Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced on Monday afternoon that the country will enter into a full lockdown from midnight tonight.
Scottish Parliament was recalled and Sturgeon said that the situation in Scotland is “extremly serious.”
All Scots will be ordered to remain at home much the same as the first lockdown in March 2020, whilst schools will be closed to the majority of pupils until 1 February, which includes nursery schools, primary and secondary schools across the country.
Vulnerable children and those of key workers will still be able to attend school, and Sturgeon said it “remains a priority” to get schools open safely and to keep them open, and there will be a review on 18 January to decide if the closure will need extending.
People will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential food shopping, to visit the pharmacy, doctors, exercise and for essential travel, which is law.
Almost half of all coronavirus case in Scotland are from the new mutant variant of the virus, which is more transmissible.
Sturgeon said that they have had “two significant game changers,” the first being the roll out of the new vaccine, and the new mutant variant of coronavirus which has been a “massive blow.”
Sturgeon warned that the is now a “real danger the NHS will become overwhelmed” if they do not act now, and said she is more worried now, than she has been at any other time before the pandemic started.
She added, “It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.
“We have an opportunity in Scotland to avert the situation here deteriorating to that extent but we must act quickly.”
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