Challenges Ahead

COVID-19 virus has emerged as the biggest global challenge that humanity has faced for generations.

Internationally, we have seen people and governments across the globe face similar challenges and choices to us and we stand in solidarity with the global effort to address the threat of COVID-19.

I know that the steps we have taken in Scotland to contain the virus are unprecedented and have changed life as we knew it, but I’m sure you will agree that the way the majority of people have responded to them shows exactly the kind of nation we are.

I want to start by saying thank you to everyone in Banffshire and Buchan Coast who has diligently followed our public health advice to stay at home.

This gratitude extends to all sectors of our community: our health and social care workers, who have mobilised with a world-class response; the other public service workers who have continued to provide vital public services and taken on new tasks to protect those most in need; our shop workers and our business community, who have found new ways to work and flexed their businesses to respond to our new circumstances; our food producers and delivery drivers who have ensured that the food we need is there when we need it; and our third sector which has found new ways to support our people.

Given the uncertainty that surrounds our global understanding of the disease, we will need to continue to work together to ensure that we protect ourselves, our families, our communities and our nation from the threat presented by COVID-19.

The path before us is through uncharted territory and will need careful navigation.

However as with everything I hope that our guiding values should be kindness, compassion, openness and transparency.

While we hope that scientific advances, such as treatments and a vaccine, will provide solutions in the longer term, in the more immediate future we will need to learn to live with this virus, possibly for some time to come and so that is why it was warmly welcome to see the Scottish Government unveiling the blueprint for the future.

Their challenge is to work out if and how we can continue to suppress the virus and minimise its harms while restoring some semblance of normality to our everyday lives.

I am pleased that this is being done with a careful approach that seeks to protect life and reduce harm. These decisions will not be easy.

However, I hope that people will begin to see hope and a light at the end of the tunnel.

Despite the challenges and necessary changes that lie ahead of us requiring us to adapt how we live our lives, I am certain that we will respond exactly as we have been doing- with a united effort from all parts of Scottish society.

Everyone in Scotland has a part to play and I for one will be proud to play mine as we enter this next phase of beating coronavirus.