Scottish Government publishes an updated Strategic Framework to manage Covid

The Scottish Government has updated its Strategic Framework for managing Covid and at its heart is a gradated set of responses that can be triggered according to the perceived threat level posed by the virus. Essentially there are three levels of threat – Low, Medium, and High – which can trigger four levels of response. There will be ‘routine’ (non-legislative) measures around good hygiene practice when the threat level is Low. If the threat level rises to Medium, the measures that are currently in place (such as wearing face coverings in public indoor areas) will be used. If the threat level is High, then measures that could be adopted include widespread use of Vaccine Certificates to gain entry to events to targeted closures of some businesses or sectors.

Commenting on the updated Framework, Alan Mitchell, Chief Executive of Fife Chamber, said: “I am like everyone else and fervently hoping that the worst-case scenarios presented in the strategy do not come to pass. If they do, the Scottish Government has given itself very wide leeway to decide the severity of the threat and to decide what business restrictions and closures are appropriate, proportionate, or necessary. This is particularly alarming because there is no provision in the 2022/2023 Scottish Budget to provide financial support to businesses that are affected by any restrictive measures the Scottish Government feels it is appropriate to impose. “

Click here to download the Strategic Framework.