Coronavirus: Borders residents give views on second lockdown

On Monday (September 21) we asked people in Galashiels: “Do you think there should there be a Scotland-wide lockdown”?

Eileen McCloud, 76, said: “I don’t think so. We don’t see anybody, anyway.

“Another lockdown? No.”

But Mr Cooper, aged 68, said he thought “it was getting that way” when asked about a second lockdown.

He added: “I think there maybe has to be. We’ve got away with it up till now in the Borders.

“We live in Earlston and we’ve never seen very much of it to be honest – we’ve observed the lockdown.

“But it certainly appears to be getting quite severe again, and something needs to be done.”

Chelsie Moffat, photographed by Helen Barrington

Chelsie Moffat (pictured above), 34, said she does not think there should be a nationwide lockdown, but a local lockdown would be a better remedy.

She said: “I don’t think the economy could take it [nationwide lockdown].

“I think there should be local lockdowns or even putting curfews on for the younger people because it seems to be them that’s not abiding by the rules.

“But I don’t agree with a complete lockdown.”

On Sunday, this newspaper also ran a Facebook poll where readers were asked: “Should we have another full lockdown in Scotland?”

Participants were asked to ‘like’ the post if they were in favour of a second national lockdown, while those opposed were asked to react with the ‘angry’ or ‘crying’ emoji.

At the time of going to press, the results of this poll were close – with 242 people coming out in favour of a second Scotland-wide lockdown, and 236 against.

But more than 230 people chose to comment on the poll, and, at a glance, comments appear be largely against a second lockdown.

Eileen McCloud, photographed by Helen Barrington

One commenter, Sheena Laird, wrote: “Absolutely NOT. Too many businesses and people struggling.

“Best to keep the country moving but keep an eye on law breakers!”

Yet those in favour of lockdown also aired their views.

Steven Oliver commented: “Yes, but only to get the message through to these idiots who are openly flouting the rules that what they’re doing is not clever.”

On Monday, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that within 48 hours new anti-coronavirus measures would be announced across Scotland in a bid to halt the increase in cases.

During her daily briefing on September 21, the First Minister said: “Additional restrictions will almost certainly be put in place in Scotland over the next couple of days.”

For more information on coronavirus and its symptoms, you can visit the NHS Inform website at www.nhsinform.scot/