Keeping the Heid

Today I want to talk about mask-wearing.

I noticed that over the last few days, the President of the United States has begun to wear one, and indeed they will now be mandatory in shops in England from the 24th of July.

In Scotland, the use of face coverings has been legally-required in shops since the 10th of July and most people in our country have made a great effort to follow the rules. I commend them on it. However, we should realise that we’re not alone in this, many other countries have already adopted these policies.

It’s disappointing that there’s been a reluctance to act on this by our neighbour's political leaders. A country with a larger population and a higher R number should be leading the charge. But common sense isn’t necessarily common. My friends and relatives in England deserve clarity and leadership from their Government.

It seems apparent that there’s been continuing confusion down south – this being exemplified by the fact that 18,500 people had to be stopped from travelling since June 15 because they weren’t wearing a mask.

Hopefully, the Prime Minister’s changes will mean more people wear a face-covering, both on public transport and in the shops.

Here in Scotland, people seem aware of why we’re wearing our them.

That is – to protect our own health, the health of others and finally to help us move beyond the pandemic, so that we may begin the process of economic and social recovery.

I note there are some necessary exemptions for people with certain health conditions where they are unable to wear a mask. I would suggest that this makes it even more important for those of us that can, do wear a mask in order to protect those few who can’t.

If we are going to protect one another, we need to adhere to each tactic in the overall strategy. We keep this up, then the battle will be won eventually.

Our failure to do so would likely result in an increased R number which would throw us back into lockdown and cause us to sustain further damage and loss

Therefore, it’s imperative that we, “Keep the heid,” as the First Minister has said

If we go backwards, it will delay the recovery that we have all been working towards. With the opening of places of worship, hairdressers and restaurants the opportunity to stumble backwards will be greater.

So, it’s essential that you continue the good work that you have already done. Commit to using the tools and advice at our disposal to ensure that we continue to make progress.

There is work for businesses and consumers to do to get our economy back on its feet but we must first ensure that we’ve got a solid footing.

Scotland is making progress and that is thanks to you. I am hopeful that our compatriots down south will begin to make greater progress and we can all begin the necessary journey towards recovery. Until then, remember – wear a mask.