"Why is Edinburgh still in level three"? It's a question countless locals have been asking following Nicola Sturgeon's lockdown review earlier this week.
The First Minister announced on Tuesday that the capital would not move down to level two, despite reports that the directors of Public Health Scotland had advised that Edinburgh had met the necessary criteria.
Local residents, politicians and councillors reacted with outrage, with some describing the move as an "absolute joke", while MSP Richard Leonard demanded the "evidence" for the shock decision.
Edinburgh Council have also tabled an emergency motion to lobby the government to allow the city to move to level two, with the capital scoring better than the three of the areas being moved down a level on Friday.
Why is Edinburgh staying in level three?
So, why is the capital staying in level three?
Nicola Sturgeon said she would consider Edinburgh moving to level two next week but that certain factors contributed to the decision to keep the capital in level three this week.
This included the imminence of Christmas and the opening up of services in Edinburgh, which she said would carry a "significant risk" of increased transmission.
The First Minister also pointed to a "slight" rise in cases in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian in recent days.
What is the criteria for level two?
According to the Scottish Government, an area is considered for level two when it broadly meets one of the following conditions:
- Between 75 and 150 cases over 7 days per 100,000 people for the local authority
- Between 3% and 5% positive tests over 7 days for the local authority
- Probability over 75% of 100 cases over 7 days per 100,000 forecast for the local authority in two weeks’ time
- The projection of hospital bed use in the health board in five weeks’ time is greater than the health board’s estimated capacity
The projection of ICU bed use in the health board in four weeks’ time is greater than twice its normal capacity
What do Edinburgh's Covid figures show?
Coronavirus infections soared in the second half of September but, by the time Scotland's Covid levels system were introduced at the start of November, the rate had dropped well below the level three threshold rate of 150 and has since gone below the level two threshold - though there has been a "slight" rise.
In terms of the Scottish Government indicator scores (pictured above), Edinburgh is doing better when compared to some areas already in level two and some of those which will move down to that level this Friday.
Edinburgh is scoring better than three level two areas - these are Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Argyll and Bute - when looking at cases per 100,000 and forecast cases per 100,000.
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Meanwhile, Edinburgh has same the indicator scores as three areas, which will all be in level two by Friday - these are Falkirk, East Lothian and Angus.
Nicola Sturgeon also acknowledged that Edinburgh's positivity rate is currently below the Scotland-wide average.
The latest statistics
There were 897 new coronavirus cases recorded across Scotland on Wednesday.
This included 223 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 150 in NHS Lothian and 147 in Lanarkshire.
39 further deaths were also recorded since Tuesday, with 55 people in hospital being treated for the virus, which includes five people who in intensive care.
