NO CONTACT
Pubs on NHS watch list for north-east outbreak close voluntarily as owners reveal no one from Test and Protect system got in touch
We are concerned there has been no contact from anyone responsible for tracing
Sturgeon announced 270 patients were being treated for confirmed or suspected cases of the virus in hospital – four in intensive care – an increase of three on the previous day.
There have been no new Covid-19 deaths for the past 21 days in Scotland, meaning the hospital death toll remains at 2491.
Of the positive cases, 39 are in Grampian and 17 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board areas.
Aberdeen was the first area in Scotland to be put back into lockdown following a major outbreak of Covid-19.
A cluster of 79 cases has been connected to the outbreak, which emerged when a group visited the city’s Hawthorn bar on July 26.
All bars, cafes and restaurants were ordered to shut their doors and restrictions have been placed on travel and visitors.
Extra police have been put on Aberdeen’s streets to enforce the rules.
Robert Lindsay, owner of the Marine Hotel in Stonehaven, said he also had not been contacted about its link to the cluster.
He wrote on social media: “Well, I don’t know where to begin… I’m still no clearer than anyone else (customers, staff, family or friends) as to the Marine Hotel in Stonehaven’s position as a result of the official response to the Covid-19 outbreak that affected Aberdeen.
“We were not informed that the Marine, obviously outwith the Aberdeen lockdown area, would be on the NHS Grampian list of premises which had Covid-19 contacts, published yesterday afternoon.
“We have not been advised as to what we should do now. No official has said whether we have done enough to mitigate any potential contact. No one has said if we should stay open or close.
“That is a ridiculous and worrying situation to be in. With this lack of clarity and communication from health and council officials, I feel the only responsible thing for me to do is close the hotel, despite being outside the Scottish Government imposed lockdown zone, until I am given categorical assurances we can open safely for business as normal.
“I do this with a heavy heart but my first duty must be the safety of my staff, customers and the public.”
The Scottish Government insisted contact tracing is continuing to work well amid the outbreak.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said yesterday there were 54 cases in
Aberdeen, with 191 contacts traced so far. She told BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme it was important to recognise the complexity of the cluster.
And she added that controlling outbreaks to ensure schools return was a major aim.
Freeman said: “It is unlikely that one person has been to all 28 or so venues that have been named. What is more likely is that more than one person has been to more than one venue.
“It is complicated to know exactly where everyone has been and that’s part of Test and Protect.
“The priority is to get the schools back, we’re being really clear about that as a priority across the country.”