Professor Hugh Pennington questions why Highlands are included in nationwide 'lockdown' restrictions
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One of Scotland's top microbiologists has criticised including the Highlands in the blanket countrywide raft of new coronavirus restrictions.
Professor Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said populations north of the central belt would be wondering why they were being treated the same as Covid-19 hotspots.
A ban on visiting other people's homes is to be imposed across Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced earlier this week.
The measure was already in place for more than 1.75 million people in Glasgow and some neighbouring areas.
But Ms Sturgeon said it would be rolled out across the whole of Scotland this week in a bid to get the virus under control again before winter.
She also confirmed that Scotland would be following England in imposing a 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants.
The curfew will be in place from today – with Ms Sturgeon warning that any premises that do not comply could be shut down completely.
Indoor and outdoor gatherings in Scotland were restricted to six people from two households just two weeks ago.
But a blanket roll-out of restrictions was not the answer, according to Prof Pennington.
"I don't know why they have taken a national approach to what is a local problem," he said.
"There will be people north of the central belt who live in communities that have low – or no – levels of the virus wondering why they will have to come under these rules.
"But it would not suit Nicola Sturgeon to be seen doing less than England – she has to be seen to be doing more.
"How does that sit with communities like the Western Isles who have not had a positive case since June, for example?
"The Highlands also have low levels.
"I am not impressed that these announcements as a biological control measure will have much effect. People will just drink up a bit earlier. They are not really that tough.
"There seems to be a reluctance to affect pubs and restaurants and the governments have done as little as possible to affect them.
"In Aberdeen they were closed for three weeks when it had an outbreak.
"This may not make me popular, but I would have high on my list closing pubs and restaurants in hotspot areas like Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire. I would be amazed if there was no evidence of transmission in pubs in Glasgow.
"The governments needed to ramp up control measures in certain places – and avoid such restrictions in others which do not have a problem. And all backed up with a good test and trace system.
"I would also like to see more, and indeed, the evidence over household-to-household transmission."
