There’s no doubt that deadly mistakes were made in the way the fight against coronavirus has been handled in our care homes.
In the early days of this crisis, it seemed like Covid-19 spread easily to some of the most vulnerable, who were inadequately protected.
The involvement of Police Scotland proves how significant an issue this has become.
The Scottish Government has rightly received praise for the way it has handled the national emergency.
But serious questions need to be asked over their action on care homes.
Did the early discharge of old people from hospital into care homes put them at greater risk?
Were there enough PPE supplies for staff and residents?
And why were limits initially put on the number of tests available?
Local authority and private providers must also be looked at – did they do enough to protect the residents they are paid to look after?
Amid all this is the startling figure that 46 per cent of all coronavirus deaths in Scotland have happened in care homes.
That’s more than 1700 people whose families are grieving a loved one and left wondering if more could have been done.
They need those answers – and any individual, business or Government authority that let them down should be held to account.
Sharp exit plan
Just as lockdown cannot go on forever, it is generally accepted that the Chancellor’s furlough scheme, which has kept more than eight million workers in wages, will have to come to an end.
The furlough scheme was a blunt instrument to stave off the economic effects of lockdown – and it worked.
But, like coming out of lockdown itself, it needs a more sophisticated exit strategy.
Sectors such as hospitality and tourism have no hope of contributing to staff wages over the next few months while they are in effective hibernation.
That could mean mass redundancies which in turn means mass pressure on the social security system.
A sliding scale of furlough payments has to be introduced to stave off the cliff-edge of mass unemployment.
Stick to the rules
This looks like one of the best weekends in a very long time.
The sun is shining and we can see friends and family again – albeit at a two-metre distance.
So enjoy it but don’t blow it. Let’s stick to the coronavirus rules and we’ll have many, many more to come.
