Aberdeen lockdown: Nicola Sturgeon reintroduces lockdown restrictions after spike in Grampian cases

Nicola Sturgeon has announced lockdown restrictions are being reintroduced to an area of Scotland.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Aberdeen will have further lockdown restrictions imposed following an outbreak of coronavirus in the region.

A total of 54 new cases emerged in the north-east Covid cluster, Ms Strugeon said on Wednesday.

There were 64 new cases across Scotland declared in the last 24 hours and 36 of those in the Grampian health board.

As a result, restrictions will be reimposed in the Aberdeen City Council area.

Travel rule

The five-mile travel rule has been put in place and residents are being told not to enter each other's houses.

All indoor and outdoor hospitality has also been told to close by 5pm on Wednesday.

Nicola Sturgeon is bringing lockdown back to Aberdeen. Picture: Wikicommons

The closure will be backed by governmental regulations, the First Minister said, and will be enforced if the rules are not followed.

The First Minister added that the changes will be reviewed next Wednesday, when she hoped that they could be removed if they could, either in entirety or in part.

However, if necessary, Ms Sturgeon has said that they could be extended beyond that seven-day period.

‘Deeply unwelcome news’

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks during a coronavirus update briefing. (Photo by Andrew Milligan - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The First Minister told the briefing that she was aware the changes were "deeply, deeply unwelcome news".

She added: "The last thing we want to do is to reimpose these restrictions but this outbreak is reminding us just how highly infectious Covid is.

"Our precautionary and careful judgement is that we need to take decisive action now, difficult as that undoubtedly is, in order to try to contain this outbreak and prevent further harm later on.

"As I said earlier, this is about doing all we can to ensure our children can return to schools next week."

She added: "Acting now, we judge, gives us the time and the space to protect the ability of our young people to return to education."

More to follow...