Parts of Scotland may not be moving down to Level one due to the coronavirus infection rates, Humza Yousaf has announced.
This comes after a rise in Covid cases across the country, with the so-called Indian Variant or ‘April-02’ making up 50 per cent of new cases.
Yousaf made the statement on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland show, explaining that certain areas may not move down to Level One as originally planned on June 7, The Daily Record reports.
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Mainland Scotland, with the exception of Glasgow, is currently in Level 2 and is expected to move down a level by next Monday.
However, Glasgow has seen a considerable number of coronavirus cases increase and has been kept at level 3 with advice that no one should leave or enter the area.
The city is expected to move down a level on Saturday but First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated last week that she will announce no later than Wednesday to confirm Glasgow’s status and if it will be in line with the rest of Scotland.
The super spreading April-02 Variant in some parts of the city meant that it was above the threshold of Level 2 and tighter restrictions were kept to try and control the virus.
At her briefing, the First Minister also said that she will announce her final decision whether the whole country will move down to Level 1 on Tuesday June 1.
Yousaf said that it was likely some parts, including Glasgow, would remain at Level Two due to the number of cases.
He said: "It may not be the entire country moving to Level One.
"I think people would understand where there are still rising case numbers, where there is rising test positivity and if people are getting severely ill and hospitalised with the new variant then it may be that parts of the country would move to Level One, but in other parts of the country we decide to keep in Level Two.
"There are other parts of the country that clearly, from the data, give us continued cause for concern so there will be other parts of the country that may not move from Level Two to Level One.
"It is early for me to say so but that is certainly the situation as we are looking at it."
Edinburgh has recently developed Covid hotspots in Silverknowes and Davidson's Mains, making the city now above the threshold for even Level 2.
The capital has been marked for having the worst vaccine rollout in Scotland, EdinburghLive reported, with only 59.4 per cent of residents having had their first dose and 34.9 per cent having their second.
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