The UK and Scottish Governments should not underestimate the sacrifices that people have been made in lockdown.
They have stayed indoors for weeks and only ventured out for food and medicines. They have kept away from family members and endured funerals with a handful of mourners.
The least they can expect in return is basic information about the exit plan from this nightmare. It is not reasonable to expect the public to be patient when government is not being open.
Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s new leader, is correct to pressurise the UK Government on this fundamental issue.
We don’t expect Ministers to name a date, but to outline the circumstances that could lead to an end. If the gradual loosening of restrictions is going to be based on age, or geography, or by industry, we need to know.
The alternative is the public growing weary of a strategy with no end in sight, and individuals breaking the rules.
The UK Government got off to a bad start in this crisis with poor communications and mixed messaging. They appeared to back “herd immunity” then reverted to a containment strategy.
Boris Johnson’s colleagues risk repeating these early mistakes by opting for secrecy when transparency would be the better approach.
Care for carers
The extent of Covid-19’s deadly spread through the country’s care homes is truly horrific.
About 25 per cent of all deaths from the disease have occurred in the places where elderly people should feel safe.
There will be pertinent questions to answer when the dust settles on the crisis, and many of them will be about care homes.
The extreme threat to residents and staff seems to have been hugely underestimated, and possibly disregarded.
Numerous care home workers and their families have told us of poor or non-existent PPE. Many staff are terrified to go to work, and now we can see why.
These workers are on the front line just as much as their NHS colleagues.
The figures released yesterday show that residents and their carers have been failed. And the consequences have been catastrophic.
Water of life
Pope Francis joked that whisky was the “real holy water” when a group of Scots student priests presented him with a bottle of Oban malt.
The pontiff apparently enjoys a dram or two – no wonder he was in good spirits.
