South Scotland Regional MSP, Colin Smyth has welcomed the U-turn by the Scottish Government to include proof of a negative Covid test as an alternative to proof of vaccine on a Covid passport.
But the Labour politician accused the Government of being too slow to make the move.
The MSP questioned the First Minister during her Covid update statement in the Scottish Parliament.
During her update Nicola Sturgeon announced the Scottish Government would now include a negative Covid test as an alternative to proof of vaccine from December 6- two months after originally introducing Covid passports.
Proof of a negative test has been in place in the Welsh Government’s Covid passport since it was first introduced in October.
A negative test will also be allowed as an alternative to proof of vaccine in Northern Ireland when their Covid passports are introduced next month.
Speaking in Scottish Parliament, Colin Smyth said: “We were too slow in introducing testing for key workers such as carers, we were too slow in introducing testing in our airports, and now we have been too slow in introducing testing as part of our vaccination passport scheme. It has not been a case of test, test, test; it has been slow, slow, slow.
“Given that half the number of PCR tests that were being taken two months ago are now being taken now and that the number of lateral flow tests is still not high enough, is the First Minister really saying that we are doing enough to make what she called for earlier— routine twice-weekly testing— the norm rather than the exception? The Government is simply not following the policy of mass testing that we need to deliver a robust response to the pandemic.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I have repeatedly encouraged people to use lateral flow tests twice a week.
“We are now asking people to go beyond that by taking a lateral flow test whenever they are socialising in whatever setting.
“People are, of course, entitled to disagree with that, but it is not the case that we have not set out clearly the rationale for the certification scheme, up until now, relying only on proof of vaccination. We have set that out clearly.
“Alongside that, we have also encouraged people to take tests. The uptake of lateral flow tests is good, but we think that it can be higher.
“We need it to be higher if we are asking people to test more regularly than has been the case.
“Overall, the uptake of testing has been very strong, which is why we have been able to record as many positive cases in recent weeks.
“We continue to work hard on all this.”
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