St Andrews principal’s voluntary lockdown plea observed in town

Students at St Andrews University appeared to take heed of the voluntary lockdown plea following the confirmation of three confirmed cases Covid-19 at the university last week.

Police reported no incidents of anti-social behaviour or large gatherings of students in the town over the weekend, following a number of complaints earlier in the week.

Residents had reported large gatherings of students in parts of the town and beach as thousands of students flocked back to the Fife university for the start of the new semester.

The principal, Professor Sally Mapstone, issued a plea on Friday afternoon urging students to stay in their rooms from that evening and to resist the urge to go to parties, bars or restaurants, and to avoid mixing with groups outside their own households, because of the rise of confirmed cases of Covid-19 nationally.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said it was sound advice for the wider population.

“We are asking people to take personal responsibility to do the right thing and remember the purpose of these measures is to aid the collective effort to stay safe, protect others and save lives by preventing the virus from spreading,” he said.

“Our officers will continue to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance and encourage compliance.

“However, we will not hesitate to use enforcement where there is a clear breach of the legislation, including where we see the same person repeatedly flouting the regulations or where people are blatantly showing disregard for the public health imperative.”

It comes as a survey revealed more than half of people living in university towns and cities said they feared the return of students will lead to coronavirus spikes and restrictions in their areas.

Tens of thousands of students are due back on campus across the UK in the coming days, and earlier this month government scientific advisers warned it is “highly likely” there will be significant coronavirus outbreaks linked to universities.

The Survation poll, carried out for the University and College Union, also found half of respondents believe universities should cancel all face-toface teaching, with 57% expressing a lack of confidence in local test and trace systems to control outbreaks.