Nicola Sturgeon has warned that the top level of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland could need to be strengthened in order to contain the ‘mutant strain’ of the virus. It is already the case that the whole of the Scottish mainland is set to move into level four from Boxing Day.
The Scottish first minister has said that it is “essential” to protect the NHS against the new and faster-spreading virus. UNN’s Oliver Down understands that the Scottish government is set to narrow the definition of “essential retail” which could force homeware shops and garden centres to close.
Ms Sturgeon has told her fellow MSPs that the current rate of new cases in Scotland was currently “significantly lower” than in other parts of the UK, but that the new variant of Covid-19 needed to be met with “real action” and “significant countermeasures”.
In Scotland schools are going to stay closed until 11 January, Ms Sturgeon said that this situation would remain “under review”. Sturgeon has said: “The current level four restrictions are not as stringent as the March lockdown, and up to now that has been a good thing. However, it seems we may be facing a virus that spreads much faster now than in March, so we must consider whether the current level four restrictions are sufficient to suppress it in the weeks ahead”.
The Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has voiced concerns about NHS boards cancelling “ever greater numbers” of non-urgent procedures. Ms Sturgeon stated in response that the return of elective treatment relied on suppressing the virus as far as possible.
Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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