The only thing more predictable than another lockdown now appears to be the chaos, confusion and botched timing with which it will be introduced.
The scientific advice could not be clearer - Omicron is ripping through the population at lightening speed, and there is a danger our NHS will be overwhelmed.
By Christmas SAGE believe 50,000 NHS staff across the UK could be forced to isolate at a time when the service is experiencing ten times its usual demand.
That could mean not only Covid patients failing to receive the care they need, but also everyone from cancer patients and child victims of road accidents.
So the decision is clear - act swiftly and decisively to stop the spread, or take a chance on the new variant being less potent and not resulting in high numbers of deaths and hospitalisations.
Instead Boris Johnson appears to have buried his head in the sand before inevitably bowing to pressure from public health officials and ordering restrictions which could prove to be too little too late.
Nicola Sturgeon is furious with him for failing to deliver the furlough cash that would allow her to immediately shut down the economy.
Instead she has advised people to stay at home and avoid work Christmas parties.
The hospitality industry has quite rightly accused the First Minister of a lockdown by stealth, and warning of a £1billion hit that will cost thousands of jobs.
Thousands of people have chosen to ignore the mixed messages from London and Edinburgh, and instead headed to shops, pubs restaurants and stadiums over the weekend.
While Sturgeon’s frustration is understandable, there are many things that she could have done to prepare for Omicron, rather than focus on aspects over which she has no control.
The truth is that the decision on lockdown needs to come from London because it will require Chancellor Rishi Sunak to spend billions of our money to pay for it.
What the Scottish Government could have done was to retain the Louisa Jordan field hospital to guard against the NHS being overwhelmed.
It could have introduced Anne’s Law for care home residents so they were not tonight living in fear of months of isolation.
It could have invested in ventilation in classrooms and accelerating the booster jab rollout.
People want a clear plan and a clear messages from politicians.
Instead we are getting petty squabbling, indecision and incompetence for which there could be a heavy price.
Merry Christmas folks
It’s the last Sunday Mail before Christmas and so from all of us we wish you and your loved ones the very best for the festive season.
Don’t forget we will be back on Boxing day with another packed edition of your favourite newspaper.
