Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton Constituency, is bemused by Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason Leitch’s comments discouraging Scots from booking summer holidays, possibly until 2022, adding that people will have to “learn what the post-Covid world looks like.”

The comments were revealed in a video Q&A with Scottish Government civil servants, leaked to The Scotsman newspaper.

Jackie Baillie MSP said:

“Protections against the spread of the virus must be in place as long as necessary but flippant speculation like this sends a signal to airline companies – who are currently deciding what routes across the world to target their smaller fleets at – that Scotland will be closed for business for a long time to come.

“That could have a devastating impact on a Scottish tourism sector that’s already on its knees, and lead to more job losses in an aviation sector already shedding thousands of posts.

“Our local economy in particular relies heavily on the tourism and hospitality sectors. People travel from all over the world to enjoy what our communities have to offer. Jason Leitch must think before he speaks.”