Covid in Scotland: Hospitals and GP surgeries to keep two-metre rule after restrictions lift

Scotland’s Health Secretary has announced that hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and dentists will continue to require two-metre physical distancing after the coronavirus rules are eased.
Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced that hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and dentists will continue to require two-metre physical distancing after the coronavirus rules are eased on Monday (Photo: Michael Gillen).Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced that hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and dentists will continue to require two-metre physical distancing after the coronavirus rules are eased on Monday (Photo: Michael Gillen).
Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced that hospitals, doctors’ surgeries and dentists will continue to require two-metre physical distancing after the coronavirus rules are eased on Monday (Photo: Michael Gillen).

The two-metre rule will be maintained in healthcare settings across Scotland despite the majority of legal restrictions being lifted from Monday.

Humza Yousaf confirmed that the social distancing requirement will remain in place but will be reviewed in the future.

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He said: “The safety of patients and healthcare staff is paramount.

“As we move beyond level 0, we must remember that the virus has not gone away and safeguards like distancing may be needed in some settings as we learn to live with Covid-19.

“Physical distancing in our health system will remain for now as we move safely out of lockdown.

“We will keep the situation under review and will publish a plan for the safe recovery of our NHS in the coming weeks.”

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Deputy Chief Nursing Officer Anne Armstrong added: “Hospitals and other healthcare settings have developed new ways of working to meet the challenges of the pandemic, but there is still a risk of hospitalised cases and winter threats.

“Physical distancing will help protect staff and patients as part of the ongoing management of confirmed or suspected Covid cases.”

Mr Yousaf’s confirmation comes as Scotland has recorded 1,386 new cases of coronavirus and nine more deaths in the last 24 hours, according to the latest Scottish Government figures.

The number of new cases is 136 more than the 1,250 reported on Friday while the death toll is two higher.

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Of the 24,025 new tests for Covid-19 that reported results in the previous 24 hours, 6.3% were positive.

As of Friday evening, 359 people were in hospital with recently confirmed infections, including 41 patients being treated in intensive care units.

The latest figures also show that a further 21,374 doses of coronavirus vaccines were administered on Friday.

Of those, 2,202 were first doses and 19,172 were second doses, taking the total number of vaccinations to 4,022,914 and 3,305,325 respectively.

The First Minister tweeted encouragement for Scots to “continue to take sensible precautions” despite many of the legal coronavirus rules being lifted from Monday.

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