Will Nicola Sturgeon beat Boris to the punch AGAIN? SNP leader could announce tighter lockdown in Scotland TODAY with curbs on takeaways and click-and-collect
- Nicola Sturgeon will announce today whether some Covid rules will be tightened
- Ms Sturgeon has said rules on takeaways and click and collect could be boosted
- Comes after official death toll in Scotland passed 5,000 after 54 more deaths
Nicola Sturgeon will today announce whether Scotland’s coronavirus lockdown rules will be tightened after she signalled curbs could be strengthened on takeaways and click and collect shopping.
The Scottish First Minister said yesterday that bolstered restrictions are being looked at in a number of areas amid concerns people are still mixing too much in person.
She suggested takeaway restaurants could be instructed to change the way they serve customers to prevent mixing indoors while click and collect could be restricted to only essential services.
The SNP leader is due to set out her decisions to the Scottish Parliament this afternoon after her cabinet met last night. Yesterday it was announced the official coronavirus death toll in Scotland had passed 5,000.
The prospect of tighter curbs in Scotland will inevitably increase speculation that Boris Johnson could follow suit in England, with the PM also thought to be considering tightening lockdown to slow the rate of infection.
Nicola Sturgeon is due to announce today whether lockdown rules in Scotland will be tightened
Ms Sturgeon’s decision is likely to pile the pressure on Boris Johnson who is also thought to be considering tightening the rules in England
Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly beat Mr Johnson to the punch throughout the pandemic, often announcing policy shifts just hours or days before the PM.
Yesterday she told her daily coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh: ‘I have just earlier this morning chaired the weekly meeting of the Scottish Cabinet.
‘As I indicated yesterday, one of the things we discussed was whether there are any areas – takeaway, click and collect services being two examples – where we think there is a need to further tighten restrictions to reduce the occasions and reasons for people to be out of their homes at the moment.
‘We are continuing to consider these options a little bit further and I can tell you that I will update Parliament tomorrow on any decisions we reach over the course of the day.’
Ms Sturgeon suggested takeaway food and click and collect shopping will not be banned altogether but existing rules could be tightened.
She said: ‘Takeaway, and we are not picking on any particular sector or any particular part of sectors, but if you think about right now, we are asking people to stay at home except for essential purposes.
‘But people can still go for takeaway, still go into places for takeaway. Now, it may not be about saying you can’t have takeaway at all, but do we need to tighten up how that operates just to limit the potential for people coming together inside.
‘Click and collect as well. It may not be that we do away with click and collect or for a period click and collect all together.
‘But if we are saying to people right now you shouldn’t be out of your home for shopping unless it is essential then do we need to have click and collect for non-essential services instead of having that by delivery and is restricting that just reducing again the interactions.’
Ms Sturgeon’s comments came as Scotland recorded a further 54 coronavirus deaths and 1,875 positive tests in the past 24 hours.
It brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 5,023.
Ms Sturgeon said 153,423 people had now tested positive in Scotland, up from 151,548 the previous day.