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A year on: Highland GP reflects on anniversary of first lockdown and stresses importance of learning from mistakes


By Hector MacKenzie

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Dr Ross Jaffrey launched the Safe Hands, Saves Lives campaign almost a year ago and has been keeping a close eye on the situation ever since. Picture: Callum Mackay
Dr Ross Jaffrey launched the Safe Hands, Saves Lives campaign almost a year ago and has been keeping a close eye on the situation ever since. Picture: Callum Mackay

FEAR is being replaced with hope in the long-haul battle against coronavirus.

That's the view of Highland GP Dr Ross Jaffrey as he reflected on the anniversary of the first Covid-19 national lockdown and voiced the hope that we learn from early mistakes.

Dr Jaffrey – who has patients in Muir of Ord and Beauly – said few would have imagined a year ago that the "stay at home" message first heard at the time of the initial lockdown would still be getting repeated today.

He was instrumental in the launch of the Safe Hands, Saves Lives group launched near the beginning of that first lockdown.

That aimed to spread the word on the importance of hand hygiene and to encourage the widespread use of sanitiser.

He posted today: "'Stay at home...' was the slogan that triggered the first lockdown one year ago. "Back then, few would have imagined this position being repeated one year on. Fortunately this changes in April.

"Scotland is seeing a slight rise in cases but the hospital pressure is easing. We need to continue to be careful to avoid delaying the proposed easing of measures.

"Advances made in treatment, and most importantly vaccination, will help us all meet family and friends once again and begin the long path back to living as we did.

"Let’s hope we learn from this experience to avoid the mistakes that were made early on. Fear is slowly being replaced with hope."

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