Sunday 24 November 2024
 9.6°C   SW Fresh Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Coronavirus / Sturgeon confirms faster easing of Covid-19 restrictions for islands

Shetland to move into Level 1 restrictions from Monday

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Shetland and other Scottish islands will move down to Level 1 Covid-19 restrictions from Monday.

Speaking at a briefing on Tuesday lunchtime, Sturgeon said the pandemic picture in the islands had been “very much more positive” with case numbers at “consistently low levels, very low levels indeed, for some time now”.

As a result, while mainland Scotland – with the exception of Moray – is moving to Level 2, Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles will be able to enjoy greater freedoms sooner.

More to follow

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaking during Tuesday lunchtime’s briefing.

12.38pm: Sturgeon urges the population to enjoy meeting up with loved ones again, saying the rest of the country is likely to move into Level 1 on 7 June and then Level 0 on 28 June.

Once all adults have been vaccinated there will hopefully be a move to something “much more like normality” later in the summer including the removal of physical distancing measures.

Concluding her remarks, Sturgeon says it is essential to “continue to exercise good sense and caution”, impressing upon people that they should continue working from home where possible, remain cautious about international travel and remember FACTS.

12.34pm: A “careful move away from blanket restrictions” on non-essential travel overseas. From Monday a traffic light system based on the state of the pandemic in countries across the world will be introduced.

There will be a “consistent four nations policy” on travel and Sturgeon welcomes the UK Government’s sensible approach.

Become a member of Shetland News

 

Everyone should “think seriously about whether they need to travel abroad this summer”, and “when it comes to holidays abroad my advice continues to be to err on the side of caution and to staycation this summer”.

12.29pm: The speed of the vaccination programme and progress in getting the virus under control means that when meeting up outdoors, from Monday, within the permitted limits “you can hug your loved ones once again”.

Sturgeon does urge caution to “please still be careful and limit the overall number of people you’re choosing to have close physical contact with”.

12.27pm: Relating to the islands, Sturgeon says things have been “very much more positive” with case numbers at “consistently low levels, very low levels indeed, for some time now”. They also have “very good” vaccine coverage and there are lateral flow tests available for those travelling to the islands.

As a result, she says, it is “possible and proportionate to now ease restrictions on the islands much more quickly” in the Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney.

12.25pm: Level 1 allows household visits for up to six people from three different households, or eight people from three households in hospitality settings, which will now be permitted to remain open until 11pm and to serve alcohol indoors.

You can see full detail of what is permitted within Level 1 here.

12.20pm: Sturgeon confirms that the island communities, which have not seen new cases for a concerted number of days, will go down to Level 1 measures from Monday. That means Shetlanders will enjoy a greater level of freedom than anticipated in six days’ time.

The rest of Scotland will move down to Level 2, with the exception of Moray where there are high case numbers and widespread community transmission.

Become a member of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.

 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 
Advertisement 

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Have you considered becoming a member of Shetland News?

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please consider paying for membership and get the following features and services: -

  • Remove non-local ads;
  • Bookmark posts to read later;
  • Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
  • Hide membership messages;
  • Comments open for discussion.