GET READY FOR TOUGH TIERS... TO SAVE XMAS

Sturgeon warning of clampdown amid ‘stubbornly high’ Covid rates But she holds out hope of festive respite to allow family celebrations

MILLIONS of Scots may have to live with tough new coronavirus restrictions if Christmas is to be saved, Nicola Sturgeon warned yesterday.

The First Minister insisted that she hopes to be able to ease measures during the festive period, signalling a short reprieve for families over Christmas.

But she said it was also important to bring down the numbers of people being infected by Covid in the worst-hit areas to protect the NHS over the winter.

Although it was ‘not inevitable’ some areas would move into Level 4 – the strictest measures of the new five-tier system – from Friday, Miss Sturgeon said it was ‘likely’.

With much of Scotland already under Level 2 or 3 curbs, she will today announce the results of a review.

With ‘stubbornly high’ infection rates in the West of Scotland, some council areas look likely to become the first to be put into the highest tier of restrictions, with a near-lockdown.

These areas are likely to be Glasgow, the three Ayrshire councils, Inverclyde, Stirling, the two Renfrewshire authorities, West and East Dunbartonshire, as well as North and South Lanarkshire.

However, Miss Sturgeon stressed that it was her intention to keep schools open even under Level 4 measures, despite teachers threatening strike action.

She also signalled tough new rules will see travel restrictions become legally enforceable, in an attempt to further suppress the virus.

At the Government’s daily Covid-19 briefing, Miss Sturgeon warned the current infection rates meant ministers ‘do not have as much assurance as we would want’ that hospitals and intensive care units will cope over the winter.

She said that moving to Level 4 restrictions in some areas ‘for a limited period’ would help to address this concern, as well as possibly allowing the easing of measures over Christmas.

Miss Sturgeon added: ‘Where we have stubbornly high prevalence, if we want to protect our NHS and if we want to get to a point at Christmas where we might be able to have a bit of easing of restrictions – albeit that will be very careful – then we need to get that prevalence down more right now.’

Discussions over a four-nation approach to Christmas are under way.

Ministers from the UK Government and devolved nations are attempting to reach an agreement over the best options to allow families to celebrate together.

Questioned yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘If you are asking me my priority for Christmas, it is to allow f amilies some ability to get together. That should be the priority and if we do go to Level 4 for any areas tomorrow then part of it, not the whole reason, is to try to get prevalence down to the point where we think we can have some limited easing around that.’

It was the first time Miss Sturgeon has disclosed that she is considering the temporary easing of restrictions for Christmas.

It comes after Bishop John Keenan told the Scottish Daily Mail that the Government should consider a 24- hour lifting of measures for Christmas Day to allow families to be together.

Conservative Holyrood group leader Ruth Davidson has called f or an easing of the ban on household visiting for Christmas, while Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard wants in-person care home visits to be allowed.

Meanwhile, it was announced yesterday t hat another 717 Scots had tested positive f or the virus in the previous 24 hours, with 1,227 people in hospital, 98 in intensive care and a further six deaths.

After the Scottish Daily Mail yesterday revealed that vast swathes of Scotland were preparing to go into near-lockdown, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I think it is likely that we will see some areas go to Level 4 this week.

‘But is it inevitable? Until we have taken that final decision, no of course it’s not.’

In a Level 4 area, bars and restaurants would have to close along with non- essential shops, gyms and indoor sports facilities.

Miss Sturgeon will meet her Cabinet this morning before announcing any decisions later in parliament. She is also set to announce new travel restrictions, which could see legally enforced measures put in place.

Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Clearly, if you go to Level 4, then the necessity of travel restrictions, which are necessary to support any regional tiered approach, become even more necessary.’

As part of the Cabinet’s deliberations, she said that ministers would need to consider whether ‘in order to make very clear to people how important it is that they abide by these travel restrictions, whether any Level 4 move would be accompanied by a more statutory regulations-based approach to travel restrictions’.

‘We need to get prevalence down’