By Tony Winterburn • Published: 22 Dec 2020 • 9:40
Nicola Sturgeon Hints Boxing Day Lockdown Could Last Well Into New Year and Possibly More.
Scotlands First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has insisted she had no alternative but to plunge Scots into a severe lockdown on Boxing Day with no concrete end date in sight. Nicola Sturgeon said the move to scale back Christmas easing, close schools and shut swathes of the economy was necessary — despite the new virus strain not circulating very widely in Scotland yet.
She answered criticism that UK nations were slow to lock down in March by saying: “Perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that failing to act quickly is almost always a mistake in the face of Covid.” Ms Sturgeon admitted she could give “no guarantees” on how long nationwide Level 4 curbs — including a cross-border travel ban — will last, despite initially aiming for three weeks. She added: “If I thought there was an alternative to any of these decisions we are taking, I would take that alternative in a heartbeat.”
Ms Sturgeon has described the lockdown — the third faced by large parts of the population since March — as “strong precautionary and preventive action” following the discovery of the new Covid strain.
The Highlands and Moray have been in level one of Scotland’s coronavirus tiered system of restrictions since it was introduced at the end of October. Restrictions eased in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders earlier this month. It meant limits on hospitality, some spectator sports and soft play were relaxed. The number of positive cases in the regions has been relatively low although there has been concern recently about rising infection rates in the Borders.
Non-essential shops closed as did cafes, restaurants and hairdressers. Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and other Island communities moved to Level 3. The restrictions will be reviewed after two weeks, Ms Sturgeon said. Schools will open for keyworkers as normal, but the majority of pupils will not return on January 11, with online learning until at least January 18.
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