Sturgeon’s clampdown widens as cases soar
‘We may have to put brakes on changes’
LOCKDOWN restrictions have been extended to more areas in the West of Scotland – as Nicola Sturgeon warned she may have to ‘put the brakes’ on the return to greater normality.
The 180,000 people who live in the Renfrewshire council area and the 110,000 in East Dunbartonshire have been told they should not enter other people’s homes following a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.
Further plans to relax restrictions in Scotland from next week, including the return of spectators to live sport and the reopening of theatres and live music venues, have also been thrown into doubt due to the resurgence of the virus.
The areas join Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire, where enhanced restrictions were introduced last week.
The 1.1million people in the five council areas have also been told not to visit homes in other parts of the country, while only ‘essential’ indoor visits to hospitals and care homes will be allowed.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Over recent weeks, we have seen a continued increase in new Covid-19 cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area.
‘Having looked at where cases are being identified, the advice from the public health experts managing this outbreak is that restrictions on indoor gatherings should be extended to Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire and continue for at least a further seven days in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.
‘It is necessary to help us limit the spread of Covid-19. Acting now gives us the time and the space to protect people and get more control over the virus.’
Latest daily figures yesterday showed a further 146 people had tested positive for coronavirus – a day after cases soared by the highest number in nearly four months.
Ahead of the latest three-week review of restrictions on Thursday, Miss Sturgeon said a move to phase four of her ‘route map’ can only happen when the virus ‘is no longer considered a significant threat to public health’ – and stressed it is clear ‘that will not be the case’. She added: ‘It may be that we have to put the brakes on some further changes too.’
The comments throw into doubt a series of proposed changes which were due to take effect from Monday, September 14.
These included sports stadiums being able to welcome back spectators, the return of theatres and live music venues, the resumption of indoor live events such as concerts and the reopening of indoor soft-play centres.
Last week, the Mail revealed that plans to use a Rangers match against Dundee United this weekend as a ‘test match’ for the return of spectators were opposed by the Scottish Government due to the increase in cases in Glasgow.
The Scottish Professional Football League and the Scottish Football Association were yesterday unaware of any plans to delay the return of spectators, although further talks are planned with the Scottish Government.
Figures published yesterday show the average number of new cases per day over the past week is now 152, up from 52 three weeks ago and only 14 six weeks ago.
Of all the newly tested patients, 2.4 per cent tested positive yesterday, which compares to less than 1 per cent only a fortnight ago.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘We have a very definite trend at the moment. In recent weeks we have opened up most of our economy.
‘We had to get some normality back to our economy as we know lockdown does other harm to people. As we have released ourselves from lockdown, we have also released the virus from lockdown.’
She pointed to lower numbers of patients in hospital and intensive care than in May, and a lower proportion of positive tests, so that people do not think she’s ‘scaremongering’.
The First Minister added: ‘If transmission takes hold again, even if it starts in the younger, healthier part of the population, which it appears to be doing because younger people are interacting more, it won’t necessarily stay in that part of the population, it will eventually seep into older and more vulnerable groups.
‘To be blunt, some young people will infect their older friends or relatives.’
‘Had to get some normality back’
The largest number of cases was in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, where there were 78 positive tests.
The second-highest number of cases was 19 in the NHS Lanarkshire area, where health officials warned residents at the end of last week that they need to follow guidance to help keep the area ‘out of lockdown’.
There were also 13 new cases in Lothian and nine in Ayrshire and Arran.