Sturgeon: ‘Stick with it for a few more days’
FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has asked people to stick with lockdown for “a few more days” before Scotland is able to lift some of the restrictions that have been in place for more than two months.
It is hoped that on Thursday people will be able to meet outdoors with those from one other household at a time, either outdoors in public or in a private garden.
She urged people to stick with the measures over the bank holiday weekend and not to risk a resurgence.
Phase one of the road map to exiting lockdown is due to start on Thursday – the first of four phases, until all restrictions are gradually removed and a more normal life is resumed, with some social distancing and hygiene measures.
The First Minister reiterated that none of the changes she announced on Thursday are yet in place.
She said: “We do need to stick with it for a few more days. Not all of the phase-one measures will necessarily be introduced next Thursday, but I hope that most of them will be, or at least a day or two afterwards.”
The First Minister responded to requests for clarification on how far you can safely travel from home.
Sturgeon asked people to “use your judgement” when considering how far you should travel to visit family or friends.
She said: “We don’t want you going inside other houses. If you are infected you risk leaving the virus on surfaces.
“Use your judgement, even if it means staying apart that little bit longer.”
Similarly, she said the five-mile figure for travel for leisure was a guide and not a rigid limit. She said she did not want people to “congregate at tourist hotspots”. The First Minister said that she would publish more details of what can and can’t be done before the review date next Thursday. The Chief Constable of Police Scotland said officers will be enforcing lockdown rules over the weekend if they had to – but that the approach was to explain the rules to people.
Iain Livingstone said: “It is absolutely vital to stress that the rules in Scotland have not changed. “Stick with it, keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll have some weeks ahead to look forward to.”
The latest statistics showed a further fall in the numbers in hospital and intensive care.
There were another 24 deaths, taking the total with a positive test to 2245.
Another 113 cases were reported, taking the overall total since the pandemic hit Scotland to 14,969.
There were 1257 in hospital – a fall of 61 – and 874 were confirmed with coronavirus after a fall of 35.
The number in intensive care also dropped slightly, by one, to 50.
In the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area hospital cases continued to fall.
There have been 3841 cases now recorded – an increase of 35 in 24 hours.
There were 389 in hospital, which is a decrease of 11, and 14 in intensive care, which is a drop of two.