RAIN CHECK
Look out your waterproofs this weekend and keep visits with family and friends outdoors.. or stay at home, says Sturgeon
NICOLA Sturgeon yesterday told Scots to fetch their waterproofs if they want to meet others this weekend – as they are still barred from entering someone else’s home.
The good weather that heralded the initial easing of strict lockdown restrictions has gone.
And speaking at her daily media briefing, the First Minister reminded the public that people from different households are not allowed to meet up indoors – no matter how hard it’s raining.
The SNP leader added that lockdown had succeeded in reducing the death rate, with yesterday being the first weekday since March 21 that the number of Covid-19 deaths in Scotland was in single figures.
Sturgeon said: “Ahead of a weekend when unfortunately the weather forecast is more traditionally Scottish, ie heavy rain, I want to particularly emphasise this point – you cannot and you must not meet people from another household indoors.
“That is a sure-fire way of allowing this virus to spread again.
“So if you’re not willing to get your waterproofs on and meet outdoors, do not meet up at all.
“You should still be staying home most of the time and meeting fewer people than normal.
“If your life feels like it is getting back to normal, ask yourself if it should be and whether you are complying with the guidance.
“I am asking you to continue to do the right thing as you have been doing and stick to all of these guidelines. It really matters.” The call came as the First Minister revealed that the country’s daily death toll had dropped to nine. But she warned: “We cannot and should not read too much into any one day’s figures.” Sturgeon also said that the R number, which measures how many people an infected person passes Covid-19 on to, is estimated to have fallen slightly to between 0.7 and 0.9. She said this does not take into account the impact of the changes to lockdown announced last week. She said: “I think that demonstrates the progress we’re making against this virus but also underlines why we all continue to need to comply with the public health guidance, so we continue to make this progress and don’t allow it to go into reverse.” Sturgeon said 15,553 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland since the pandemic began, up 49 from 15,504 on Wednesday.
There are 1021 patients in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a fall of 96 in 24 hours.
Of these patients, 28 were in intensive care, a fall of six.
Despite the change in the R number, the First Minister warned against complacency.
She said: “I can’t stress enough how fragile it still remains because we are seeing new cases in most health board areas every day.”
Sturgeon also stressed that the Scottish Government “will do everything we can” to help the 700 people set to be made redundant at Rolls-Royce’s plant in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire.
The First Minister added: “That announcement will have been devastating news for the workforce and their families at what is already an anxious time.
“Unfortunately, it may not be the last of its kind in the period ahead.”
Sturgeon told the briefing that imports of personal protective equipment from overseas have been used to meet demand but that the Scottish Government is looking for firms across the country to produce PPE to supply Scotland as well as export elsewhere.