2M SCOTS FACE FULL LOCKDOWN ‘IN DAYS’
Alarm over spike in cases sparks threat:
NEARLY two million Scots have been told they face the threat of entering a full lockdown within days.
SNP ministers will give ‘active consideration’ over the weekend to imposing Level 4 restrictions within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire health board areas following growing alarm about the number of Covid-19 cases.
It would see the areas hit by the toughest coronavirus curbs, with all non- essential shops, restaurants, bars and cafes forced to shut down entirely.
The move would be a hammerblow for businesses and Scotland’s battered town centres in the run-up to Christmas.
Stirling is also in danger of being raised to Level 4, while Aberdeenshire faces the threat of moving up to Level 3.
Andrew McRae, Scotland policy chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: ‘A move to the tightest level of
restrictions across Scotland’s Central Belt would drive a wedge through the high street.
‘So-called non-essential independent shops could be forced to shut their doors, while many of their competitors – such as the online giants – will be allowed to keep trading.
‘Ahead of Christmas, we would urge the Scottish Government to avoid this scenario.’
Deputy First Minister John Swinney yesterday said that ministers would consider plunging vast swathes of the Central Belt into the top tier of the Scottish Government’s five-level system.
It comes amid concerns that Level 3 restrictions are not doing enough to slow the spread of the virus across much of the West of Scotland.
There are also fears that the intensive care capacity in hospitals may be exceeded in a number of areas in coming weeks unless cases fall.
Figures yesterday showed a further 1,357 positive cases of Covid-19 were recorded across Scotland in the previous 24 hours and a further 56 deaths.
Retail industry analysis indicates that the introduction of Level 4 restrictions in Scotland would result in ‘ non- essential’ shops missing out on up to £200million a week in lost sales in the vital period leading up to Christmas.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: ‘ It has been a torrid year for Scottish shops but the worst may be yet to come if they are forced to close over the coming weeks.
‘The period leading up to Christmas is crucial for many retailers. It is the time of year when consumers’ extra spending gives the boost which keeps shops viable through the long winter.
‘That is why we are deeply concerned over the possibility of local lockdowns prior to the festive season. If shops, which all the evidence shows are safe, cannot trade throughout this period, then losing that revenue might prevent the business reopening, with direct consequences for jobs.’
Mr Lonsdale added: ‘The reality is there isn’t a taxpayer-funded support scheme which can replace the potential l osses of up to £ 200million a week if i t were Scotland-wide.
‘It has already been an especially gloomy year for retail, but shop closures prior to Christmas would take us even deeper i nto the darkness.’
Yesterday, Mr Swinney said: ‘We are seeing still a very strong prevalence of the virus within our country. We are seeing some examples of improvement but a number of areas, particularly the Central Belt, remain with very high levels of the virus and the Level 3 restrictions are not significantly reducing the prevalence of the virus.
‘So there is active consideration under way to the appropriate levels. That may include consideration of areas going up to Level 4.
‘The Government wants to avoid that if we possibly can do but it’s certainly under active consideration given the prevalence of the virus and the fact we are not seeing levels of the virus coming down as sharply and as swiftly as we need to see them coming down in parts of the country.’
The decisions will be confirmed when First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces the outcome of the latest review of the lockdown levels on Tuesday.
Mr Swinney said Level 3 restrictions had been in place for ‘quite some time’ across the Central Belt but case numbers remain ‘stubbornly high’. He added: ‘We would like to see those numbers coming down more aggressively.
‘That has not been the case with the Level 3 restrictions, which is why we are having to give consideration as to whether the level of these restrictions gives us enough of an effective set of arrangements to try to reduce the prevalence of the virus.
‘That is the active consideration that’s going on over the weekend to determine whether or not any of these Level 3 areas should go up to Level 4 because of the need to take more dramatic action to try to reduce prevalence of the virus.’
Yesterday’s data showed 433 of the new cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 267 in Lanarkshire, 163 in Lothian, 148 in Fife and 101 in Tayside.
Scottish Government officials have contacted the chief executives of all councils in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire health board areas to warn them of the possibility of Level 4 restrictions being imposed following ‘significant’ increases in prevalence of the virus.
Concerns are growing that intensive care capacity in hospitals in some of the worst-affected areas could ‘come under real strain’ in the coming weeks.
Mr Swinney also yesterday raised concerns about substantial rises in cases in other areas, including
‘Deeper into the darkness’
Stirling, currently in Level 3, and Aberdeenshire, presently in Level 2.
The Deputy First Minister said: ‘There will be further discussions with local authorities.
‘The national incident management team will be looking at all that data over the weekend and ministers will be involved in discussions with local authorities between now and decisions being taken on Tuesday.’
Dr Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘Ramping up restrictions to the highest level must only be the absolute last resort to prevent the spread of coronavirus and must be based on the data.
‘Locking down such a significant area of Scotland is a huge threat to jobs and livelihoods, many of which are already hanging on by a thread.
‘Harms caused by the virus must be weighed against possibly greater harms caused by mental illness, joblessness and poverty because these can also be deadly.
‘These risks must be foremost when these decisions are being taken.
‘If the worst happens and areas are put into Level 4, immediate stimulus must be delivered at the same time to prevent further economic carnage as much as is possible.’
‘Economic carnage’