Warning to remain vigilant amid rise in COVID-19 cases
Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid has warned constituents to remain vigilant about the spread of COVID-19 amid ongoing reports of cases in the north-east region and beyond.
Residents in Aberdeen remain subject to a local lockdown for a further week at least, while a school in Peterhead had to close after members of staff were reported to have tested positive.
A fishing boat that had previously been to Peterhead has also been linked to a new cluster of cases in Orkney.
With primary and secondary school pupils resuming classes this week, Mr Duguid said it was “vital” that everybody remembers to follow the government guidance.
He said:
The events of the past two weeks have made clear that we all must remain on our guard against the spread of COVID-19.
This virus has not gone away, and we cannot afford for complacency to creep in.
I am concerned about the repeated assertions that were made that COVID-19 was five times less prevalent in Scotland than in England.
Those claims, which were not backed up by reliable scientific data, may have lulled people into a false sense of security.
It is vital that everybody remembers to follow the basic guidelines. That means keeping your distance, wearing a face covering where required and remembering to wash your hands.
Anyone who has symptoms must self-isolate and get tested as soon as possible.
We can, and we must, strike the right balance between opening up our economy and schools while keeping the virus under control.
It has always been a part of the overall plan, along with effective contact tracing, to take local measures to control any minor outbreaks so that we can avoid the need to shutdown nationally again like we did in March.
