The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Sturgeon’ s plea to stick with new rules
New rules will be imposed from Boxing Day in Scotland, including cancelling large events, in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced all public events will have a cap on numbers – limited to just 100 people for indoor standing events.
For indoor seated events it will be 200 and for outdoor events it will be 500 whether seated or standing, Ms Sturgeon announced yesterday.
Sporting events will be “effectively spectator-free” from December 26, she added.
Addressing the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Ms Sturgeon said these limits will not apply to private events such as weddings and funerals.
From Boxing Day, the Scottish Government is urging people to limit social contacts and work from home.
People are not being asked to cancel their Christmas plans, but new guidance will be in place from Boxing Day, said the first minister.
She said: “I will again appeal to everyone across the country to reduce contacts and stay at home as much as possible in the run-up to Christmas Day, and then again after this Christmas weekend.”
She said the huge number of Covid cases would see “suffering caused to individuals and families” and “the additional pressure on our already stretched NHS will be extremely difficult to manage”.
She noted the economy has already began to be affected, with more than 100 Scotrail services cancelled on Monday due to staff absence.
Theatres are already being forced to cancel shows due to Covid cases among cast and crews.
Discussing the festive period, Ms Sturgeon said she was not asking people to change Christmas plans.
However, she advised limiting contact before and after Christmas weekend.
She said: “Keep gatherings as small as family circumstances allow.
“Make sure everyone does a test shortly before getting together. Anyone who tests positive should not mix with others.
“And given how infectious Omicron is, you should assume that if one member of a household is positive, the others are likely to be so too.
“Follow hygiene advice and keep windows open.
“And, crucially, between now and Christmas Day, cut your contacts with people in other households as much as possible.
“Minimise socialising with others, either at home or in indoor public places... Stay at home as much as feasible.
“I am grateful to everyone who has followed this advice since last week.
“It will be making a difference – the steep increase in cases over the past week would have been steeper still but for people complying with this advice. It is important that we stick with it.”
From Sunday, for a period of three weeks, there will be limits on the size of public events that can take place. Physical distancing of one metre will be required at events.
“This will of course make sports matches, including football, effectively spectator-free over this three-week period,” said Ms Sturgeon.
She added: “From December 27 – as we come out of the Christmas weekend – and at least until the end of the first week in January when we will review this advice again, please go back to limiting your contacts as much as possible.
“Please stay at home as much as possible. When you do go out, please maintain physical distancing from people not in your group.
“And, difficult though it is, please follow this advice over New Year – minimise Hogmanay socialising.”
Ms Sturgeon said that the high transmissibility of Omicron meant large gatherings “have the potential to become very rapid super-spreader events”.
She said there was also risk from the associated travel to and from events.
Ms Sturgeon added that large events put an additional burden on emergency services, especially the police and ambulance services.
In total, £375 million of additional funding will be made available by the Scottish and UK Governments to offset some of the economic damage, Ms Sturgeon said.
Further details will be published on the Scottish Government website.
She also said her Cabinet’s plan was to reopen schools as normal after the holidays.
Ms Sturgeon said 5,242 positive cases were reported yesterday – 14.9% of all tests carried out.
There are 515 people are in hospital with Covid – one fewer than yesterday – and 37 people are in intensive care, one fewer than yesterday.
A further nine deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 9,790.
Ms Sturgeon reinforced the message to continue to follow hygiene measures, to get vaccinated and have the booster jab, and to continue to take lateral flow tests before leaving the house.
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Minimise socialising with others... Stay at home as much as feasible