Circuit breaker lockdown may be 'part of an answer' in covid fight says Jason Leitch
A short term “circuit breaker” lockdown may be “part of an answer” in the fight against coronavirus, according to Scotland’s national clinical director. Jason Leitch said it was a “very difficult balance” to decide whether the controversial measure, which involves locking down the country on a temporary basis, would be the right move.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney also said the option is being “explored”.
Speaking to MSPs at a Holyrood committee, Swinney did not endorse a circuit breaker strategy, but nonetheless left it open as an option.
He said: “The question of some form of circuit breaker in October has been suggested by the advice that has emerged from SAGE [the scientific advisory group]. I wouldn’t say that that is a specific proposition. It is more the raising of the possibility that, if the pandemic continues to grow at an accelerating rate in the period going forward, there may be a necessity to take some form of what I would describe as interruptive action to try to slow further, and more aggressively the development of the pandemic. No decisions have been taken for that to be the case.”
Pushed on the issue by Labour MSP Monica Lennon, he said: “Monica Lennon is correct that the circuit breaker concept is being explored, simply because we have a suggestion that that may be an effective or necessary intervention from the thinking that comes out of it.