No change to Scotland's coronavirus restriction levels

The First Minister has announced there is to be no immediate changes to the current coronavirus restrictions levels across Scotland.

Addressing MSPs at Holyrood, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the 11 council areas under the highest level of restrictions will have this lifted at 6pm on December 11.

People living in those areas, including Glasgow, will find out what tier they will be moved into at the next update in a week’s time.

However, Ms Sturgeon also warned the situation in Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen local authorities is being looked at carefully after cases “increased quite sharply”.

If needed, these areas could be moved from their current Level 2 to Level 3 on or before the next review of levels.

Despite data in Dumfries and Galloway indicating it could move to Level 1 soon, Ms Sturgeon said it will remain in Level 2 for now as it is bordered by areas “with quite significant levels of infection”.

Reviewing the current allocations for local authorities in the five-tier system of restrictions, the First Minister told the Scottish Parliament they are having a “positive impact”.

She said: “Three weeks ago - in the seven days up to Friday November 13 - we had an average of 1,116 new cases a day being recorded.

“By last Friday, that had fallen to 863 new cases a day - a reduction of more than one-fifth. Independent estimates also continue to place the R number slightly below 1 - that, again, is indicative of a position where infections are declining.”

She added: “The sacrifices everyone is making are making a difference.

“They are getting case numbers down, reducing the numbers getting ill and needing hospital care and so protecting the NHS, and saving lives.”

However, after announcing 34 deaths of coronavirus patients and 754 new positive cases recorded in the previous 24 hours, she warned the level of the virus is still “higher than we need it to be”.

Ms Sturgeon said: “In summary, therefore, although we are encouraged by the impact current restrictions have had, the need to strengthen and solidify that progress means that we need to continue to take care and err on the side of caution.

“So, for all these reasons, the Cabinet when it discussed this earlier today has concluded that we will not propose any changes to the allocations of levels this week.”

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