First Minister announces details of lockdown review

The First Minister has addressed the Scottish Parliament this afternoon, announcing details of the Scottish Government’s review of the new five tier system of measures to curb virus numbers.

Ms Sturgeon confirmed that no local authority would move to a lower tier, stating “It would not be prudent to ease restrictions today. While no local authority will move to level 4 this week, there are a number that are giving us some cause for concern and we will be monitoring these particularly closely over the next few days.”

The First Minister confirmed that Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles would remain at Level 1; Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, The Borders, Dumfries and Galloway and Argyll & Bute would remain and Level 2; the other local authorities currently at Level 3 will remain there and Fife, Perth & Kinross and Angus would move into Level 3 from this Friday.

She said: “I can confirm that we have taken the difficult, but in our view necessary and precautionary decision to move Fife, Perth & Kinross and Angus to level 3 from Friday.”

“The advice of the Chief Medical Officer and National Clinical Director is that level 2 restrictions may not be sufficient to slow down and reverse increases of this magnitude and, as a result, an early move to level 3 was strongly recommended.”

The First Minister confirmed that areas showing encouraging signs; East Lothian, City of Edinburgh, Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Midlothian and North and East Ayrshire will be monitored carefully over the coming days for signs of improvement, in the hope that they can move out of Level 3.

On the subject of travel restrictions, she said: “Let me stress the travel restrictions that remain essential to tackling the virus. These will remain in guidance over the next week but we continue to prepare the regulations, and resolve the practical issues, that would be required to put them into law.”

The First Minister also reiterated the current guidance, “If you live in a level 3 council area, do not travel outside your own local authority area unless it is for essential reasons such as work that can’t be done at home, healthcare, or caring responsibilities. And if you live elsewhere, do not travel into a level 3 area, except for those same essential purposes.”

The Covid protection level (tier) for each of Scotland’s local authority areas and guidance on what you can and can’t do has been published on the Scottish Government website here.

You can view the First Minister’s statement in full here.