Sturgeon vow: Every adult in Scotland to have first jab by July 18
ALL first doses of the coronavirus vaccine should be completed in Scotland by July 18, Nicola Sturgeon has said, adding everyone should be fully vaccinated by mid-september.
The Scottish Government initially planned to offer first doses to all adults by the end of July, but the First Minister said “rapid progress” had been made.
Speaking at a coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh yesterday, the First Minister set July 18 as the new date for the first round of vaccinations to be complete.
She added: “Vaccines are the way back to normality – I think we are increasingly confident of that.
“Every single one of us who gets these jabs is representing a step back towards normal life.”
Nicola Sturgeon said all adults in the youngest age group, 18-29, should expect to have received a first vaccine appointment letter by next week.
There were 950 positive cases reported on Thursday, bringing the total number of current cases to 251,911.
Of those, 128 people are being treated in hospital, 12 fewer than the previous day with no change to the number (12) in intensive
care. There were two further deaths. Scotland is said to be experiencing around 1,000 new cases every day. It comes as Public Health England warned there has been a 79% rise in one week in cases of the Delta variant, first identified in India and which is thought to be 60% more transmissible.
Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said the increase across the UK is being driven by younger age groups.
Ms Sturgeon said vaccines were breaking the link between cases and people being taken to hospital, but said that link was “not completely broken”.
She said she was optimistic about progress made in containing the virus because “at every stage”, the hospitalisation figures had been below expected levels.
When asked what is now the likely date for the completion of second doses, the First Minister said: “Eight weeks from that takes us to mid-september, which is when we would hope we will be on track to complete second doses.
“The caveat I’ve got to put in there is that is dependent on us having the supply to do that – but we are wanting to give second doses eight weeks after first doses.
“So if we’re going to complete first doses by the middle of July then eight weeks after that is when – all things permitting – we would hope thereabouts to be completing second doses as well.”
The First Minister said she was looking forward to getting her own booster jag on Monday morning.
Whilst she said she expects restrictions to be further eased over the summer, no changes will be made next week – an assertion she also made on Tuesday in Holyrood.
“It is unlikely, although I will confirm this in parliament next Tuesday, but it is unlikely we will move any part of the country down a level at the next review point,” she said.
Most of the central belt and cities including Stirling and Dundee are currently in Level Two of the Scottish Government’s five tiers of restrictions. Other parts of the country are in Level One and many of the islands are in Level Zero.
Scottish Labour warned that extended Covid restrictions mean urgent support is needed to support Scotland’s “on the brink” businesses.
On Tuesday, the Scottish Hospitality Group said businesses were stuck in a “never-ending hell” due to restrictions and on Wednesday the First Minister was forced to admit “poor communication” with businesses.
Scottish Labour has already called for £300 million of the £1 billion unallocated Barnett consequentials to be put towards new business support to prevent further closures and job losses.
Daniel Johnson, the party’s finance spokesman, said: “The Scottish Government has failed repeatedly to communicate properly with businesses and give them the support that they need.
“Businesses need support now and they need clarity from the Government above all else.
“That’s why Scottish Labour is calling for more funds to be put towards vital business support and for the Scottish Government to publish a clear business support protocol to provide employers with certainty.”
The First Minister also announced non-essential travel from Scotland to Manchester and Salford will be banned from Monday.
Due to “high levels of Covid”, the cities have been added to a list that already includes Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.
Meanwhile, bans on non-essential travel to the English town of Bedford and the Republic of Ireland will be removed.
Scottish Liberal Democrats’ leader Willie Rennie described the restrictions as “incoherent and confusing”.
He said: “The Scottish Government have put in place regulations preventing travel to places in England which everyone knows cannot be enforced. Meanwhile, travel is still permitted to parts of Scotland where the same levels of cases are being reported.
“The Scottish Government is tying itself in knots. School sports days and adult day care are out, but football fan zones are apparently fine.”