Nicola Sturgeon has warned rising Covid cases in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are “a matter of real concern”, ahead of her weekly review of restrictions.
The first minister signalled measures in the north-east could be tightened from tier two to tier three when she said the government is looking “very carefully” at the data from the area.
At her daily coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon said the rising number of care home cases in the north-east would be taken into account when determining what level of restrictions would be imposed in a few hours’ time.
Ms Sturgeon revealed there had been no deaths of coronavirus patients in the last 24 hours in Scotland, but 734 new cases were recorded.
She warned the low death toll would be an underestimate because registry offices tend to be closed at the weekend. The daily test positivity rate – the percentage of overall tests that record a positive result – had risen to 7.6% from 5.2% on Sunday.
We see cases continue to rise in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire and test positivity as well. It is obviously a matter of real concern.”
Nicola Sturgeon
A total of 106,904 people have now tested positive in Scotland, up 106,170 from the previous day. When broken down by local authority area, the data revealed 78 daily cases had been recorded in Aberdeen City – an increase from 37 on Sunday.
The figure was the highest daily total for the area during the pandemic. In Aberdeenshire the figure was only nine, but 44 daily cases had been recorded one day last week.
In Aberdeen the positivity rate had risen to more than 10% and to a similar level in Aberdeenshire.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We see cases continue to rise in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire and test positivity as well. It is obviously a matter of real concern.”
‘Areas we are looking at very carefully’
The first minister added that the outbreaks in care homes such as Inchmarlo in Banchory and Deeside in Cults would be having an impact on the figures.
But she added: “But certainly I am not convinced they are the sole reason for the increase in cases there. Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will be areas we are looking at very carefully before we take the decision that we take tomorrow.”
Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith added that care home cases tended to reflect the incidence of transmission of the disease in the community.
“If you have got high levels of background community infection, then it is far more likely you get these types of outbreaks… in care homes,” Dr Smith said.
“That’s why it is really important we are taking notice of these and that’s why it’s important we respond to that with adequate restrictions in place to try to control infection.”
The level of anti-Covid measures to be applied across Scottish local authorities will be decided at a meeting of the Scottish Cabinet before it is announced to parliament.
A move from tier two to the more restrictive tier three would result in north-east bars and restaurants being forbidden to sell alcohol and forced to close at 6pm.
It would also see the closure of leisure and entertainment venues such as soft play, casinos, cinemas and bingo halls. Non-essential travel into and outside tier three areas is also banned.
Court of Session
Ms Sturgeon was speaking after a leaked Scottish Government document suggested that tighter restrictions are needed in the north-east.
It was leaked to a group of hospitality businesses, which on Friday last week failed in a legal attempt to get the Court of Session to suspend the First Minister’s decision to keep Edinburgh City in tier three.
The businesses received it too late to submit it to judge Lord Ericht, who dismissed their petition for a judicial review, saying the issue was “primarily political and the court will only interfere if a decision is unlawful”.
The document said “additional control measures” were needed to control the virus in both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
Sturgeon’s capital stance
In relation to Edinburgh, it recommended the capital should have its restrictions relaxed by moving into tier two from tier three following a “substantial improvement” in its figures.
But Ms Sturgeon defended the decision to keep Edinburgh in tier three, arguing that the data since the document was produced backed it up.
“If I look at the data since last Tuesday, then I have to conclude that the decision we took last Tuesday not to take Edinburgh down a level was actually the right one,” Ms Sturgeon said.
“I look at the most recent data, and I’ll see another iteration of this later today, the most recent data says that in the seven-day period cases in Edinburgh increased by 33%. Test positivity is now almost at 5% again.
“And when we took the decision last Tuesday, the reason that we took the decision was because we had already started to see that edging up in cases.
She added: “When you’re starting to see that kind of increase it would not be a sensible thing to do to ease restrictions – it would be like throwing petrol on smouldering embers.”