By Rab Bruce’s Spider

Whether you think Corona Virus is just like the flu or a lot more serious, it must be said that the responses so far from the UK and Scottish Governments has been less than reassuring. In particular, a advice to stay away from pubs, clubs, restaurants and other public meeting places has effectively condemned many thousands of small businesses to potential bankruptcy. It is also incomprehensible that schools remain open while other public meetings are being advised against. I’m sorry, but you can’t have it both ways. Either you ban public meetings in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus, or you don’t. The current situation is neither one thing nor the other.

Of course, whatever course of action is taken, it will seriously affect many people in an adverse way, but we must not forget that this virus has the capacity to kill our elderly or health-compromised friends and relatives. When put that way, taking precautions must be top of the list.

As for closing schools, that’s a sensible move provided some action is taken to help parents who cannot afford childcare but equally cannot afford to take time off work because the way the UK economy is structured, low wages and no bargaining power makes workers vulnerable to exploitation. In addition, many healthcare workers whose attendance at work is vital in the current crisis will need childcare provision to allow them to do their jobs. Some sort of emergency provision would need to be made to cover these circumstances, but surely that is not beyond the ability of the Scottish Government to organise? They have control over healthcare and education, and it would be nice to see them taking a more proactive role than simply parroting Boris Johnson’s vague and unhelpful suggestions. In particular, more proactive testing for the virus is essential. People need to be tested and isolated if necessary, yet neither the UK nor the Scottish Government seems keen on testing anyone except those who present themselves at hospital already displaying symptoms. This isn’t good enough.

Other Governments around the world are taking more decisive action, including such ideas as cancelling energy bills, guaranteeing loans or making cash payments to every vulnerable or self-employed person in the country. In the UK, where the Party of Business is in power, businesses have been thrown to the proverbial wolves with no support whatsoever. Self-employed people and those on low incomes are forced to continue working yet see their customer base being told not to use their services.

It is, of course, impossible to stop all human interaction without society collapsing. Elderly and disabled people still need social care, supermarkets and shops still need deliveries, and people still need to eat. We need to keep the basic structures of society operating as normally as possible, and where shut-downs are necessary, Government support is essential. So far, the responses of the UK and Scottish Governments has fallen well short of what the public should expect. Let’s hope that, by the time you read this, things have changed.