Readers' letters: Ian Murray should hold UK government to account

" Do your job, Ian, and support Scotland’s right to break away from this failed union”

The world won't be safe until most have access to Covid-19 vaccine

Murray should hold UK rule to account

Ian Murray (News, July 8) should start to hold the UK government to account and stop whinging about Holyrood.

This morning 122 scientists published a letter in the Lancet outlining their grave concerns about the UK government plans to end all Covid measures on 19 July, allowing the virus to rip through the population.

They argue that until 70 per cent are fully vaccinated, something no country has yet achieved, abolishing mandatory masking, physical distancing, crowd control and acting as though the pandemic is over is “epidemiological stupidity.”

The WHO director has said the variants are winning the race against vaccines because governments are prematurely relaxing mandates. He called the UK government policy callous and inhumane, not only to the UK population but to the rest of the world, since new and dangerous variants will develop. The UK has the fourth highest number of daily cases in the world along with Brazil, India and Indonesia.

The link between infection and serious illness has not been broken, especially when half the population and one third of adults have not been fully vaccinated.

More infections mean more hospitalisations and more long Covid. 100,000 infections per day means 10,000 cases of long Covid. As of April, there were 1 million living with long Covid. A generation is being blighted by a disease it could have been safely vaccinated against.

Scotland has a lower Covid death rate than England and a test and trace system that actually works. But an independent Scotland would have closed its borders, supported its people like other small European nations, and prevented this catastrophe.

Do your job, Ian, and support Scotland’s right to break away from this failed union.

Leah Gunn Barrett, Merchiston Crescent, Edinburgh.

Diabled fear over lockdown ending

I am confused about coming out of lockdown. We not only have rising cases, but some of the deaths are people who have been fully vaccinated.

If masks are going to be optional, then how are those most at risk going to stay safe? I am immunosuppressed and have been shielding throughout lockdown until recently. But being a wheelchair user makes me even more vulnerable when people approach me and speak into my face when they are not wearing a mask.

I wonder how other disabled people will manage, especially the blind. Should those at risk display some sort of sign to request others to keep their distance or would that have a negative impact, reminding us of the lepers who once lived on Calton Hill?

Elaine Pomeransky, Restalrig, Edinburgh.

Pandemic hotspot

The SNP built itself a good reputation on handling the pandemic, but this reputation is becoming tarnished. Five of the ten Covid hotspots in Europe are in Scotland.

Apparently information on care home deaths was delayed until after the May election. This is not good, and their good record is being lost!

William Ballantine, Dean Road, Bo'ness.

Big fish, small pond

The WHO tells us Scotland is the Covid capital of Europe. It's also, under the SNP, the drugs death capital of Europe. For years Sturgeon told us to judge her by her education record; the once respected Scottish education system has tumbled down international rankings. Despite her record of failure maybe she's become too fond of being a big, if ineffectual, fish in a not very large pond.

Martin Redfern, Melrose.