No further changes will be made to coronavirus restrictions in Scotland this week despite evidence the virus is in decline, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
East Lothian moved from Level 3 to Level 2 of the Scottish Government’s five-tier system on Tuesday morning but the First Minister told MSPs in the Scottish Parliament this will be the only change.
The majority of Scots remain in the first of three weeks of strict measures that have closed all non-essential shops and prevented travel to other areas.
Sturgeon told MSPs that 41 deaths and 771 positive tests have been recorded in the past 24 hours.
She said restrictions “are having an impact” and infection numbers have “stabilised”.
“We now have grounds for cautious optimism that numbers may be declining,” she said.
Hospital and ICU admissions could also be falling, she said, though she stressed these numbers can “fluctuate on a day-to-day basis”.
The R number – the average number of people each person with Covid-19 goes on to infect – is now estimated at between 0.8 and 1.
While she said the national picture is “positive”, there are some regional variations, adding this is why 11 local authorities areas were placed under the toughest Level 4 restrictions last week.
These areas will all remain in Level 4 until December 11, Ms Sturgeon confirmed.
