Scotland’s Sturgeon Rebuffs Boris Johnson’s Plans to Ease Lockdown

(Bloomberg) --

Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said she won’t be pressured into lifting the coronavirus lockdown as U.K Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepares to ease some of the restrictions.

“At this stage any significant easing up would be very, very risky,” she told reporters in Edinburgh on Thursday. “Extreme caution is required.”

Johnson, who yesterday returned to parliament for the first time since contracting coronavirus in March, is under pressure to get the British economy moving again without causing another surge of deaths. An easing of the U.K. lockdown could begin as soon as Monday, he said.

Sturgeon said she hasn’t yet been consulted about Johnson’s plans, and signaled the lockdown could continue in Scotland even if it is lifted in England. A call with devolved governments is planned later today.

Scotland’s semi-autonomous administration is responsible for education, health and other areas such as transportation and parts of the economy.

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