Nicola Sturgeon Covid-19 briefing: Glasgow to move to level two next week

Nicola Sturgeon has announced Glasgow is set to move down to level two next week after it was kept subject to tougher restrictions than the rest of Scotland due to rising case numbers.

The city has been subject to strict measures for 270 days as other parts of Scotland have seen restrictions eased in recent weeks.

However, at a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing on Friday, the First Minister said Glasgow would move from level three to level two next week, pending a further review no later than Wednesday.

Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Glasgow is set to go into level two from next week.

Level three restrictions means people are unable to travel in and out of the city without a good reason or go into each other’s houses, with hospitality subject to tougher rules on opening hours and the sale of alcohol.

The move to level two would put Glasgow back in line with the rest of Scotland, which is either in level two or level one restrictions.

Ms Sturgeon said the public health interventions in Glasgow was “stabilising and beginning to improve the situation”, according to advisors, but that is was “really difficult” to weigh up different factors.

The First Minister said case numbers were “uncomfortably high”, but there were “signs of progress”.

She added it was "premature to move Glasgow out of level three this week”, but that Glasgow would move to level two at midnight next Friday.

"My message to the people of Glasgow is don’t lose heart – on the contrary take heart from the progress that we are seeing,” she said.

“I live in Glasgow, so I know how hard this is from my own personal life, but please continue to help with all the public health efforts.”

Ms Sturgeon also announced 641 positive cases in Scotland on Thursday, with 234 of those in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the largest daily number since March 25, the First Minister said.

A total of 90 people are in hospital with six people in ICU being treated for Covid-19.

Two people have also died due to Covid-19, the First Minister said.

In terms of vaccines, 3,196,051 Scots have received a first dose, with 21,244 being vaccinated yesterday.

A further 28,721 people received a second dose of the vaccine with a total of 1,971,006 having received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

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