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Coronavirus update: First Minister puts three further areas into Level 3


By David Porter

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In Scotland in the last 24 hours there have been a total of 832 positive cases which equates to 9.5 per cent of those tested overall.

NHS Greater Glasgow saw 293 cases, Lanarkshire 171 , Lothian 114 and Ayrshire 90 with the remaining cases across Scotland.

NHS Grampian saw 20 cases and NHS Highland a further nine.

In Aberdeenshire there have been 82 cases in the seven days to November 7 (31.4 per 100,000), in particular with a cluster of increases in and around the Peterhead area.

A further 39 deaths was also recorded with Covid-19 as a contributing factor in the last 24 hours.

Addressing the Scottish Parliament today First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Today is the first review of levels that will come into effect from Friday.

"Everyone is finding the restrictions increasingly difficult, but there are grounds for optimism

"Yesterdays news from the vaccine trials were extremely encouraging and it will take time to get people vaccinated but this was the most positive new yet that science will get us out of this, but it is still down to us to work to get out of this.

"The sacrifices people have and are making are saving lives.

"But the number of cases we have seen is still to high and we must still be cautious.

"We want to see a decline in cases and we can't rule out the need to take action beyond today and it would not be prudent to move any area down.

"Three local areas will move up to Level 3 and there are a number which are causing concern that may lead to a Level 4."

She confirmed: "Highland, Moray, Orkney Shetland, Western Island at Level 1 with islands allowed to meet up to six people in households from Friday and social isolation exacerbated, but importation is a real risk, leaving and returning will have to avoid mixing.

"This is still not prudent in Highland and Moray areas so we are asking people to continue to not visit others homes at present.

"At Level 2, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Borders and Dumfries and Galloway will all remain at Level 2 and we are hopeful of a move to Level 1 and while there is stability in numbers it is not sufficient enough to merit a drop in level."

But there were harsher restrictions for Fife, Perth and Kinross and Angus who are at Level 2, she continued: "All will be moving to Level 3 from Friday, raw indicators show that all three are on a rising trajectory of cases, seven day cases in all areas are increasing by over 30 per cent.

"Level 2 is not sufficient and an early move to Level 3 is recommended."

Current Level 3 restrictions in the rest of the country will remain but there was also caution that both Inverclyde and Stirling were being closely monitored and were close to being moved to Level 4 if no improvement was seen in short order.


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