Coronavirus in Scotland LIVE: Discharge link to Covid-19 outbreaks ‘cannot’ be ruled out
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Coronavirus in Scotland LIVE: The latest updates on Tuesday, April 20
Key Events
- Scotland’s lockdown restrictions to ease on Monday
- Scotland records further 178 Covid cases on Tuesday
- Two further Covid-19 deaths registered
Nicola Sturgeon LIVE
Nicola Sturgeon said in the last week there had been “continued welcome evidence” that coronavirus cases are continuing to fall.
She said: “Seven days ago we were reporting 287 new cases every day on average, at the moment we are reporting 226 cases a day on average.”
Average daily case numbers have now fallen by more than 90% since early January, the First Minister added.
Meanwhile, the weekly case rate per 100,000 people has dropped from 38 to 30 over the past seven days, with the numbers of people in hospital and in intensive care on a “downward trend”.
Nicola Sturgeon LIVE
Nicola Sturgeon said: “All in all we have seen sustained improvement.”
As a result she was able to confirm that from Monday April 26 all parts of the country in Level 4 – which includes all of the Scottish mainland – would drop down to Level 3 restrictions.
Ms Sturgeon said it was expected all of Scotland would move to Level 2 on Monday May 17 – allowing people to meet in “small numbers” in homes for the first time in many months.
She added that “if circumstances permit” the intention is for Scotland to move to Level 1 restrictions from Monday June 7, before moving to Level 0 in “late June”.
The First Minister said that by the “deeper part of the summer” she hoped “something much more like normality” would be possible.
“We are hopeful, very hopeful, of seeing sustained progress,” she stated.
Scotland’s lockdown restrictions to ease on Monday, Sturgeon confirms
Beer gardens, cafes, shops and gyms are to reopen in Scotland on Monday as Nicola Sturgeon confirmed lockdown easing will go ahead as planned.
The First Minister said the continued suppression of coronavirus and the success of the vaccine rollout meant some restrictions can be lifted.
She told a Covid-19 briefing that on Monday that the country will move from Level 4 to Level 3 of the Scottish Government’s five tiers of restrictions.
It means cafes, restaurants and beer gardens can open, along with shops, gyms, libraries and museums.
Hospitality will need to close at 8pm indoors and 10pm outdoors, with alcohol only allowed to be served outside.
Travel between Scotland, England and Wales will be permitted and tourist accommodation can welcome back visitors.
Funerals and weddings – including post-funeral events and receptions – will be allowed to take place with up to 50 people, but no alcohol may be served.
Other changes include the resumption of driving lessons and tests.
Ms Sturgeon told the briefing that two deaths from coronavirus and 178 positive tests have been recorded in the past 24 hours.
This continued decline in the number of cases means the country could relax restrictions, she said.
Further lockdown easing is due to take place on May 17, with Scotland planning to move to Level 2 of its restrictions, and to Level 1 on June 7.
Nicola Sturgeon LIVE
Speaking about the changes from Monday April 26, Nicola Sturgeon said people who have been shielding can return to work, if they can not work from home.
In addition, children who have been shielding can return to school.
All shops will also be able to reopen from Monday, along with close-contact services, such as beauty parlours.
People will be able to go into premises to collect takeaways, rather than having to get them from a serving hatch, or at the door.
Meanwhile, cafes, pubs and restaurants will be able to reopen, with alcohol able to be served outside from Monday – when people can meet outside in groups of up to six from six different households.
But in indoor hospitality, Ms Sturgeon said the “greater” risks would mean alcohol can still not be served, although pubs, cafes and restaurants can open till 8pm.
Six people can meet indoors in hospitality settings, but must be from two households.
Nicola Sturgeon LIVE
Updated guidance is being published on collecting customer contact details, requiring venues to take down contact details for all customers, not just the lead member of each group.
Nicola Sturgeon said this “additional precaution” was needed to help with contact tracing in the event of a Covid outbreak.
She also stressed that while people would be able to meet indoors in places such as cafes, it was not yet possible for them to meet others in private homes.
“I know that can seem illogical, it can seem really difficult and unfair,” Ms Sturgeon said.
But she said risks of transmitting the virus could be higher in people’s homes, where it is harder to enforce physical distancing and provide the necessary levels of ventilation.
From April 26 however, up to 50 people will be able to attend funerals and weddings – up from the current limit of 20.
And tourist accommodation will also be able to reopen from that date.
Nicola Sturgeon LIVE
Nicola Sturgeon also said that from Monday non-essential work would be permitted in people’s homes, such as cleaning and painting and decorating.
In addition, driving tests and driving lessons can resume, gyms and swimming pools can reopen for individual exercise and attractions such as galleries, museums and libraries can also open their doors.
Travel restrictions will be lifted, allowing for travel anywhere in Scotland and also with England and Wales.
Ms Sturgeon said: “From Monday you can travel anywhere across Britain for any purpose.”
Restrictions on travel to Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man will also be lifted.
With lateral flow tests being made available to anyone from Monday April 26, Ms Sturgeon urged people to consider using these before travelling to Scotland’s island communities – where coronavirus numbers tend to be lower.
With many islands having “very, very low rates of Covid”, Ms Sturgeon said anyone travelling to one was being encouraged to take two tests – one three days before travelling and one on the day of departure.
She said: “This is potentially an important way we can minimise the risk of bringing Covid into island communities, while nevertheless allowing our island communities the benefit of opening up again to visitors.”
Nicola Sturgeon LIVE
Nicola Sturgeon stressed that international travel for “non-essential purposes” was “not yet permitted”.
She accepted this was “difficult” for tourism and aviation industries, as well as those with family and friends overseas.
“We want to restore normality to international travel as quickly as possible,” the First Minister said.
“But we must be sensible as we do that, in light of the risks that we face and in light of the risks we see across many parts of the world.”
She added: “Until at least May 17, and possibly for a period after that, you should not leave the UK for non-essential purposes.”
Ms Sturgeon said this was important to help “protect” the progress made in tackling coronavirus in UK.
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