Covid in Scotland: Level 4 lockdown to be imposed in 11 council areas

*:not([hidden]):not(style) ~ *:not([hidden]):not(style){margin-top:1rem;} ]]]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> image captionThe new levels mean that about 2.3 million people in Scotland will be living under the toughest restrictions ]]> *:not([hidden]):not(style) ~ *:not([hidden]):not(style){margin-top:1rem;} ]]]]> ]]>

]]> Scotland’s toughest Covid restrictions are to be introduced in 11 council areas – including Glasgow – on Friday.

The level four rules will see the closure of non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants and gyms.

They will be imposed in East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

North and South Lanarkshire, East and South Ayrshire, Stirling and West Lothian will also move to level four.

The new rules will affect about 2.3 million people living across west and central Scotland, and will remain in place until 11 December.

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However, East Lothian and Midlothian will move from level three to level two from next Tuesday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.

Ms Sturgeon also said the existing advice for people in level three or four not to travel outside their own council area except for “certain essential purposes” will become law from Friday.

This will also mean that people living elsewhere in Scotland must not travel to level three or level four areas, except for essential purposes, and there must be no non-essential travel between Scotland and other parts of the UK.

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The first minister said there were grounds for “continued and significant concern” about levels of the virus in all of the council areas that would be moving to the highest tier of restrictions.

She added: “The infection rate in all of these areas remains stubbornly and worryingly high.

“At these levels, we simply do not have the assurance we need that hospital and ICU services will be able to cope as we go deeper into winter.”

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]]> What do the level four rules mean?

The first minister said people in level four areas should only be going out and about during the three-week period that the restrictions are in place for reasons such as childcare, caring for someone who is vulnerable, exercise or shopping for essential goods.

In the seven days up to Friday, Scotland as a whole had just over 140 new cases of Covid per 100,000 people.

Ms Sturgeon said all of the areas moving to level four were above that rate – ranging from West Lothian, which saw 158 cases per 100,000, to Glasgow with 277.

All of the country’s other council areas will remain in the same level as they currently are, although Ms Sturgeon said she hoped that Argyll and Bute could soon move from level two to level one.

And she said that people from Level One areas will be able to meet outdoors with up to eight people from a maximum of three households from Thursday, rather than the current six people from two households.

England is currently in a national lockdown, and ministers are hoping to reintroduce a tiered system of restrictions when that ends on 2 December.

National lockdown restrictions were eased in Wales earlier this month, although there are still curbs on meeting other households and travelling outside the country.

And restrictions, including the closure of pubs, bars and restaurants, are in place across Northern Ireland until 26 November.

Business leaders had warned ahead of Ms Sturgeon’s announcement that the highest tier of restrictions would have a “severe” impact on many retailers during the crucial Christmas trading period, and have questioned the scientific evidence for closing many businesses down.

But Scottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson gave a cautious welcome to the move on the condition that it allowed a more general easing of restrictions over the festive period.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said there was a “stark difference” between levels three and four, and called on the Scottish government to set out the “hard data” that the decisions had been based on.

And he questioned why areas such as North and South Lanarkshire had been included at a time when their transmission rates were falling.

Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said restrictions were being “ratcheted up in parts of the country where the number of cases is going down” and said the government was “shutting down sectors without clear evidence they are the cause of the spread”.

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