This week's Community Column is written by Ross Greer, Scottish Green MSP for the West of Scotland region.

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It’s three months since staying at home became a requirement, not a recommendation.

The actions and sacrifices of the vast majority have saved thousands of lives.

The big question now is how we ease lockdown in a way that keeps people safe and avoids a second wave of the virus.

We simply cannot risk that when the UK’s death rate is already one of the worst in the world.

READ MORE: Six new things you can do from June 29 as lockdown limits are eased further in Scotland

Whilst the finer details will need to be discussed and tweaked as we go, it’s welcome that the Scottish Government has laid out their plans for easing lockdown in four phases, of which we’re now in the second.

We need to keep the number of people each infected person passes the virus on to (the ‘R number’) below one.

The longer we’re successful with that, the easier it’ll be to carry out a “test, trace and isolate” programme that identifies people who have or may have the virus.

This still needs combined with an instruction to stay home as much as possible, for now.

READ MORE: Reaction to a weekend of chaos in Luss and Arrochar as huge crowds flock to beauty spots in spite of lockdown pleas

The move to phase one was followed by a weekend of more than a thousand arrests and 800 dispersal orders issued across Scotland.

Beauty spots like Luss were hit hard by anti-social behaviour, overcrowding, traffic chaos and litter.

These problems were compounded by the fact that many people had ignored advice to stick to their local area and avoid travelling to national parks.

While the vast majority of Scots continued following the advice, it only takes a significant minority to cause chaos and pose a danger to locals as well as themselves.

READ MORE: National Park to start reopening Loch Lomond visitor facilities later this week

Clearly the relaxation of lockdown restrictions immediately before the weekend led to confusion over what was and was not allowed.

That adds to strain on the police and communities. That’s why, as a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Covid-19 committee, I’ve asked the Scottish Government not to relax lockdown rules on a Friday again.

I don’t pretend this alone will solve these problems but I’m absolutely confident it will reduce them.

My focus throughout this crisis has been and will continue to be on the measures which will save lives and protect our communities.

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