STURGEON TO BE ‘ IMMERSED’ IN REVIEW DECISION
Changes could be made to lockdown levels for areas
NICOLA STURGEON said she will be “immersed” over the weekend in looking at reviewing the lockdown levels after the first week of the new system.
The First Minister said that she will set out after the weekend any proposed changes to what level each area is in.
Glasgow was placed into level three, the second highest level of restrictions from last Monday.
The rest of the central belt council areas were also in level three. The rest of the country is in either levels two or one.
There could be changes to what level a council area is in but it is unlikely Glasgow will move from level three.
The First Minister has said that while there is some progress across the country and also Glasgow has seen a slowing down in the number of new positive cases, the progress is “fragile”.
Ms Sturgeon has said that any reduction needs to be certain it is sustainable.
She has previously said that a levelling off at a high number is not enough to merit easing restrictions, especially going into winter when the health service is under greater pressure.
The First Minister highlighted the travel restrictions as a way of getting and keeping the virus levels down.
And a decision on whether or not to make it law not to travel to another council area will also be looked at over the next few days.
She said to maintain that targeted approach with different restrictions in place in different parts of the country it can’t be that we have people travelling from one part of the country with higher rates of the virus potentially carrying it to another with a lower rate.
Ms Sturgeon added: “The first review is due on Tuesday. I will set out to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday what we propose.
“We will continue to monitor the data to ensure the decisions are based on the most up to date evidence.”
The First Minister reminded people of the travel restrictions that effectively mean no- one should be travelling in or out of Glasgow, unless necessary.
The First Minister reminded the public that people in level three areas should not be travelling to other areas and people in level one and two should not travel to level three areas.
There are no areas in level four as yet.
The travel warning also applied to further afield, both within the UK and internationally.
Ms Sturgeon said she had just come from a meeting of British Irish Council and she repeated the warning that people should not be travelling to other parts of the UK unless necessary, for example for work or caring for someone.
She also confirmed money was being made available for student mental health and said: “Many students are away from home for first time and adapting to new forms of learning and socialising.”
The First Minister announced an additional £ 1.3m for mental health and wellbeing support.
Ms Sturgeon revealed there had been 31 more deaths registered in the last 24 hours of people who tested positive for coronavirus in the last 28 days. There were 1072 new positive cases in Scotland, 460 were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and 210 in Lanarkshire. There were 1237 people in hospital, a decrease of 15, and 98 in intensive care, an increase of three.