Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has announced on Tuesday that they government are to delay lockdown easing due to high rates of the Indian variant.
Areas in Scotland will now move to level 1 from Saturday of the Scottish government’s Covid restrictions, but Edinburgh, Dundeee and Glasgow will stay in level 2, which is a slight “slow down” of easing.
Scotland’s First Minister told MSPs, “However, it is important to stress that this is a pause, not a step backwards.
“And Level 2 is not lockdown. It does have an impact on opening hours of pubs and restaurants and the numbers that can attend certain events.”
Sturgeon added, “And taking a cautious approach now, while more people get fully vaccinated, gives us the best chance of staying on the right track overall.”
Sturgeon said that 19 areas will see restriction ease due to the vaccination programme.
She said, “The vaccines are changing the game. And that means we can still be optimistic about our chances of much more normality over the summer and beyond.
“Indeed, in the days ahead, and while it may still feel a way off for many of us, we will publish more detailed work on what we expect life beyond Level 0 to look like, as that greater normality returns.
“Indeed, one reason for proceeding with more caution now, is to make it easier in the future to resume our progress to Level 0 – and then beyond.”
Many scientists including those who advise the British government are urging for the 21 June lockdown exit date to be delayed, but Boris Johnson “still sees nothing in the data” to delay.
There is growing doubt among the scientific community whether Johnson will meet stage four of the roadmap out of lockdown on 21 June in England as the Indian variant is spreading across the UK.
“The Prime Minister has said on a number of occasions that we haven’t seen anything in the data but we will continue to look at the data, we will continue to look at the latest scientific evidence as we move through June towards June 21.”