The temporary lockdown restrictions were originally meant to end this Sunday.
The First Minister has announced today that bars and restaurants in Glasgow are to remain closed for another week after short-term Covid-19 restrictions were extended. The move, which affects Scotland’s central belt, comes as a further 28 deaths linked to the virus were recorded.
Scotland is due to move to a multi-tier system of virus alert levels similar to that in England from 2nd November. This means if restrictions to hospitality venues were lifted this Sunday there would be a gap of one week from temporary restrictions ending and the new plan being put in place. The First Minister has therefore made the decision that temporary restrictions targeting hospitality venues in the central belt, an area populated by 3.3m people, will continue until this date to enable a “smooth transition”.
Bars and restaurants in Scotland’s central belt, including Glasgow, were closed on 9th October as part of what the First Minister called a “short, sharp action to arrest a worrying increase in infection”. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said today it would “not be safe” to ease any restrictions in the short term, but said “we believe they may already be making a difference” to the spread of the virus. However, hospitality venues in other parts of the country can only serve alcohol indoors.
The new multi-tier system will involve different levels of restrictions that can be applied nationally or regionally depending on the level of infection. It is due to be published on Friday, and debated by MSPs after Holyrood’s half term recess.
Nicola Sturgeon added: “Today’s figures on hospital and deaths are clearly concerning and we take them very seriously, however these figures relate to people who could have been infected two to three weeks ago so should not be taken that the current restrictions are not having an impact.”
The latest daily figures showed there were 1739 new positive cases, of which 602 were in Greater Glasgow and 520 in Lanarkshire. There have also been 28 additional deaths, which is the highest figure since 21st May.