Lockdown rules finally relaxed for those who’ve been shielding
AROUND 180,000 vulnerable people forced to isolate themselves for four months during the pandemic have finally been given the green light to come out of lockdown.
Nicola Sturgeon said she will relax restrictions for those shielding – including cancer sufferers and those who have had transplants – from today.
And the entire shielding scheme will be paused from next Friday, which means those who have until now had to adhere to strict isolation rules will only have to abide by the same guidance as everyone else.
Miss Sturgeon said the latest change has been ‘hard won’ as infection rates continue to be low – but admitted the past four months has been a ‘painful journey’.
However, the First Minister refused to relax other measures and claimed matching England’s pace at lifting measures could result in significantly more deaths.
It comes as the latest figures showed there have been no deaths in the last 24 hours – meaning it has been the first full week without any deaths of people who had tested positive for the virus. As a result, the death toll remains 2,491.
There has been only one death in Scotland over the last 15 days.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘It is four months since the country went into lockdown, so there is no doubt that these figures show the incredible progress that has been made.
‘But that progress has been hard won and it has been a very painful journey in particular for those who have lost someone to this virus.
‘The number of deaths is still a reminder of the impact of the virus and therefore I want to extend my condolences again today to everyone who is grieving someone they loved.’
Announcing the changes to rules for those shielding, she said there are ‘very obvious and very real potential harms’ for those who have had to stay away from others.
From today, those shielding will be able to meet indoors with up to eight people from two other households with distancing and outdoors in groups of up to 15 people from a maximum of four households.
They are also now allowed to travel on public transport or visit shops, hairdressers and attractions such as museums.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Shielding and shielding people demonstrate, perhaps more powerfully than anything does, just how all of us are dependent right now on each other’s actions.
‘The reason that we can pause shielding, hopefully at the end of next week, is because all of us have stuck to the guidance so far – and all of us need to continue to do that.’
The First Minister announced 16 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the past day – 0.4 per cent of those tested – taking the total to 18,500.
She said provisional figures indicate four of the new cases are in Lanarkshire and added there are now 24 cases linked to the outbreak at the Sitel call centre in Eurocentral business park, up from 20 yesterday.
‘Given that the virus can have a long incubation period, intensive work is still ongoing in order to ensure that all possible chains of transmission are being closed down,’ she said.
Miss Sturgeon also claimed that the country’s economy will begin to ‘strengthen gradually’.
However, Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop reasserted that home working should remain the ‘default position’.
It comes after Miss Sturgeon said she does not expect to encourage a return to work for those in non-essential offices any time soon, despite Boris Johnson urging workers south of the Border to return to offices to boost the economy.
Defending the move yesterday, the First Minister said: ‘Matching England in the pace of exit from lockdown may well mean matching England in a higher number of infections and deaths as well, and I don’t think many people in Scotland would want us necessarily to do that.’
‘Has been a very painful journey’