Perth and Kinross moving into Tier 3 after Covid spike

VIRUS: First minister’s announcement follows 32% rise in cases

Residents and businesses across Perth and Kinross will face much tighter coronavirus restrictions from Friday after a sharp spike in cases raised fears for the ability of health services to cope.

The county will join neighbouring Dundee in Tier 3 controls, meaning an alcohol ban in pubs, no non-essential travel and no household visits.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the clampdown after the seven-day number of cases per 100,000 of the population increased by 32% in Perth and Kinross.

Council leader Murray Lyle expressed his disappointment, saying: “There has clearly been a rise in the number of cases but we were confident that, in Perth and Kinross, we were managing the individual outbreaks competently.”

Stephen Leckie, chief executive of the

Crieff Hydro hotels group, said there was a danger of widespread job losses.

Mr Leckie, who is also president of Perthshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Once again, certain businesses and sectors are bearing the brunt and facing the devastating impact of these restrictions.

“For those in some sectors, including tourism, hospitality and retail, this undermines their ability to survive.”

Fife, Angus and Perth and Kinross council areas will move into Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions this Friday, after a dramatic increase in cases.

In Fife, projections show intensive care unit capacity could be exceeded if stricter measures are not introduced.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the most recent data showed, in the space of a week, the sevenday number of cases per 100,000 of the population had increased in Perth and Kinross by 32%, in Fife by 40% and in Angus by 47%.

Proximity to Dundee, which is already in Tier 3 measures and will remain so, was also seen as a “relevant factor” in moving all three areas into the third tier.

Advice published by the Scottish Government said the increase in restrictions in Angus, Fife and Perth and Kinross “reflects a concern that level two restrictions are not sufficient to suppress transmission... and that pre-emptive action is needed to prevent further deterioration”.

The advice added: “In Fife, there is an imminent threat of exceeding NHS ICU capacity, and in Perth and Kinross there is an increasing trend in case rates.”

Swathes of the country, from as far north as the Spittal of Glenshee to Ballantrae in south Ayrshire, are now under Tier 3 measures.

Pubs and restaurants in Angus, Fife and Perth and Kinross will be prohibited from selling alcohol and will close at 6pm, with last entry at 5pm.

Indoor exercise will be limited to individual workouts, with outdoor contact sports for those over the age of 18 banned, except professional sports.

No other local authority areas will change tiers this week but Ms Sturgeon said moves to Tier 4 for some “cannot be ruled out” in the near future.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I know this will be disappointing to residents and businesses in these areas.

“However, by acting now we can hopefully prevent an even more serious deterioration in the situation in the future.”

The decision to impose tougher restrictions in Angus was met with fierce criticism from the area’s council leader.

David Fairweather said he did not believe the local authority was given a fair chance to argue its case against Tier 3.

He said: “Frustrated is not the word. I’m just so disappointed.

“I feel it is wholly unjustified to give businesses a lifeline for a week then take it away.

“At around 6.30pm last night we were invited to a conference with the Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell.

“She told us Angus was likely heading into Tier 3 and said sorry.

“She claimed no final decision had been made at that stage, but I think it had.

“Cases here are still very low and the chief executive of the council ( Margo Williamson) made this point.

“The consequences in Angus are looking monumental.”

Fife Council co-leaders David Ross and David Alexander said they were also disappointed but that the data was beyond dispute.

Labour leader Mr Ross said they had had a conversation with Deputy First Minister John Swinney late on Monday night.

“We were all satisfied that at this point it’s the right decision,” he said.

“The positivity rate is still going up in Fife and the feeling I certainly had is we would be better to go into Tier 3 now and hopefully that will be sufficient to reduce the rise and get it going in the right direction before Christmas.”

SNP leader Mr Alexander said: “We have to leave this infection with nowhere to go.

“There have been 406 new infections in Fife in the last week and that has resulted in an increase in hospital admissions.”

Perth and Kinross Council leader Murray Lyle, who had been given assurances that the region would remain in Tier 2 on Monday morning, said he was informed of the change later that night.

“I am disappointed,” he said. “I can understand the arguments put to me last night. There has clearly been a rise in the number of cases.

“But we were confident that, in Perth and Kinross, we were managing the individual outbreaks competently.

“There was no significant community transmission in this area and there have been some parts of the region that haven’t had any cases at all.”

Mr Lyle added: “I have every sympathy with businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector.

“To keep the schools, we are shutting down quite a bit of business.”

The announcement on Monday that a candidate Covid vaccine was showing strong efficacy against the virus in clinical trials offered a rare glimmer of hope.

But 24 hours on, the reality that we will have to live with this killer in our midst for some time yet hit home hard.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s parliamentary update on Covid resilience yesterday did not make for particularly comforting listening, especially for the communities of Tayside and Fife.

While she indicated the strict Tier 3 conditions Dundee has been living under were starting to work against the virus, the progress made was not sufficient enough to merit an easing of the current rules.

But, perhaps more worryingly, was the move in the wrong direction in Angus, Fife and Perth.

While not strictly at the threshold for a move into Tier 3, the sharply rising trajectory of infections in the three local authority areas was enough to convince the first minister to act.

The move means hundreds of thousands more Courier Country residents are now living under stricter regulations.

For each individual it will be a tough adjustment, with potential impacts on work, health and mental wellbeing.

But to nip rising infection rates in the bud there are sacrifices we must all be prepared to make.

Angus Council leader David Fairweather.