Coronavirus latest: “We are not about to shut down the whole economy” – Nicola Sturgeon says another full lockdown not on the cards

Scotland has recorded two new coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The deaths, of patients who first tested positive for the virus in the previous 28 days, take the total number of fatalities under this measure to 2,532.

Speaking during the Scottish Government’s daily briefing, the First Minister said 800 new coronavirus cases have been recorded in Scotland in the past 24 hours.

This is 13.2% of newly-tested individuals, up from 12.8% the previous day.

Of the new cases, 303 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 167 in Lanarkshire and 164 in Lothian.

A total of 33,706 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up from 32,906.

There are 262 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up by 44 in 24 hours.

Of these patients, 25 were in intensive care, up three.

Final decisions on stricter lockdown measures still to be decided

Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Cabinet, which met on Tuesday morning, had not reached “final decisions” on what further measures will be introduced.

Another meeting is planned for early Wednesday morning, the First Minister said, before she makes a statement to Holyrood.

But give the “entirely understandable public anxiety about what the next few weeks might hold”, Ms Sturgeon said she wanted to give people some insight into the issues ministers are “grappling with” as they try to contain the virus.

Speaking at her daily coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon told people: “After seven months of decisions that have been extremely difficult for me and the Government to take, and even more difficult for all of you to live with…, in many ways this is is probably the most difficult decision point we have faced so far.”

The figures show Scotland facing a “sharply rising rate of infection again”, she said.

And while she said rises were “particularly pronounced” in the central belt, in areas such as Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Lothian and now also Ayrshire and Arran and Forth Valley, Ms Sturgeon was clear: “Cases are rising everywhere across the country.

“Levels of infection now in most parts of Scotland are higher than we can be comfortable with.”

Another full lockdown not on the cards 

Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are not proposing another lockdown at this stage, not even on a temporary basis.

“We are not going to ask you to stay inside your own homes in the way we did back in March. And while we have been asking people to think carefully about  non-essential travel, particularly overseas… we are not about to impose travel restrictions on the whole of the country.

“We are not about to shut down the entire economy, we are not about to halt the remobilisation of the NHS.

“It is vital our National Health Service is there for non-Covid conditions as well as anything that we have to deal with in relation to Covid.

“And apart from the October holidays, which are already planned, we are not proposing to close schools either wholly or even partially.

“So I hope all of that gives people some reassurance.”

Ministers to look at regional and national restrictions

Nicola Sturgeon said she was now considering “what additional targeted steps we can take over the next couple of weeks, in addition to the household restrictions currently in place to further stem the spread”.

She also pledged the rationale behind any further restrictions would be set out.

But she added: “Sometimes when we are talking about how to stem the spread of this virus it is not complicated.

“The assessment we make has to focus on the kinds of settings, other than our homes, where people are most likely to come together and either get the virus, or if they have it, pass it on to others.”

As well as considering new restrictions, ministers are looking at if these need to be put in place nationally, regionally, “or a bit of both”, Ms Sturgeon said.

She also said ministers were “thinking of how we best mitigate the economic impact of any decisions we take, even within the limited powers the Scottish Government has”.

New daily cases rise by more than 50%

Nicola Sturgeon said most parts of mainland Scotland now had infection levels that were higher than 50 cases per 100,000 people – recalling local lockdown measures had been introduced in Aberdeen when infections there reached 20 cases per 100,000 people.

“We’re also now beginning to see spread from the younger age group of the population into the older age groups,” she stated.

“Again, the numbers being admitted to hospitals and intensive care, and sadly the number of people dying, are also increasing.”

The First Minister stressed: “The situation is not out of control, but it is a cause of increasing concern.”

When the ban on going into other people’s homes was announced two weeks ago, Ms Sturgeon said there were an average of 285 new cases a day – but she said this had now risen to 729.

“That shows you how, even in those two weeks, the situation has accelerated,” she said.