CORONAVIRUS REPORTS

NICOLA Sturgeon yesterday admitted she knows Scots are finding it tougher to stick to her rules after six months of restrictions.

The SNP leader said she shared people’s ‘feelings of despair’ as she stepped up action to curb the resurgence of coronavirus – and said she is ‘struggling’ like everyone else.

She said Scotland faces a six-month battle to stop the virus gaining ground over autumn and winter but hoped the new measures would not all need to be in place through to next spring.

Discussions are still taking place about introducing short ‘circuit break’ restrictions – more similar to a full lockdown – during next month’s school holidays.

In a statement to MSPs on the eve of the six-month anniversary of Scotland entering lockdown in March, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘All of this is incredibly tough, and six months on it only gets tougher.

‘But we should never forget that humanity has come through even bigger challenges than this – and it did so without the benefits of modern technology that allow us to stay connected while physically apart. And though it doesn’t feel like this now, this pandemic will pass.

‘It won’t last forever and one day, hopefully soon, we will be looking back on it, not living through it.

‘So though we are all struggling with this – and believe me we are all struggling – let’s pull together. Let’s keep going, try to keep smiling, keep hoping and keep looking out for each other. Be strong, be kind and let’s continue to act out of love and solidarity.’

An additional 383 cases of coronavirus were confirmed yesterday, the highest daily total since April 18.

This was 7.6 per cent of all people who were newly tested, a key figure which has increased dramatically in recent days.

But the number of people in hospital because of the virus remained unchanged at 73, while those in intensive care increased by two, to ten. There was one further death of a hospital patient who had tested positive for Covid, taking total deaths to 2,506.

Despite the relatively low number of people in hospital, Miss Sturgeon raised concerns about the rising proportion of older people catching the virus, and said the number of people admitted to hospital and intensive care, as well as the number of deaths, was starting to rise.

Miss Sturgeon told MSPs she opted to introduce the same 10pm curfew on hospitality premises that was announced for England by Boris Johnson yesterday – but said her advisers told her that ‘would not be sufficient’ to bring infection rates down.

She said her new measures do not amount to another lockdown and are instead ‘an attempt to avoid another lockdown’.

Mr Johnson said his restrictions may be in place for six months but Miss Sturgeon said she hoped her additional measures would be in place for a shorter period.

She said: ‘By acting early and substantially, our hope is that these new measures will be in place for a shorter period than would be the case if we waited longer to act. In the first instance, we will review these measure in three weeks, although given the nature of this virus, they may be needed for longer than that.’

She told businesses that everyone who can work from home should do so – and said those who have encouraged employees to return to workplaces should ‘please rethink that’.

Miss Sturgeon also threatened to introduce a new ‘legal duty’ on firms allowing home working if they do not act voluntarily. Fines for people who fail to go into selfisolation for two weeks when asked to do so remain ‘under review’ following the UK Government’s decivisits sion to increase them to up to £10,000 in England while those on low earnings will get a £500 grant if they need to quarantine.

New regulations will come into force formally banning household from Friday, although people have been asked to stick to the new rules from today.

Some people will be exempt, including those who live alone and have formed an ‘extended household’ with another family, couples who do not live together, such as grandparents who are providing informal childcare, and tradesmen carrying out work.

The ‘rule of six’ for outdoor gatherings remains in force, meaning six people from a maximum of two households can still meet in gardens and other outdoor places.

Children under 12 will not be included and there will be no restrictions on the number of them who can play together outdoors.

Children between 12 and 17 can gather in groups of up to six outdoors, with no limits on the number of households.

Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Tories at Holyrood said the public were ‘worried, confused and – in some cases – feeling cheated because they have done exactly what was asked of them’.

Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I understand people’s feelings of despair right now – believe me I share them.’

‘Acting early and substantially’ ‘Confused and feeling cheated’