The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Sturgeon: Rising cases in Perth and Kinross being closely monitored
Rising Covid cases in Perth and Kinross are being closely monitored but there will be no tightening of restrictions for the time being, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
In a Holyrood statement, the first minister announced there would be no change to the current anti-coronavirus measures across the country apart from East Lothian, where they have been relaxed.
As expected, more than two million people in 11 council areas in the west of the Central Belt – including Glasgow – will stay in the strictest level of Tier 4.
Angus, Fife, Dundee and Perth and Kinross will stay in Tier 3 while Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire will remain with the slightly more relaxed Tier 2 restrictions.
Highland, Moray, the Shetlands, Orkney and Western Isles continue to be the areas of Scotland with the least restrictive measures, with the first minister confirming they will stay in Tier 1.
In her weekly review of the system, Ms Sturgeon said she was looking carefully at Perth and Kinross where cases have increased from 88.8 per 100,000 to 116.5.
Despite this, she said the area would remain in Tier 3 along with Edinburgh, Falkirk, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire and Clackmannanshire, which was also under close observation.
“I should advise parliament that we are monitoring Clackmannanshire and Perth and Kin ross particularly carefully given recent increases in cases in these areas,” the first minister said.
Cases in Clackmannanshire have gone up from 104.8 to 149.4 per 100,000 people.
Although there were regional variations, Ms Sturgeon maintained there were grounds for “cautious optimism” with the R number (that’s the number of people that one infected person will pass on the virus to) on average estimated at between 0.8 and 1.
As she announced a further 41 Covid deaths in the last 24 hours, she said hospital and ICU admissions could also be falling, though she stressed these numbers can “fluctuate on a day-to-day basis”.
Ms Sturgeon said a drive to expand asymptomatic testing in Scotland would be announced at Holyrood shortly and that this would target the areas worst affected by Covid.
The announcement is likely to be based on the mass testing scheme piloted in Liverpool. Testing will also be expanded to designated visitors to care homes, care at home workers and some other NHS staff, the first minister said.
Details will be unveiled by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman alongside plans to start testing students next week so that they can go home for Christmas.
“All students who wish to return home for Christmas, will be offered two Covid tests a few days apart,” Ms Sturgeon said.
“I would strongly recommend that any student who is due to re turn home over the holiday period gets tested first.
“In addition, students should take extra care in the two weeks before travel – for example, by reducing social contact and going out only for essential reasons.”
Ms Sturgeon added: “By taking extra care – and getting tested before travel – students can help to make the Christmas period as safe as possible for themselves and their families.”