Jason Leitch has told the public to write the date for the lifting of Covid restrictions “in pencil not sharpie marker”, as he warned about the risks of infections increasing.
Scotland’s national clinical director was optimistic that on the current vaccination trajectory the nation would be able to unlock on August 9, but said the plan was always liable to change.
Nicola Sturgeon said last week that she hoped it would be possible to end “major remaining legal restrictions” from August 9, by which time all over-40s should have had their second vaccine.
Ms Sturgeon said by that date there should be a “return to almost complete normality in our day-to-day lives”.
But Mr Leitch this morning urged caution, he said: “I would write that in your diary in pencil, not sharpie marker.
“The plan is that three weeks tomorrow, depending on where things are, we move to level zero as a whole country, we remove physical distancing outdoors, but we keep limits on event sizes, so a kind of halfway step towards August 9.
“Then on August 9, the level system disappears, unless, for instance, there were particular hotspots or the country didn’t do what we hope it will do, maybe vaccination slows down for some reason but I’m not expecting that.
“So it’s a little bit indicative.
“With a fair wind, the trajectory we are presently on with vaccination, then yes we hope that its August 9.”
On vaccinations Mr Leitch, speaking to the BBC, said he believed children with underlying health conditions could soon be offered a jag.
He said: “I don’t think school aged kids will get vaccinated in the summer, I think we’ll get advice in the summer from the committee on vaccination about what to do with kids.
“I don’t think it will be blanket, I think they’ll do it by risk like they’ve done previously.
“So, we might do those with underlying conditions between 12 and 16 for instance, and then gradually as time passes, I think probably most of mainstream science thinks we will eventually vaccinate children.”