to adjust their mask, fiddling with it, and taking it off and on whenever it suits them. The risk, therefore, of contracting the virus by touching your face to adjust a face mask is far greater than the risk that the wearing of the face mask is meant to prevent against.
Again, I think the WHO guidelines for mask-wearing are the most practical and medically sound, although I do accept that there may be a place for masks in large, noisy and volatile crowds where social distancing is impossible.
Solomon Steinbett
Maryhill, Glasgow
ON Sunday I was awakened by journalist Katie Grant on the radio spouting about the government (I presume the Scottish one) not unlocking quickly enough and allowing people to take responsibility and do the correct sensible social distancing. Her reasoning was that there are many other things that can kill and injury people and Covid-19 is just one of these – we are all intelligent human beings, and depriving us of access to children and grandkids is not acceptable.
For a few minutes during her “spout” I thought that the Beeb had actually invited Katie of the extreme views – Hopkins, that is – but no, it was Katie Grant right enough.
READ MORE: FM warns of legal curbs on travel after mass lockdown breaches
Later I read in the disturbing reports about Durdle Door in Dorset. If Katie Grant needs any proof, the pictures provide it in spades. Not only did people flood the beaches, three individuals “tombstoned” from the cliff into the water from a height of 70 feet.
The beach was cleared to get the air ambulance to land, further restricting the social distancing.
Just this one event will cause a Covid spike in three, five or ten days’ time. Someone’s parent or grandparent may die prematurely because of this.
Lets stick this out and keep with the programme.
Alistair Ballantyne
Birkhill, Angus
I CANNOT claim to know much about club football in Scotland, but it seems to me from reading reports on how the fall-out from the Covid-19 lockdown has been handled that Scottish club football is in a sorry state.
The clubs and the SFA seem to have formed a circular firing squad, which can only inflict more self-harm on an already badly damaged sport.
The one thing both the clubs and SFA should be focused on is the survival of the sport of football in Scotland, and the fighting over the ending of the 2019-21 season is like fighting over control of the direction of the Titanic after it hit the iceberg.
READ MORE: Gordon Strachan is spot on - Scottish football needs a revolution not league reconstruction
We are only in the first phase of the virus outbreak and we know not when it will all be over, so might I suggest that those in charge put down their rifles and work out how to mothball football until such time as it can resume, and ensure that it comes back in a healthier and more collegiate form than that which we have been witness to?
Yours more in hope than anticipation,
Jon Southerington
Deerness, Orkney
GIVEN the blatant bias against Scottish players shown by the British and Irish Lions over the past dozen years or so, it is remarkable to me that the SRU are whipping out the begging bowl to host some warm-up Lions fixture. Remarkable but not in the least surprising. I for one shall not be attending. I don’t know anyone who supported the Lions on the last tour, and I know a good few who rocked up in All Blacks jerseys to watch the games. I understand there are many within the SRU who would sell their souls for cash, but they are not representing the fan base on this one in my humble opinion.
Come on you Springboks!!
Rory Bulloch
Glasgow
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