Scotland's lockdown to continue until at least the middle of February, Sturgeon says

19 January 2021, 14:38 | Updated: 19 January 2021, 15:10

Signs in the window of a closed shop on Princes Street in Edinburgh
Signs in the window of a closed shop on Princes Street in Edinburgh. Picture: PA

By Asher McShane

Scotland's lockdown including the strict "stay at home" requirement will remain in place until at least the middle of February, Nicola Sturgeon said today.

Schools in Scotland will also remain closed for the majority of pupils.

Scotland's First Minister said: "The Cabinet decided this morning to maintain the restrictions which are currently in place.

"That means that the lockdown restrictions - including the strict stay-at-home requirement - will remain in place across mainland Scotland and some island communities until at least the middle of February."

She urged Scots to continue to be "cautious" about coronavirus, despite declines in the number of new cases.

"We need to see these trends continue, to be more certain that this phase of the epidemic is now on a downward trajectory.

UK has highest Covid death rate per million people in world over past seven days

"And second, we need to be realistic that any improvement we are seeing is down, at this stage, to the fact that we are staying at home and reducing our interactions.

"Any relaxation of lockdown while case numbers, even though they might be declining, nevertheless remain very high, could quickly send the situation into reverse."

She also told MSPs today that eighty percent of care home residents in Scotland have received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

Ms Sturgeon said a number of local authorities had vaccinated all care home residents with the first dose.

She added that 70% of care home and other heath and care staff had been given their first jab.

Three million people in Scotland, the majority of the adult population, will have received their first dose of the vaccine by early May, Ms Sturgeon said.

"That means that in around three months' time, around three million people in total will have received at least the first dose of the vaccine - this is, of course, the majority of the adult population and includes everyone over the age of 50, and many younger people with an underlying health condition," she said.

"The rest of the adult population will follow after that just as quickly as supplies allow."

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

More than 2 million drivers are set to hit the road on Good Friday.

Easter Carmageddon: Over two million drivers to hit the road on Good Friday after Storm Nelson travel chaos

Michael Gove has slammed the water firm as a 'disgrace'.

Thames Water bosses branded a ‘disgrace’ as Michael Gove tells firm ‘not to punish consumers’ for its failings

South Africa Bus Crash

Girl, 8, the sole survivor as 45 die in bus crash off South Africa bridge

A spokesman has denied reports the sausage dog could be banned.

The wurst news is over: Germany denies claims of sausage dog ban

Israel Palestinians Britain Aid

UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza

Greece Confidence Vote

Greece’s government survives no-confidence motion called over rail disaster

A council has had to apologise following the incident.

Fury as parents offered version of school class photo without complex needs pupils

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Conjoined twin who shot to fame with sister on The Oprah Winfrey Show marries army veteran in private ceremony

Israel Palestinians UN Security Council

Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto

Firefighters at the scene of a bus crash in Limpopo

Bus plunges from bridge in South Africa and erupts into flames, killing at least 45 and leaving child, 8, as lone survivor

Music-Green Day UN

Green Day to headline UN-backed global climate concert

Exclusive
Starmer has vowed to resurrect Boris Johnson's 'Levelling Up' policy

Failure to ‘level up’ Britain would be ‘catastrophic’, Wes Streeting admits, as Starmer vows to resurrect Johnson policy

Border Force staff will walk out from April 11

Hundreds of Border Force officers at Heathrow Airport to stage four-day strike

Stephen Bear was ordered to pay Ms Harrison £5,000.

Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear ordered to pay £27,000 over revenge porn conviction or face nine months in jail

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison for crypto fraud

Exclusive
Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says

Covid no excuse for death of Finley Boden who was murdered by drug-addled parents, child protection chief says