There’s light at the end of the tunnel...

At last we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel after a terrible few months.

Significant progress has been made here in Scotland in tackling Covid-19 as a result of the clear and cautious approach taken by the Scottish Government and the incredible collective effort of the population.

Of course, we’re not out of the woods yet but it’s clear our actions have contributed to containing the virus in Scotland. Thank you – I know these measures haven’t been easy but they really are making a difference.

South of the border, we’ve seen what a devastating impact Boris Johnson’s decision to deviate from the four nations approach has had. The catastrophe of the test, trace and isolate app that never came to be is shameful and deeply concerning. While Nicola Sturgeon has expressly avoided bringing party politics into the handling of a global health emergency, we have witnessed in London the embarrassment of Boris Johnson’s dispute of basic facts, such as the existence of the Scotland-England border, and a gung-ho approach to ending lockdown. His daily briefings have stopped, unlike our First Minister’s, whose clear and calm daily messages have continued to inform and reassure us.

Wearing face coverings in shops is mandatory and I welcome this. We know that the disease travels more easily indoors and face coverings significantly reduce the risk of this.

Sadly, there has been a reported rise in the levels of abuse retailers are experiencing as they enforce social distancing measures which protect the public as well as the staff who are doing their job. This isn’t acceptable and the minority perpetrating this abuse must be brought to justice.

Many people will rightly want to support local businesses as they re-open and we are very lucky throughout East Dunbartonshire to have a fantastic array of independent, high quality shops. I urge everyone to shop locally if you can and you will contribute enormously to restoring our local economy.

Visit Scotland has issued advice on heading to newly re-opened popular spots, including moving on from particularly busy areas, wearing a face covering and practising good hand hygiene as well as social distancing. It also recommends checking the social media pages of sites and businesses in case of altered opening hours ahead of leaving home.

As we emerge from lockdown it will be important to recognise our fantastic army of local volunteers who have worked tirelessly to help vulnerable and shielding people throughout the pandemic. I am taking note of all the great things individuals and local groups have done during this difficult time and will highlight them in a future column.

As always, if you start to display any of the symptoms of Covid-19, you should self-isolate immediately and visit nhsinform.scot to arrange a test.

My office is open although we are still working remotely. My surgeries have moved online using Zoom, so please email if you would like an appointment. Please get in touch if there is anything my team and I can help you with – we are here for you. You can contact us by calling 0141 776 1561 or by emailing [email protected]. Please stay safe and enjoy summer.