NICOLA Sturgeon has suggested it is “likely” that areas moving out of level 4 coronavirus restrictions this Friday will return to level 3.
More than two million have been living under the toughest curbs since November 20 when the toughest measure to contain Covid-19 infections were imposed on most of the 11 local authorities across the west and central parts of the country.
The restrictions have seen the closure of thousands of businesses including all non-essential shops, bars, pubs and restaurants as well as hairdressers and gyms in the most densely populated part of the country.
Speaking at the daily coronavirus briefing the First Minister said the measures had helped bring down the spread of the virus.
She said the Cabinet would decide which lower level each of the 11 council areas currently in level 4 would move into on Friday, with the review results given in a statement to Holyrood tomorrow.
She said: “When we applied level 4 to these areas, those authorities would move out of that level on Friday and I can confirm that that will be the case.
“We will be considering what level will apply to these areas from Friday and the Cabinet will take the decision on that [Wednesday] morning.”
She added that the update would be given during the nationwide review about which levels should apply to other parts of Scotland. Decisions will be based on the spread of the virus in each area, the need to protect NHS capacity and will take account of the social and economic harms coming from the restrictions.
She said: “Part of the wider context means taking account of the upcoming Christmas period and the challenges that it will inevitably pose. So when deciding on the levels which will keep the virus suppressed through that period we continue to take a cautious and careful approach.”
When the First Minister set out the list of areas where level 4 restrictions would apply, she said some areas could move straight to level 2 rather than return to 3. However speaking at the briefing yesterday she suggested such a move was unlikely.
Responding to questions from journalists about which tier the level 4 areas would go to and whether other areas would move up, the First Minister added: “The one thing that we are being firm about is that level 4 areas will all come out of level 4.
“Whether they go to level 3, which I think is perhaps likely, or whether any of them might go to a lower level that is something we will look at over the course of the day.
“But there are other areas which we will be looking at to see whether they go down a level and of course we will have to look at whether there are any areas that the data suggests should be moved up a level.
“But these are fine judgements which we will take very carefully.”
Earlier in the briefing Sturgeon said the “percentage of tests coming back positive at the moment has come down again to much closer to the 5% that the World Health Organisation says is important for assessing whether or not the virus is under control”.
The latest figures show the daily test positivity rate is 6.7%, up from 5.2% on the previous day, with one more death recorded in the last 24 hours and 677 positive tests.
Meanwhile, the First Minister revealed one more person had died from coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
It brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 3917.
Of the new cases, 178 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 114 in Lothian and 103 in Lanarkshire. There are 974 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up 23 in 24 hours. Of these patients, 59 are in intensive care, down three.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman addressed plans to allow care homes to admit visitors and new residents earlier after a positive coronavirus test.
Previously, 28 days had to pass before people could be allowed into care homes but Freeman has said this will now be reduced to 14 days, provided public health officials give their approval.
She told the briefing: “We hope that this provides further support to care home residents, to staff and to families, to return to closer visiting, safe visiting and allow some of the issues that have been raised in the past inevitably as a result of what we had to do in the early stages of the pandemic to be positively addressed now.”
The move comes as a pilot of testing for visitors is due to start this week in 14 care homes across the country ahead of a full rollout next week.
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