Protect remote H&I communities
We need to take great care in slackening movement restrictions, and small communities subject to high visitor pressure should be given some say in how this is done to control visitor numbers and behaviour, through, for example quota-setting, quarantining and testing.
Many small, remote communities in the Highlands and Islands, like Coigach in Wester Ross, have benefitted from the lockdown through being isolated from centres of Covid-19 infection and remain, to the best of their knowledge, entirely disease-free. This has been achieved largely by local tourist accommodation providers closing their businesses, and doing so at high personal financial cost before lockdown was introduced and before there was any partial financial recompense to do so. Because these communities have been protected from Covid-19 there is no local herd immunity (not a good national policy, but beneficial at small scale) and the entire local population is susceptible to infection. We know there is immense pressure from outwith these communities for travel restrictions to be eased and for "the countryside to be re-opened", and we fear that we may be confronted with an overwhelming disease challenge should the lockdown be lifted without adequate control - be that by either the Westminster or Scottish Governments. We already know from experience that even with restrictions in place people are prepared to flout regulations and travel here.
Our concern is heighted because of our extreme rurality, the consequences of that for Coigach (as a typical example) is that our nearest hospital ICU is 90 miles away, our nearest medical practice and ambulance is 25 miles away and our nearest full-time police station is 65 miles away. In addition, as is typical for such communities we have an aged demographic, rendering us particularly vulnerable.
Why the contribution is important
It is important to protect communities which are peculiarly vulnerable to Covid-19.
It is important to establish control mechanisms that provide both community members and visitors alike with confidence that the best interests of all are recognised and served.
It is important that NHS resources are not swamped by what will be the first wave of infection in the remote Highlands and Islands should movement control be lifted inappropriately.
It is important to recognise and act on the fact that Scotland cannot be treated as homogeneous in this matter.
by CCDC on May 10, 2020 at 05:29PM
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