Nation on alert for new lockdown restrictions
ANNOUNCEMENTS of new lockdown restrictions are expected as early as tomorrow as high numbers of coronavirus cases continue to be recorded.
Yesterday the total was 245 across Scotland as numbers remained above 200 for several days in a row – similar to levels experienced in May.
Across the UK, another 3899 cases were reported.
There were no deaths reported yesterday in Scotland in the past 24 hours – but 18 deaths were reported for the rest of the UK.
In Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which has six of the seven Scottish areas under stricter household visiting restrictions, another 60 cases were confirmed – taking the overall total for the health board area to more than 7000.
In Lanarkshire – which also has additional restrictions – there were 49 new cases, in Lothian there were 53 and in Tayside there were 10.
There were 63 people in hospital with confirmed coronavirus, down by one from the previous day.
Nine people were in intensive care – the same number as the day before.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will give her update today, but both the Scottish and UK governments have said that new restrictions are highly likely – with announcements on changes awaited from both within days, even as early as tomorrow.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the Government was working with advisors to determine what would be the most effective measures.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was concern over rising cases and hospital admissions.
A UK Government announcement is expected, with Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK Government’s chief scientific adviser, setting out the latest scientific evidence in a televised briefing today ahead of a possible press conference by Prime Minister Boris Johnson tomorrow.
A co- ordinated four- nations approach to new measures is likely, as Sturgeon last week asked for the UK Cobra emergencies committee to be convened – which as of yesterday had not yet happened.
Freeman said yesterday: “We certainly will have an announcement very shortly. Not necessarily today, but definitely by the early part of next week.
“We’re not seeing community transmission at this point but are seeing large clusters and outbreaks of cases in some parts of Scotland.
“So we’re working this weekend with scientific and clinical advisers to understand what might be the additional measures that we can put in place.”
The Health Secretary said that any new measures would need to be effective in tackling what the evidence shows is happening.
Freeman also said the main cause of transmission was from one household to another.
She added: “So we need to look and see what more we can do to help people break that chain of transmission.
“The key here is to introduce measures that we can justify in terms of the evidence and maintain the high level of compliance which we have here in Scotland.”
The UK Government urged people to follow the rules.
Hancock said: “I’m very worried about the second wave and we’ve seen in other countries around Europe how it can absolutely shoot through the roof. We can get through this together but I can’t under- emphasise the importance of the message today, right now, which is we must follow the rules.”