Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 02 March 2021
I thank the First Minister for advance notice of her statement. I also take this first parliamentary opportunity to welcome Anas Sarwar to his new role as Labour leader. It is the fifth time that I have been able to welcome a new Labour leader in my time here. I truly wish him well and I extend all offers to work together constructively when it is in Scotland’s interest to do so in the weeks ahead—even if it is only weeks that I have.
The news this week that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine can reduce hospital admissions by 80 per cent after one dose is welcome indeed. The fact that infection rates, hospitalisation rates and fatalities are all down significantly should be of huge reassurance to us all.
This week has also been a week of milestones, with more than 20 million people across the United Kingdom and 1.5 million people across Scotland receiving their first vaccination. Of course, vaccinations do not help just those who receive the jag; they help us all. With just over a quarter of adults in Edinburgh now having been vaccinated and up to nearly half in Dumfries and Galloway, the trend is clear: the greater the roll-out, the greater the reductions in case numbers and the severity of cases. It is therefore right that the Scottish Government should reconsider its reopening plan for the country with respect to the improved results that we are seeing.
I welcome the fact that Scottish Conservative calls for an earlier return to school for many pupils have been listened to. That is hugely welcome for young people’s mental health and wellbeing, social development and educational attainment, but getting all pupils to return while still observing Covid rules poses some logistical questions. Face coverings and social distancing are now concepts that we take for granted in many areas of our lives. However, teachers and headteachers are rightly asking what support they will receive if their school estate does not allow for the 2m social distancing in classrooms that the Government requires in secondary schools. If they cannot fit all pupils into their usual classrooms with the 2m rule and there are no extra classrooms or staff to man the split or composite classes that have been created, what support and solutions will be made available for them?