Nicola Sturgeon announcement RECAP: First Minister give covid briefing as cases soar | Controversial Manchester travel ban lifted after Andy Burnham row | Humza Yousaf blames Euro 2020 football fans for covid spike

Live updates on Covid-19 from Scotland, the UK, and around the world.
Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland.Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland.

Scroll down to see the latest coronavirus news and coverage of Nicola Sturgeon’s update on easing of restrictions.

Covid Scotland LIVE: Nicola Sturgeon to make coronavirus announcement as cases soar | Humza Yousaf says football fans could be to blame for increase | Hong Kong latest location to ban UK travellers

Key Events

  • Humza Yousaf links spike in cases to ‘watching football indoors'
  • Nicola Sturgeon calls for caution as Monday figures show 3,285 people tested positive for Covid overnight
  • Scotland records lowest number of annual births since records began
  • Hong Kong bans all incoming flights from UK

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be giving an update at 2.30pm today in response to Scotland’s rise in Covid cases.

‘Vaccination is our route out of this virus’, says Humza Yousaf

A report in The Herald revealed Covid infections, given the numbers that we have at the moment, could get to 100,000 per week by mid-July according to scientists in the Scottish Government.

In response, Mr Yousaf said the government is looking more closely at what percentage of cases result in hospitalisation, serious illness and death rather than just looking at case numbers.

The report said figures predicted more than 1,000 hospital beds could be occupied by patients by the middle of next month, but the health secretary said “we wouldn’t allow such a situation to arise.”

He added: “I don’t recognise those figures in the sense that I don’t expect those figures to materialise.”

What action will be done to bring these numbers down given the restrictions have eased?

Mr Yousaf said: “Vaccination is our route out of this virus.

“We are going as fast as we can, but later on this week I will hopefully be able to say more about our plans in the coming weeks to make sure we reach our important milestones.

“Today I would expect, by close of play, that we will have vaccinated, with their first dose, 50 per cent of the 18-29 cohort.”

He said that cases might continue to see a rise in cases, but, because of the vaccine, the link between a rise in cases and severe illness and death “has weakened.”

Health Secretary says most of Scotland’s new cases are males, under 40, are likely linked to ‘watching football indoors.’

3,285 new cases were reported in Scotland over the last 24 hour period.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland this morning, Mr Yousaf said: “We have some indications that it’s [Covid cases in the last 24 hours] very clear that it’s skewed disproportionately towards young males, to men under 40.

“A number of people - public health experts - have commentated that that association is probably as a result of greater indoor gatherings which could be linked to the Euros.

“That might account for some, but also some of those fans that travelled to London in coaches for example – high risk with little social distancing, if any – also had an impact on the numbers that we’re seeing currently.

“I remember hearing Jason Leitch speak publicly about one coach which had over 20 positive cases, that was simply one coach travelling back from London.”

He added: “Some of the positive cases are likely linked to watching football indoors.”

Mr Yousaf was then challenged by BBC Scotland presenter Gary Robertson asking him if the Scottish Government could have done more to prevent fans travelling to London.

Mr Yousaf replied: “We can look back at more we could have done, but we seem to get criticised regularly for putting in place travel restrictions so one way or the other, we would have been criticised for doing too much or not doing enough.”

He then said it would not have been right to restrict people wanting to travel to London to see family because of a group of football fans.

“We really need people to exercise caution,” he added, “and use their judgement.”

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf due to speak on BBC Radio Scotland this morning at 8.35am about the country’s rise in Covid cases.

Hong Kong bans all incoming flights from UK over Covid concerns

All flights from the UK to Hong Kong will be banned over concern of the Delta variant of Covid spreading further.

It has been reported that the Hong Kong authorities has classified the UK as an “extremely high-risk” country.

The ban, which has been made in response to the rise in UK cases, particularly the Delta variant, will come into effect on 1 July.

Read more here by Katharine Hay.

Young carers made poorer by coronavirus, finds report

Young carers in Scotland report being pushed further into poverty as a result of the Covid pandemic, according to a new report by the University of the West of Scotland and Oxfam.

The research by the charity and university found young carers and their families’ financial difficulties were exacerbated over the past year, with half of those surveyed saying they had been left with no choice but to use food banks.

Read more here by Gina Davidson.

Covid Scotland: How can people get Covid after two vaccine doses?

BBC presenter Andrew Marr has become the latest high-profile figure to contract Covid-19 even after having had both doses of vaccine.

Many people are surprised to hear of Covid cases after vaccination, but vaccines do not completely protect against the virus.

The vaccines are still very effective, but there is a marked difference compared to the Alpha variant.

Read more here by Elsa Maishman.

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