Protect Scotland: Piers Morgan urges Scots to download new Covid-19 app to fight against virus spread

Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan has urged Scots to download a new contact tracing app to help fight the spread of Covid-19.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed the Protect Scotland app will anonymously notify app users you have been in contact with, should you test positive for the virus.

During the First Minister's questions in Parliament today, Ms Sturgeon said the app was being brought in to work in addition to existing Test and Protect teams from public health.

She said it would be useful for settings like public transport as well as for students arriving back at university and college this month.

Piers Morgan retweeted a post from the First Minister today about the app and said: "This seems a very good new app in Scotland. I urge everyone up there to use it."

In Parliament today, Ms Sturgeon encouraged individuals across Scotland to download it as it can be a "powerful way" to protect the country as a whole.

Social gatherings restricted

It comes as Ms Sturgeon also revealed social gatherings - including outside and in gardens, households, beer gardens and in pubs and restaurants - will now be limited to six people from two different households to fight the virus in light of a recent rise in cases.

Piers Morgan has urged Scots to use the new app. Pic: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Previously, up to 15 people from five different households were allowed to meet up outdoors, with a maximum of eight people from three different households allowed to meet indoors.

Ms Sturgeon revealed today that 161 people tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland in the past 24 hours.

Of these cases, 65 were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, with 46 in Lanarkshire, 12 in Lothian and eight in Ayrshire and Arran. The others were spread across eight other health boards.

There have been no new deaths recorded.

One factor in this is more young people being infected but the risk is that older, more vulnerable people will become infected if cases keep rising.

Ms Sturgeon also said it could be “some time” until the Scottish government can move from phase three to phase four of its ‘route map’ out of lockdown, in light of recent case rises. In the past three weeks, the average daily number of new cases has trebled.

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