First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s warning that Scotland is not yet ready to return to normality as the fight against Covid goes on features on the front page of several newspapers. Scotland has moved to level zero of Covid restrictions as it continues on its roadmap out of lockdown. The Herald reports Ms Sturgeon saying talk of “Freedom Day” – as it has been dubbed in England where lockdown rules have now been almost completely lifted – was “not sensible”.
The National focuses on a tweet from the first minister on Sunday, in which she said: “To talk of tomorrow as ‘freedom day’ (England only remember) is not sensible IMO, given current situation. Vaccines going well and do offer route through – but as we vaccinate, we must ease up gradually.”
The Times says the FM is ready to scrap her “Facts” public health slogan as mainland Scotland moves to the lowest level of coronavirus restrictions. The acronym – for Face coverings, Avoid crowds, Clean hands, Two metres and Self-isolate – is now considered outdated as some of the rules no longer apply.
The Scotsman leads with claims that the Test and Protect system in Scotland is struggling to keep up with a surge in Covid cases. They paper says it has seen figures which show nearly 7,000 people have been alerted by the Protect Scotland app in the past month and told to self-isolate.
The Daily Mail says fears have been raised that a lower vaccine uptake among people in their 20s and 30s could jeopardise the first minister’s plan to lift the remaining restrictions by 9 August.
The Scottish Sun says the SNP government has been criticised by leaders in the travel industry for not having a digital passport scheme in place in time for restrictions being eased. The paper says airport passengers being forced to queue to have their double jab status checked could mean lengthy delays.
The Daily Telegraph leads with the revelation that Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are now self-isolating after coming into contact with the health secretary, who has tested positive for coronavirus. It comes as lockdown rules are lifted in England on Monday. “Freedom day farce” is the paper’s framing of the story, referencing growing calls for the rules on self-isolation to be changed.
The Daily Star leads with Mr Johnson’s “backtracking” plea to people in England to be cautious as social distancing restrictions are lifted south of the border. The paper describes the events involving the prime minister on Sunday as “flip flopping”, with dozens of pairs of the summer footwear scattered across the paper’s front page.
The i sets out how the UK government’s U-turn unfolded. At 08:00 BST, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak announced they were exempt from self-isolating because they were taking part in the pilot scheme involving daily testing. Less than three hours later, at 10:38 BST, Downing Street announced the U-turn following a “furious backlash”.
“Chequers mate” is the headline dominating Metro as the paper says the PM was “shamed” into U-turning after a public outcry over the “VIP lane”. The prime minister will now spend 19 June in quarantine at Chequers, the paper reports.
The Daily Express also leads with the swift government reversal after the public backlash “forced” Mr Johnson to change his quarantine plans.
Elsewhere, The Press and Journal speaks to a driver who held the hand of a biker at the roadside after he came off his motorbike in a fatal crash on the A82 near Fort William. The woman tells the paper how she attempted the comfort the 56-year-old man who died after rescue attempts failed at the scene.
The Courier leads with the family of a 41-year-old man who was found murdered in Glenrothes paying tribute to “a much-loved brother and uncle”. Detectives are appealing for information about Mark Deavin’s death on Saturday.
The Edinburgh Evening News focuses on business leaders saying how the pandemic has highlighted the importance of the city’s festivals to Edinburgh’s “global standing and success”. The are calling for more backing for culture and the arts to help Edinburgh’s recovery.
The Glasgow Times leads on a team of kayakers cleaning up White Cart Water in the city and revealing the strange items they found – including a human finger.
The Evening Express devotes much of its front page to a court case involving a man who was jailed for brandishing a BB gun at a man who he believed had stolen his bicycle.
The Evening Telegraph leads with Sluice House, a 147-year-old listed building which sits in the heart of a Dundee park, being badly damaged in a fire.
