Scottish first minister calls for Scottish sites to shut to 鈥渟ave lives鈥�
Nicola Sturgeon has called for construction sites in Scotland to close ahead of the prime minister鈥檚 daily press conference, warning: 鈥渢his is about saving lives.鈥�
The Scottish first minister (pictured), who has been attending the government鈥檚 emergency Cobra meetings, said that workers continuing as normal pose a serious risk of spreading coronavirus.
Speaking at a press conference she said: 鈥淚t has been clear to me that there are still too many people across our country who are being expected to, or expecting to, go to work as normal and this presents a serious and unnecessary risk of spreading the virus鈥�.
She added: 鈥淭his morning I was specifically asked on radio about building sites and hair salons and my advice would be to close.
鈥淚f our National Health Service becomes overwhelmed people will die needlessly. This is about saving lives.鈥�
She also said that she was 鈥渧ery hopeful鈥� that the UK government would soon introduce further measures to help freelance, self-employed and contract workers.
>> The curious case of building sites staying open while coronavirus sends country into lockdown
The first minister鈥檚 comments came as Northern Ireland鈥檚 health minister warned that 鈥渄raconian鈥� measures to restrict movement in Northern Ireland could be seen within days.
Speaking at the Northern Irish power sharing assembly at Stormont, Robin Swann said: 鈥淭his isn鈥檛 something we can wait weeks on, this isn鈥檛 something that we will wait many days on. These draconian measures will save lives.鈥�
Meanwhile Boris Johnson is reported to be facing a 鈥渇ull scale mutiny鈥� amongst his senior cabinet ministers and advisors if he does not bring in stricter social distancing controls in the coming days.
However Arcadis head of strategy Simon Rawlinson told 黑洞社区 the issue of closing the UK鈥檚 construction sites is a 鈥渧ery difficult and nuanced question to answer鈥�.
鈥淚 think that in some instances it鈥檚 possible to continue working with elements of self segregation.鈥�
But he added that considering the speed of developments over the past week and the pressure now building on the government to 鈥渁ct ahead of the curve,鈥� he could see the prime minister 鈥渢aking quite significant measures across the economy.鈥�
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