Scotland’s move to the lowest level of Covid-19 restrictions will “likely” be pushed back by three weeks, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
She spoke the day after British prime minister Boris Johnson was forced to delay the lifting of remaining restrictions in England, pushing back the next stage of easting by four weeks to July 19th.
In Scotland, where the next full review of the level of restrictions is due to take place next week, Ms Sturgeon said it was “unlikely” that any area would see restrictions eased on June 28th – the date it had been hoped all of Scotland would move into Level 0 restrictions.
This level, the lowest in Scotland’s five-tier system, is only currently in place in the island authorities of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, with all mainland areas having either Level 1 or Level 2 restrictions applied.
Adding that all over-18s in Scotland should be given a date for their first vaccination by the end of next week, Ms Sturgeon said she hoped the country would be able to “move to much greater normality with far fewer restrictions, as we go further into summer”.
More than six million Covid jabs have now been administered in Scotland.
But in a statement to MSPs at Holyrood, however, Ms Sturgeon stressed more time was needed to get more people vaccinated before the whole country could move to Level 0.
Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, said: “We had all hoped for a summer of freedom. But instead this stubborn virus is determined to keep us all scunnered instead”.
But with 974 new Covid cases and two further deaths from the virus confirmed in the last 24 hours, Ms Sturgeon stressed that “fundamentally, we do need time to get more people vaccinated with both doses”.
She stressed that “vaccination is changing the game in our fight against this virus”, telling MSPs that the rising number of cases was “not, leading to a commensurate rise in the number of people who fall seriously ill and require hospital treatment”.
Ms Sturgeon said: “Given the current situation – and the need to get more people fully vaccinated before we ease up further – it is reasonable to indicate now that I think it unlikely that any part of the country will move down a level from June 28th.
“Instead, it is likely that we will opt to maintain restrictions for a further three weeks from June 28th and use that time to vaccinate – with both doses – as many more people as possible.
“Doing that will give us the best chance, later in July, of getting back on track and restoring the much greater normality that we all crave.”
She said the decision would be confirmed at Holyrood next week, following a planned review of the current levels on June 22nd.
At the same time, the Scottish government will publish a review of physical distancing requirements, along with a paper which Ms Sturgeon said would set out “what we hope life will look like beyond Level 0 – as we get to the point where we can lift all, or virtually all, of the remaining restrictions”.
More than six million #coronavirus vaccinations - both first and second doses - have now been administered in Scotland.
Latest update➡️https://t.co/KGWfqx5peh pic.twitter.com/i39kPKrCik— Scot Gov Health (@scotgovhealth) June 15, 2021
So far 3,531,461 people have received the first dose of a Covid vaccination and 2,470,181 have received their second dose – although a “technical issue” at Public Health Scotland may under-report these figures.
Speaking about the continued rollout of the vaccination programme, the first minister said, while the target had been set for every adult to have been offered their first dose by the end of July, “in actual fact, by the end of next week everybody in the adult population will have been offered their appointment for their first dose”.
She added: “Appointments will be scheduled for the entirety of the adult population that haven’t already had their first dose by the end of next week.”
Second doses are now being scheduled to take place within eight weeks – down from 12 weeks, although Ms Sturgeon stressed that was subject to having supplies of vaccines.
Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, pressed her over whether “next to all” those aged 40 and above would have received both jabs, with over-18s given their first injection by July 19th – the date mainland Scotland could now move to Level 0.
He urged Ms Sturgeon to “truly ramp up our vaccination programme”, as he said that “ultimately we will have to learn to live with this virus”.
The first minister told him: “On vaccination, we are literally going as fast as supplies allow.
“If we cannot reach milestones on vaccination, it is only because we do not have the supplies to do that.”
As well as vaccinating adults, the Scottish government is also making preparations for the possible vaccination of 12-17 year olds, and for people to receive “booster vaccinations” in the autumn – should the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommend them.
