The campaign to beat the pandemic

Four things Zero Covid Scotland supporters can do

Here are four actions that we can take in Scotland in support of a Zero Covid elimination strategy:

1) Please support the PCS union members in their struggle to keep DVLA staff safe. The PCS union has been working hard to make the DVLA a Covid safe workplace, but the management have scrapped a draft agreement. Use this link to write a letter to Grant Schapps, demanding he intervene and instruct DVLA managers to settle this dispute and keep workers safe.

2) The Scottish Government are asking the public what their political priorities are for 2021. The Scottish Government needs to return to a virus elimination policy, to avoid the risk of new virus variants and Long Covid. Register on the Scottish Government website and give this priority a big thumbs up!

3) The Zero Covid Scotland Public Hearing on Saturday 4h September, 11am to 1pm, is on the theme “The Real Covid – Let the People Speak”. The topics are Long Covid, dangerous workplaces, mental health issues, and the effect of the pandemic on young people. The intention is that while “big names” and politicians may form part of the audience, this is an event at which real people will do the speaking, all with the intention of building a grass roots campaign that will help make our voices heard. Register for the Public Hearing by using this link, and please spread the word.

4) In recent weeks, the Scottish Government first dropped its commitment to suppressing Covid infections, saying they would be guided by Intensive care unit figures, thus ignoring the rising burden of Long Covid and thus chronic illness and disability. Last week, three Scottish hospitals declared “Code Black” and said they had to cancel elective surgeries as Covid-19 admissions were rising. Nonetheless, Nicola Sturgeon has announced that all of Scotland will go into Level 0 on 19th July, i.e. that yet more indoor mixing will be allowed, and that she “hopes” to be able to lift most remaining restrictions on 9th August. Retaining a requirement for facemasks in some indoor spaces is good, but cannot prevent further mass infection of the population by itself. Please write to your MSP, here’s a suggested standard letter. You might want to add a personal message too.