Cases ‘need’ to fall before restrictions ease, warns Nicola Sturgeon
The First Minister says it is “highly unlikely” Scotland will see any “significant easing” of restrictions, ahead of a review tomorrow.
Council areas across Scotland have been under tiered restrictions for a week, with the central belt region in Level 3.
At the Scottish Government daily briefing, Ms Sturgeon said the measures are having an impact, with the rise in COVID-19 cases slowing.
She said: “While a plateauing of cases is undoubtedly better than a rise in cases, we can’t afford for cases simply to plateau.
“We need them to fall – otherwise we will be badly exposed to any further rise in cases as we go deeper into winter.
A further 912 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Scotland since yesterday – representing 9.1% of all tests taken.
One death of a coronavirus patient has been registered in the last 24-hour period, although figures at weekends can be lower.
In an interview with the BBC, Professor Linda Bauld said the pandemic is stabilising in Scotland.
She said: “We are not seeing huge rises in the number of cases.
“We are definitely not seeing the pandemic growing in the way it might have been doing if we weren’t living under the current restrictions.
“My own personal view is that we need a little bit longer to see the full effects of the current system and so I’d be very surprised if we saw much movement at the moment.”
However, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce has launched an urgent appeal to the Scottish Government ahead of the review tomorrow.
As Wales has come out of its so-called “firebreak” lockdown, Scottish chambers president, Tim Allan, is warning against a similar move here.
He said: “Scotland is at breaking point and at risk of being strangled for an overabundance of caution.
“We simply must not move into a lockdown or a so-called circuit break unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.
“By the criteria set out in the Scottish Government’s own strategic framework, most of Scotland should be having restrictions eased, not locked down further.
“Frankly, a lockdown would be a betrayal of our communities and businesses that have sacrificed so much and are working together to control COVID in their areas.”
