Coronavirus briefing: Sturgeon says case numbers are a reminder of risk as three deaths recorded in a day for first time since June

Three deaths have been recorded in Scotland from Covid-19 in a single day for the first time since June 30.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the fatalities during the Scottish Government’s briefing in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

She said 176 positive cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the last 24 hours “in every mainland health board area” in the country, taking the total to 21,719.

A total of 2,499 people have died with the virus in Scotland.

Here’s what else came out of today’s breeding.

Restrictions come into force in Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire

Nicola Sturgeon said the “really unwelcome” decision to impose more lockdown restrictions on Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire was a “proportionate” response to rising coronavirus cases.

The two areas join Glasgow City, East Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire in having restrictions preventing people meeting in homes.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Overall, I believe that they represent a proportionate and hopefully effective – but also an absolutely necessary – response to a worrying increase in Covid-19 across these areas.

“The restrictions will be reviewed again next week and they will stay in place for as long as they are needed, but they will not stay in place for any longer than that.”

The First Minister added that the rise in coronavirus cases in Inverclyde and Lanarkshire “does not warrant additional restrictions” but the Government would be keeping that decision under review.

Young people

The First Minister criticised the “really dangerous delusion” that rising numbers of cases among younger people should not be a concern.

But she also warned against suggesting that they were driving the rise in cases.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The risk of a young person getting seriously ill or dying is thankfully lower, but it is not zero, and I would ask people of all ages to remember that.”

Reiterating that three deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours, she said: “We should listen to the warning signals that are already here”.

Ms Sturgeon added: “We don’t live in entirely generationally segregated ways.

“If transmission becomes established in the younger population, it will eventually reach the older and more vulnerable population.

“So to younger people, please think about your loved ones as well as yourselves, which I know everybody does.

“And to older people, be even more vigilant about hygiene and distancing if you’re spending time with young relatives who may have been in pubs and restaurants.

“And to all of us, let’s treat the current situation with the seriousness it most certainly merits, abide by the rules and remember the simplest way in which all of us can deny the virus the opportunity to spread it is by following the FACTS advice.”

Keep distancing and abide by guidelines when out

Nicola Sturgeon urged customers at pubs and restaurants to take responsibility for following guidance on social distancing and group gatherings to reduce the chance of coronavirus spreading.

She suggested people avoid pubs that seem busy, and not visiting multiple venues.

The First Minister said: “It really does make a difference to your safety and also to the safety of those around you.”

She added: “This is an area that we know is hard to regulate and we don’t want – if we can avoid it – to have to create new rules or laws, but there is clearly a responsibility for individuals here.

“The hospitality sector has reopened and we want people to support the sector and of course to be able to safely, enjoy themselves.

“But we are still living in a global pandemic, that pandemic is now accelerating again across the country and of course it is still accelerating across the world.

“So you should not be socialising in the same way as you were last year, or in the earlier part of the year before the pandemic.”

Further easing very unlikely

Ms Sturgeon said she does not expect to be able to ease lockdown any further when the Government reviews the guidance later this week.

She told the coronavirus briefing: “It’s only fair that I signal now that, while final decisions have not yet been taken, when we do our latest three-weekly review on Thursday we may well not be able to go ahead with any further easing of restrictions.

“At this time obviously we want to do everything possible to avoid the situation where more restrictions that have been lifted have to be reimposed.

“And the key to avoiding that rests with all of us; the decisions we make as individuals, still affect the safety and well being of our communities.

“So please do everything you can to avoid creating a bridge for the virus to cross over from one person to another, one household to another.”