Scotland’s five-level system was introduced earlier this month and categorises regions depending on their coronavirus risk. In total 1,148 new cases of COVID-19 were detected in the past 24 hours. But with cases on the rise, will Scotland go back into lockdown?
Since the outbreak began, there have been 66,012 cases of COVID-19 in Scotland.
Of those cases, 2,849 people have died following a positive test for the virus.
On Sunday, November 1, 1,148 new cases were reported and 81 people were in intensive care with recently confirmed cases of COVID-19.
This means there were a total of 1,193 people in hospital yesterday with recent cases of coronavirus.
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Is Scotland going back into lockdown?
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has floated the possibility of a “full lockdown” and described Westminster funding for the scheme as “crucial”.
In a statement, she said the Scottish Government would “carefully consider the impact” of the lockdown in England.
She said: “A crucial point for us is whether support on the scale announced for English businesses is available for Scottish businesses now or if we needed to impose further restrictions later – or if it is only available if Scotland has a full lockdown at the same time as a lockdown in England.”
Ms Sturgeon added she is now facing a “dilemma” about whether a national lockdown should be imposed while financial support is available.
She said she is seeking “absolute clarity” from the Treasury about whether financial help will only be available while England is in lockdown.
The Scottish First Minister said a decision about whether to escalate restrictions with the next few days may depend upon how long furlough funding will be available.
Furlough funding will be extended for the month of lockdown with employees receiving 80 percent of their current salary for hours not worked.
Professor of Public Health Linda Bauld has said a “more severe lockdown” would reduce the spread of the virus.
She told BBC One Scotland: “It is just a shame we couldn’t have a bit more time to see if the system now in place wasn’t actually working as we would wish”.
Professor Bauld added severe lockdown measures are more effective and the geography of Scotland, means regional variations should be more effective than in heavily populated parts of the north of England, where infection rates were still reasonably high when restrictions were lifted.
