Coronavirus Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon to announce new restrictions

Schools will not be closed, First Minister says

Scotland’s First Minister is set to announce new coronavirus measures for the country, although she has assured the public that it will not amount to another full lockdown.

Nicola Sturgeon will set out further restrictions to the Scottish parliament on Wednesday afternoon, after receiving “very strong” public health advice in favour of new measures.

"The situation is not out of control, but it is a cause of increasing concern," she said, explaining that infections are beginning to spread from younger to older people.

The present situation is "the most difficult decision point we have faced so far", Ms Sturgeon said, though she has ruled out closing schools or imposing Scotland-wide travel restrictions. 

Although residents in Scotland are currently under a ban on indoor household mixing, Ms Sturgeon has said it will not be extended to people being forced to stay at home at all times – though some stricter measures may be needed in the country’s “hotspot” areas. 

The average number of daily cases is now 729 – a significant increase from 285 two weeks ago, when the ban on indoor household visiting was brought in.

There are fears within the hospitality industry that the sector will be hit hard by the new restrictions.

Emma McClarkin, of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association, said: "If the Scottish government is to implement further harsh restrictive measures to our sector, it must include a dedicated package of support alongside it. 

"Without it, the Scottish government will leave our pubs and thousands of jobs doomed to failure."  

Professor Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, warned against “further liberty-restricting measures” that hurt the economy, advocating for a more “targeted approach”. 

"At the moment we do not need to bring in any more rules that will hammer the hospitality sector, or the economy at large. There needs to be a razor-sharp focus on getting the current systems running smoothly and effectively," he wrote in The Sun.

“We need to hold our nerve, rather than hitting the panic button.”