BORIS Johnson has had to announce a new set of restrictions to last six months because he failed to act swiftly earlier to deal with the pandemic, according to a key advisor to Nicola Sturgeon's government.
Professor Devi Sridhar made the intervention after the Prime Minister unveiled a package of measures which will be in place until the middle of March next year.
They include pubs and restaurants closing at 10pm and advice to people to work from home if possible.
Sridhar, who is an expert in public health at Edinburgh University and a member of the Scottish Government's Covid-19 advisory group, tweeted: "PM says restrictions in place for at least 6 (!) months and trade-offs required. New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam & Thailand are back largely to normal except for international ravel. This was why some of us were pushing for similar 'elimination strategy' this Summer. That window has closed."
PM says restrictions in place for at least 6 (!) months & trade-offs required. New Zealand, Taiwan, Vietnam & Thailand are back largely to normal except for int'l travel. This was why some of us were pushing for similar 'elimination strategy' this Summer. That window has closed.
— Devi Sridhar (@devisridhar) September 22, 2020
David Henig, director of the think tank the European Centre for International Political Economy, made a similar observation to Sridhar.
He pointed out: "Big announcement distracts from government failure to prepare for this moment?"
In June the professor advised the First Minister to introduce quarantine for English visitors to Scotland if the number of coronavirus cases south of the Border continued to rise.
The First Minister did not act on her advice at the time after tourism bosses warned it could damage the sector.
Sridhar, however has played a key role in helping the First Minister's Covid 19 strategy and attempts to eliminate the virus.
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