First Minister urges caution ahead of easing of restrictions in parts of Scotland

Credit: PA

The First Minister has urged caution as Covid-19 restrictions are due to ease across some parts of Scotland on Saturday.

Nicola Sturgeon warned Scotland is at a "critical juncture" in the coronavirus pandemic as she said cases have more than tripled in the past month.

Speaking at a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing, she confirmed two recordd coronavirus deaths and 992 new cases in the past 24 hours.

The First Minister said the new cases are at their highest daily figure since February 17 and are being driven by the delta variant of the virus.

Ms Sturgeon said: "We are at a very critical juncture right now in what we still very much hope, and believe, is a transition to a less restrictive way of dealing with Covid, but the position we are in now on that transition is a fragile one.

"On the downside, as we can see, cases are rising again, they have more than tripled over the last month and today the more than 900 cases that have been reported is the highest number of new cases since February 17.

"The R number is now estimated to be above one, indeed many experts believe that not just Scotland but the UK is now at the start of a third wave of Covid."

Borders General Hospital Credit: PA

How are restrictions easing across Scotland?

Glasgow will move to Level 2 from Saturday, enabling people to meet others at home and hospitality venues to serve alcohol indoors. The city has been under the toughest conditions until now.

Many island communities will move to Level 0, the lowest level there is under the Scotland's five-tier system. This includes Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles council areas.

Highland, Argyll and Bute, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, Perth and Kinross, Falkirk, Fife, Inverclyde, East and West Lothian, West Dunbartonshire, Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders are all moving to Level 1.

13 local authority areas remain in level two for now, including Edinburgh, Midlothian, Dundee, East Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, North and South Lanarkshire, Clackmannanshire and Stirling.