Mainland Scotland moves into Level 4 lockdown

Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland have been increased in response to a new strain of the virus.

Edinburgh and the rest of mainland Scotland is now in Level 4

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced last Saturday that mainland Scotland would be placed into Level 4 – the toughest tier – and the islands would enter Level 3 from Boxing Day.

Under the toughest restrictions, all non-essential retail and hospitality will be forced to close.

The First Minister announced the move after a more transmissible strain of the virus was discovered in the UK, along with a reduction in the window when Scots can mix indoors at Christmas to just December 25.

Ms Sturgeon said delivering the news “makes me want to cry”, and said: “I share that sense of fatigue and demoralisation about this.

“If it wasn’t for this new strain, I wouldn’t be standing here right now announcing this because our case levels right now – because of the levels approach we’ve taken – are actually quite stable.

“This is preventative action because we know there is a more rapidly transmitting strain out there and so we’re acting preventatively.

“Everything we’ve learned about this virus says that you do that – you act quickly and don’t have regrets later, and that’s what we’re seeking to do.”

The First Minister said she intends the measures to be in place for three weeks from Boxing Day, but opposition politicians questioned the timescale.

National clinical director Professor Jason Leitch also told a Holyrood committee this week that more may need to be done to suppress the new strain.

He said it would be “really, really difficult” to keep the reproductive number below 1, adding: “It would be back to March rather than November.”

The return of in-person schooling has been delayed – except for the children of key workers – with teaching starting online on January 11 and all schools expected to return to physical teaching on January 18.