Covid update: Aberdeenshire to remain at Level 2
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Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City are to remain at Level 2 this week.
Speaking during the weekly update on levels, First Minsiter Nicola Sturgeon said: "We are not proposing to change any levels today.
I can say with confidence that we are making good progress and it is important to stress that because for some areas, it can sometimes seem that restrictions are not working.
"They are and are saving lives.
"The level of the virus overall is still higher than we need it to be and any increase would intensify strains on the NHS.
"We could see cases, illness and deaths rise again and we now must drive them as low as we can.
"The need to strength progress means we should continue to err on the side of caution.
"We are not proposing any changes to levels this week.
"Next week we will look at levels next week and the review will be more substantial as Level 4 areas are reviewed.
"We are looking very carefully at Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire.
"Their case numbers are still below the national average but above level 3 areas like Angus.
"There is a need to understand more deeply the extent to which theses are being driven by specific outbreaks in food processing and care settings versus a wider community transmission which would be a concern as we go into the winter period.
"The data will be considered in more depth and we will await analysis.
"If it justifies a move to Level 3, we will do it at next weeks announcement or sooner if required."
In Scotland in the last 24 hours there have been a total of 754 positive cases which equates to 7.3 per cent of those tested overall.
The NHS Greater Glasgow area saw 236 cases, Lanarkshire 267, Lothian 83 , Ayrshire 44 and Tayside 36.
NHS Grampian recorded 43 cases while NHS Highland saw seven.
A total of 34 deaths were also recorded in Scotland with Covid-19 as a contributing factor in the last 24 hours.
