FIRST MINISTER SAYS NO ‘ GOING OUT AND ABOUT’

Travel rules in force as Level Four lockdown hits

NICOLA STURGEON has urged people to stay at home as much as possible as new Level Four lockdown rules apply and travel restrictions come into law.

The First Minister said limiting travel between areas was crucial in stopping the virus spreading into areas where it was low and to prevent a national level four lockdown.

Ms Sturgeon said: “We are asking you to stay at home as much as possible.

“Reducing interactions with other people is how we will bring infection rates down.

“You should definitely not other people’s homes just now.

“Except for some very limited purposes our advice is not to go out and about if you can avoid it.”

Eleven council areas, including Glasgow, are now in Level Four.

Non- essential shops are now closed, which saw shoppers doing last minute buying leading to queues outside some stores yesterday.

All hospitality in Glasgow and Level Four areas are also now closed as are hairdressers and beauty salons, gyms and libraries.

The First Minister said the Level Four restrictions will be lifted after three weeks.

She said: “These restrictions are difficult and we are all scunnered and fed up and I’m not going to stand here and pretend otherwise because I feel that same sense of being utterly scunnered and fed up as the rest of you do.

“But we do now see a possible end visit in sight and I think it’s really important that we don’t forget that.

“Level Four restrictions will be lifted at 6pm on December 11 – that full three- week period.

“The key decision we’ll have to make before then will be what level different areas go into.”

On travel, the First Minister said the advice is not to travel overseas for holidays, no- one should be travelling to other parts of the UK , and no- one in Level Four areas, like Glasgow, should be leaving their own council area unless it is absolutely necessary.

She added: “The advice is not to book non- essential overseas travel right now.

“Travel during a global pandemic caries risk of bringing the virus into low prevalence areas.

“Travel restrictions are vital to avoid a national level four lockdown

“These restrictions are difficult and we are all utterly scunnered and fed up with them.”

Ms Sturgeon issued a reminder that it was not only Scotland or the UK that was having to impose restrictions.

She added: “We see the whole country of England in lockdown similar to our Level Four, Northern Ireland in full lockdown.

“This is a global pandemic and many people in different parts of the world are living with the same level of restrictions.”

She added: “These are tough restrictions We are not alone in having to live with them.”

One of the reasons for the threeweek move into Level Four was to ensure the NHS can cope as we enter the winter period which always comes with additional pressure on capacity for beds and intensive care services.

Also, it is hoped that by bringing down the number of cases now there can be an easing for the whole country for a period over Christmas to allow household visits.

Ms Sturgeon added: “The fact is the fewer people who are in the population who have Covid by the time we get to Christmas, the lower the risk of people being infected with it during that period.”

The latest daily coronavirus statistics showed here have been 32 deaths recorded.

There were 1018 new cases and 391 were in the Greater Glasgow area and 162 were in Lanarkshire.

There are 1234 people in hospital across Scotland, an increase of 22 and 88 people were in intensive care, up by three from the day before.