Scotland to enter lockdown from December 26, with holiday relaxation removed



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Scotland will return to the lockdown from December 26, and the planned easing of restrictions at Christmas has been lifted, Nicola Sturgeon said.

The Scottish prime minister said the measures were necessary to combat the new strain of coronavirus.

The Christmas “bubble” policy has been eliminated, and domestic mixing is only allowed on Christmas Day.

Measures were put in place to relax across the UK between 23-27 December.

The travel ban between Scotland and other parts of the UK, except for essential purposes, will be upheld, and Ms Sturgeon said she will speak to police and transport operators to see how it can be “strengthened”.

Nicola Sturgeon gave the Covid-19 update (Andrew Milligan / PA)

All of Scotland will enter Tier 4, the strictest of the county’s five tiers of restrictions, for three weeks from one minute after midnight on St. Stephen’s Day.

Non-essential stores will close, as will cafes, restaurants, and hair salons.

Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles, and other island communities will move to Level 3.

Schools will open for key workers as usual, but most students will not return on January 11, with online learning until at least January 18.

The prime minister said the move will prevent more of the new strain from entering Scotland from other parts of the UK and reduce the risk of it spreading within the country.

The new strain of the virus is the “most serious and potentially dangerous situation” it has faced since the start of the pandemic, he said.

He said 17 cases of the new strain had been identified in Scotland and that they could be driving faster transmission of Covid in some hospitals and residences.

Without acting firmly, the new strain could lead to the NHS being overwhelmed and more people dying from the virus, he said.

(Graphics PA)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already announced that South East England will move to a new Level 4, effectively reverting to November’s lockdown rules.

The rest of England will also see the Christmas “bubble” policy, which allows up to three households to meet during the severely restricted holiday period, applying only on Christmas Day.

Scotland has the lowest case rate in the UK, with 112.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

This compares with 571.7 in Wales, 219.6 in England and 174.9 in Northern Ireland.

In the last 24 hours, there were 41 deaths from coronavirus and 572 positive tests north of the border, although the positivity rate for the tests dropped from 4.2% to 4.0%.

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