'No major outbreaks' as a result of Rangers celebrations in Glasgow

There have been no major outbreaks as a result of the mass gatherings following Rangers’ league win earlier this month, Jason Leitch has said.

The National Clinical Director for Scotland told MSPs at the Scottish Parliament’s Covid-19 committee said that the event, which saw thousands of people take to the streets of Glasgow after Rangers won the Scottish Premier League, had not caused a major spike in cases.

He said: "We have no specific intelligence that mass gatherings from last weekend for example – the weekend before now - have led specifically to outbreaks in Lanarkshire. We do have a few Test and Protect cases who were at mass gatherings as we’ve said this week.

"We've got nothing specific of a large scale outbreak as a result of those activities.”

Jason Leitch said no major outbreaks had been noted as a result of the celebrations,

Prof Leitch said, however, that a few positive cases had been found in people who had attended the event. At yesterday’s coronavirus briefing yesterday, chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith said that Test and Protect had been told by a small number of people who tested positive that they had been at the celebrations.

However, Scottish Government minister Mike Russell added that other mass gatherings would face a crackdown by police. Just 28 arrests were made by Police Scotland following the Rangers win.

It has not been decided yet if a clash between Rangers and Celtic will go ahead on Sunday amid fears that fans may use the event as another excuse to congregate. Both clubs have issued messages urging fans to stay at home if the match takes place.

Mr Russell said: “That is a decision for [justice secretary] Humza Yousaf to make. The police have made it clear that breaking the law will be cracked down on. If the situation is that you can’t leave hone, then it is absolutely clear that mass gatherings cannot take place. That is the law.”

A number of #ReclaimTheseStreets vigils planned for Scotland in memory of murdered woman Sarah Everard were cancelled last week following coronavirus warnings over mass gatherings. A demonstration in London saw clashes between women at the event and the Metropolitan Police.

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