COVID deaths lowest level since Christmas
The number of people dying from COVID-19 in Perth and Kinross dropped to its lowest level since before Christmas last week.
And the infection rate has fallen by two-thirds in the past month.
But there are no sign of restrictions being eased in the region, beyond the youngest children going back to school, any time soon.
Nine deaths registered in the region had the coronavirus recorded on the death certificate in the week starting February 8.
That is the joint lowest weekly total since the week starting December 14, according to the National Records of Scotland.
And according to data from Public Health Scotland, on February 14, the infection rate was 59.9 per 100,000 people, compared with 65.2 the week before.
The number of cases dropped from 99 to 91, however the proportion of positive tests did rise slightly from 3.9 per cent to 4.2 per cent.
The infection rate has now dropped by 66 per cent in the last month, and nearly 80 per cent since it peaked on January 7.
Despite the progress, education secretary and local MSP John Swinney has warned that relaxing restrictions too quickly would “jeopardise the progress” already made as schools get ready to partially return.
He was speaking after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the phased return to the region’s schools will begin next week - but that there will be “no immediate” easing of lockdown restrictions.
Primary one, two and three pupils in Perth and Kinross will begin their return to education facilities from Monday, February 22, with limited numbers of senior high school students also allowed to return to class.
Children above primary three will not be returning to schools until March 15 at the earliest, with the second phase of schools reopening being set out in two weeks’ time.
During her COVID briefing at Holyrood on Tuesday, Ms Sturgeon also confirmed that nursery and pre-school pupils will begin a phased return from Monday.
However, the stay-at-home message for the majority of the population will remain until at least the start of March.
Perth and Kinross has endured seven weeks of lockdown since Christmas with non-essential shops shut, almost all hospitality businesses closed and a ban on travelling outwith local council areas.
Ms Sturgeon also urged residents to stay at home after receiving their first dose of the COVID vaccine, as it does not take hold for two to three weeks.
After the briefing Perthshire North MSP John Swinney added: “As the first minister has confirmed, we are making steady progress in our fight against COVID.
“Cases are falling both across the nation and locally in Perthshire, and the incredibly efficient rollout of the vaccine has meant that 28 per cent of all adults in Scotland have now received their first dose.
“However, we are still in a very precarious position and therefore cannot afford to jeopardise the progress that we have made by relaxing restrictions too quickly.
“With only limited room for manoeuvre, the Scottish Government has chosen to prioritise the phased return of children to education.”