Clampdown hits 1.75million
Lanarkshire in lockdown after new surge in Covid-19 cases
Deputy Scottish Political Editor NEARLY two million Scots are now living under local lockdowns, with tough new restrictions imposed on Lanarkshire yesterday.
Home visits have been banned for those in the area following a rise in Covid cases.
In parts of the West of Scotland, more than 1.75million people are prohibited from visiting relatives, or letting family inside their homes.
The restrictions, recommended by the National Incident Management Team, mean that people in North and South Lanarkshire will be barred from having visitors to their homes and from visiting other households, with exemptions for those within extended household group bubbles.
Since September 4, 205 positive cases of coronavirus have been identified by Test and Protect in Lanarkshire.
Yesterday, a further 175 coronavirus cases were identified in Scotland. This includes 89 cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area yesterday, with 39 in Lanarkshire, 24 in Lothian and 12 in Ayrshire and Arran.
At her daily briefing Nicola Sturgeon announced three patients had been admitted to hospital in the past 24 hours, with 269 people now receiving treatment. Another person was taken to intensive care, with eight patients in ICU units. There were no further Covid-19 deaths. This comes after lockdown restrictions in Glasgow, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire were continued for another week, having been introduced on September 1.
The area covered by the measures was extended to Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire on Monday.
Households are also banned from visiting homes in other areas not under the restrictions. Indoor visits to hospitals and care homes are limited to essential visits only in these areas to protect the most vulnerable.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘It is clearly regrettable that these restrictions need to be extended to people living in Lanarkshire.
‘I understand that this will not be welcome news for people living in these areas, but we must act now to protect people and get more control over the virus in the area.
‘Local public health teams have looked at where cases are being identified and, by restricting indoor meetings, we are helping to protect those most at risk – as they are more likely to be meeting others in a household setting rather than in a public setting.
‘I would ask everyone in the affected areas to be extra vigilant, to follow all guidance and to isolate and book a test if they have any symptoms.
‘I want to emphasise that getting a test – and even getting a negative result – is not a substitute for selfisolating. If you have symptoms, or if you are contacted by our Test and Protect team and told to do so, you will need to self-isolate.’
The latest restrictions will be reviewed next week. People from
‘I would ask everyone to be extra vigilant’
different households can continue to meet outdoors, and in pubs and restaurants, as long as they follow the guidance.
Public health officials in Lanarkshire had warned last week that restrictions could be imposed.
NHS Lanarkshire director of public health Gabe Docherty said: ‘Although we enter into these restrictions with a heavy heart, I wholeheartedly welcome them.’
Miss Sturgeon was questioned on the new Protect Scotland app, which has been downloaded by almost 750,000 Scots. The app, which alerts someone when they have been in close contact with a person who has the virus, is part of the Test and Protect system to break down local outbreaks.
However, fears have been raised that the app could lead to health inequality as it is only available on certain phones, and not those more than five years old.
Miss Sturgeon said: ‘We think it’s a fairly high percentage that have the phones that support this.’
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said NHS Scotland will remain on an emergency footing until at least the end of March next year.