Throughout the pandemic we have been indebted to our teachers, shop workers and police officers who have put themselves at risk to serve us.
They could be forgiven for thinking the Scottish Government would take steps to protect them once the most vulnerable in society were vaccinated against Covid-19.
Yesterday the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation announced that the second phase of the vaccination roll-out will concentrate, like the first, on how old people are – stating age is the single biggest risk to serious illness or death.
But recent studies have shown both teachers and retail staff are at greater risk of contracting the virus than the general public.
And with an increase in people defying the Covid regulations, police officers are finding themselves increasingly exposed to the dangers as they try to maintain order.
The Scottish Government has hinted for months that it may consider prioritising certain occupations in the second phase but yesterday it had a change of heart and agreed to stick rigidly to the JCVI recommendations.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman argued no government in Scotland has ignored JCVI advice in 30 years.
But that isn’t a reason for blindly following it now.
These are exceptional times and teachers, police officers and retail staff have given exceptional service.
It is time to show them how much that service is valued and protect those key workers who put their own health on the line for us.
Lock up these online cowards
It wasn’t enough for Debora Kayembe to flee from the war-torn Congo, anchor herself and her family in Scotland, establish herself as a top lawyer and become a public figure as the rector of Edinburgh University.
Even at the peak of her achievements she has to suffer the vile racist abuse from keyboard cowards but that’s a fairly regular occurrence for Debora simply because of the colour of her skin.
It is true that the knuckleheads who indulge in online racism are a minority.
But no one should be under any illusion that racism does not exist in Scotland.
Debora has suffered terrible racially motivated attacks at her home and her children have been abused for no reason.
Racism has to be tackled head-on by using the full force of the law to protect the victims.
And those who indulge in this kind of cowardly online abuse should be jailed.
