Scotland’s COVID-19 Death Rates Higher Than England’s Despite Tougher Restrictions: Report

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon addresses the Scottish Parliament on changes to COVID-19 restrictions, in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Jan. 25, 2022. Fraser Bremner - Pool/Getty Images

Scotland’s stricter COVID-19 restrictions did not prevent its COVID-19 death rates from climbing above those in England during the Delta and Omicron waves, new analysis of official data shows.

In the summer of 2021, after the UK government abolished mask mandates in England, the Scottish National Party (SNP) administration continued to require the use of face coverings in public places.

In September 2021, the SNP government pushed through a motion to implement COVID-19 vaccine passports in Scotland’s nightclubs and other crowded venues.

Though the UK government re-imposed mask mandates in early December in response to the Omicron variant, CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus restrictions in England continued to be much more relaxed than in Scotland and other devolved administrations.

However, according to an analysis of official data by the Financial Times, per capita deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate were actually higher in Scotland than England in January.

The opposition Scottish Conservatives, who have previously criticised Scotland’s strict COVID-19 measures for needlessly damaging the economy, said the new analysis “casts fresh doubts” on the SNP government’s approach.

Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, the party’s shadow cabinet secretary for health, said: “The COVID pandemic has been a crisis like no other and everyone accepts tough decisions have had to be made in the last two years.

“However, the public will be asking serious questions as to why some of these needed to happen, when death rates have continued to be higher at some points in Scotland.”

He said the tough restrictions have had other detrimental effects, particularly on people’s mental health.

“The public got it right when it came to driving down the Omicron wave, not the SNP government,” he said.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has begun relaxing some of the restrictions. On Feb. 10, she announced that pupils and teachers in secondary schools in Scotland will no longer need to wear face coverings in classrooms from Feb. 28.

The announcement came 24 hours after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the last domestic restrictions in England—including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive—are likely to be lifted later this month.

Sturgeon is due to publish the Scottish government’s strategy for living with COVID-19 on Feb. 22.

Gulhane of the Scottish Conservatives said his party wants to see the first minister “set out a different approach for tackling COVID and putting personal responsibility at the heart of it.”

“We see once again that the public can be trusted to make their own choices, rather than ministers bringing in restrictions on a whim,” he said.

PA Media contributed to this report.