City residents queue for vaccines as Glasgow escalates the campaign against coronavirus variant

There were long queues for vaccines in Scotland’s largest city yesterday as authorities escalated the battle against the new variant.

Glasgow residents are spending another week under Level 3 restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of the more infectious strain as ministers confirmed significant community transmission in some parts of the city although outbreaks in other parts of the country are relatively contained.

Glaswegians are not able to meet other households in their homes and there are strict restrictions on hospitality, including a ban on selling alcohol indoors. Non-essential travel in and out of the city is prohibited.

Scotland recorded 583 new coronavirus cases yesterday, including 239 in the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde area, but no further deaths. NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde opened drop-in vaccination clinics for over-40s yesterday and queues were seen at the SSE Hydro.

The health board said people were seen on a first-come, first-served basis at more than a dozen sites, including in a mobile vaccination unit at New Victoria Hospital in the city’s south side.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a decision will be made on whether Glasgow’s lockdown can be relaxed by Wednesday.

Professor Stephen Reicher of the University of St Andrews, a member of the Sage sub-committee advising on behavioural science, said caution was the correct approach over the Glasgow outbreak. He said: “We’ll find out within a week or two exactly how serious it is. If it’s very bad, we’ll learn in a week or so. If it’s bad, we’ll learn in a couple of weeks.”

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge has been given her first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. A message from the 39-year-old on the Kensington Palace Twitter account said: “Yesterday I received my first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at London’s Science Museum.

“I’m hugely grateful to everyone who is playing a part in the rollout – thank you for everything you are doing.”