Vigilance urged as virus cases surge

COVID: Warning comes as 900 factory households told to isolate

Residents across Tayside have been told to be extra vigilant as the community at the centre of a new Covid-19 outbreak edged closer to lockdown.

Health bosses said the over-70s and people who are shielding or in high-risk groups must take all steps to protect themselves after 900 employees of a food processing plant were ordered to self-isolate.

NHS Tayside said the move was necessary to prevent further spread of the infection from the 2 Sisters factory at Coupar Angus, where 43 people connected to the site have now tested positive for the virus. Locals had feared the town may have been locked down entirely.

A total of 77 confirmed cases were recorded in

Scotland in the last 24 hours, 27 of them in Tayside.

Kingspark School in Dundee is the first in Scotland to be closed since lockdown ended after eight adults connected to it tested positive.

Dozens of pupils and staff have been told to stay at home from two other Tayside schools following confirmed cases.

Sport stadiums, live music venues and theatres can reopen in Scotland from September 14, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

But Scotland will not yet move to phase four of its route map out of the coronavirus lockdown and local authorities and police will be given new powers to enforce restrictions.

The first minister gave the results of a three-week review of lockdown restrictions to MSPS in the Scottish Parliament yesterday.

She said Scotland cannot move to the last stage of its four-step plan to ease out of lockdown as the virus is still a significant threat.

The last 24 hours have seen the highest number of daily cases in almost three months, she said, and the R number may now be above 1.

A total of 77 new Covid-19 cases were recorded over the last day, taking the total to 19,534.

But the first minister confirmed a previously announced relaxation of measures and gave indicative dates for others.

From next Monday, some outdoor live events can take place, organised outdoor contact sports will resume for people of all ages, and driving lessons can return.

Gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports courts can reopen from August 31, brought forward from an original date of September 14.

“For indoor sports courts – which include dance studios and gymnastics – it is worth stressing that for people aged 12 and over, the reopening on this date applies to non-contact activity only,” Ms Sturgeon said.

Giving indicative dates for future reopenings, the first minister said that from September 14 “sports stadia will be able to reopen, though only for limited numbers of spectators and with strict physical distancing in place”.

Some safety pilots of professional sports events may take place before then, she said.

Indoor contact sports activities, entertainment sites and cultural venues – such as theatres and live music venues – can reopen from September 14, and wedding and civil partnership receptions and funeral wakes can have more attendees, although numbers will remain restricted.

A date has not been set for the reopening of non-essential call centres and offices, with home working remaining the default position.

The reopening of offices and call centres would “significantly increase the risk of indoor transmission” and “make it more difficult to keep schools open”, Ms Sturgeon said.

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And with the virus at its current levels, that means we cannot do everything else we would like to do – like bring back nonessential offices. NICOLA STURGEON