The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Think before heading out on the town, urges first minister
Around half of rise in positive tests made up of people under 40, data shows
Younger Scots have been urged to consider cutting back on nights out and go to the pub less often following a rise in coronavirus cases among people aged between 20 and 40.
Nicola Sturgeon said revellers should think twice about how often it was necessary to go out on the tiles after data revealed people in their 20s and 30s had accounted for around half of new laboratory confirmed Covid-19 cases over the past week.
The first minister said there had been 30 new positive tests overnight – the highest number in more than eight weeks – and warned the figures were a cause for concern, with other countries also seeing a surge in infection rates among young people.
“That’s something we’ve seen in other parts of the world recently – younger age groups, perhaps people more likely to go to pubs and restaurants and meet up with friends, are testing positive in higher numbers,” she said.
“These figures should be a reason for caution. I urge everyone, particularly people in their 20s and 30s, not to be complacent and to please follow all the rules.”
Speaking during a briefing organised at short notice yesterday, Ms Sturgeon urged people to “stick rigidly” to Scottish Government advice and warned nobody can “safely get Covid”, despite the disease causing more fatalities among older people.
She added: “For those activities which we are now allowed to do, like going to pubs indoors, I’d ask you think how necessary these nights out are and how frequently you might want to go on them.”
The rules on indoor meetings apply in pubs and restaurants, so people should not be meeting more than two other households at a time, Ms Sturgeon said.
“I’m not saying absolutely don’t go. But there is a need for all of us right now to think about the wisdom of things we’re doing,” she said.
“Just because something is allowed doesn’t mean we should do it.”
The SNP leader admitted it would come down to “individual judgment”.
She also used the briefing to discuss a tightening of lockdown restrictions in northern England following a spike.
Travel between Scotland and parts of Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire facing new lockdown restrictions should only be undertaken if “absolutely essential”, the Scottish Government has said.
Anyone in the affected areas does not need to return to Scotland early but should be “extra vigilant” in monitoring for symptoms.
Ms Sturgeon chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s resilience committee earlier in the day to discuss an update from the prime minister on the decision to introduce new measures to control the spread of Covid-19 in the affected areas.
Ms Sturgeon acknowledged the timing of her announcement was difficult, with many families from Muslim communities planning to travel around the country this weekend to celebrate Eid.