The easing of lockdown in Scotland must have a “reverse gear” Jason Leitch has warned as he outlined a worrying rise in covid cases since the beginning of this week.
The national clinical director told the daily covid briefing that case numbers have gone up in Scotland since Monday.
He said: “The numbers have gone up and that worries us again.”
Leitch said the rise meant that opening up should take place slowly and that the three week checkpoints could mean a halt or reversal of the roadmap to easing restrictions.
He said: “We have to have a reverse gear because if the numbers continue to rise from today to tomorrow to this time next week, then we will have to rethink it.”
The clinical director added: “Up until Monday, everything was looking good numbers were falling we were decelerating, our seven day average across the nation was 65 per 100,000, the best it has been for months."
“But since Monday the numbers have risen, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the numbers have gone up, and that has worried us again. They haven’t gone up dramatically and it may just be a blip, but we don’t know.”
Leitch was careful not to link the rise to the scenes of Rangers fans celebrating in Glasgow’s George Square without social distancing last weekend.
But he urged fans to “follow the guidance” and stay at home if they are not to endanger the next Old Firm match going ahead.
Leitch said a meeting with the football authorities, health officials and Ministers was due on Friday to discuss the March 21st fixture.
He said: “Let me be very clear it’s not my job to decide what reassurances we should see from a football authorities.”
“I will provide public health advice that public health advice is not complicated. It will be that everybody involved in this coalition should be as strong as they can around the guidance.”
He added: “It involves every single fan being clear about what they should do and following the guidance. That reassurance ,from each of those bodies, but principally from the football fans, is to follow the guidance to stay at home to celebrate at home.”
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