Restrictions may have to be tightened: Sturgeon

First minister issues warning as Scottish virus cases surge by 160 within 24 hours

Nicola Sturgeon has said there is a “risk” Covid restrictions on household gatherings will have to be tightened again, as positive cases surged to a threemonth high.

The first minister admitted she is growing increasingly anxious about the spread of the virus, as 160 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

The figure was the highest total since May 16 and an increase on the 123 announced on Sunday.

It brings the total number of cases since the start of the pandemic to 20,478.

The first minister replied “yes” when she was asked if there was a risk of re-tightening the guidance on meeting indoors. At the moment up to eight people can meet indoors as long as they are from a maximum of three households.

“There is a risk of that. I fervently hope we can avoid that. But I can’t rule out that possibility,” Ms Sturgeon said.

She said there were some people who seemed to think the threat had passed because of the lack of deaths and the relatively few hospital admissions.

She warned: “Such complacency is really dangerous. We, in truth, don’t know yet if this rise in cases will – or will not – lead to an increase in serious illness or death. I think we should assume that it will to some extent.”

Ms Sturgeon called on people to stick to guidance.

Sixty-nine of the new cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 27 in Lanarkshire, 18 in Lothian, nine in Forth Valley and eight in Ayrshire and Arran.

Fourteen were in Tayside, where health authorities are dealing with the 2 Sisters outbreak, and four were in Aberdeen, where local lockdown measures have been eased.

No coronavirus deaths were reported, meaning the total number of fatalities remains at 2,494.

Not all of the new cases were linked to larger outbreaks, with the rise in cases in Greater Glasgow and Clyde seeming “to reflect a number of small clusters, rather than one or two more significant outbreaks”.

Ms Sturgeon said there had been some “really dark moments” since the virus took hold at the start of March,

“I feel a greater sense of anxiety today than I have done at any time probably for the last couple of months. NICOLA STURGEON

although there had been moments of hope more recently.

However, she added: “I feel that it is important that I say to you I feel a greater sense of anxiety today than I have done at any time probably for the last couple of months.

“We are in a fragile position. We have substantially lifted the lockdown restrictions but in doing so we’ve allowed this virus opportunities to spread. We are trying to keep it under control, not by strict lockdown but by all of us doing the right thing and having Test and Protect and local health protection teams coming in to contain outbreaks when they happen.”

The increase in cases came as Scotland took more steps out of lockdown, with the opening of gyms and indoor swimming pools and the resumption of youth groups such as Cubs and Brownies and mother and baby groups.

Ms Sturgeon said the “quite high” numbers of new cases were “partly a result of greater numbers of people being tested”.

She stressed the proportion of people testing positive was still below 1%.