Fife in lockdown: Council leaders pledge essential services will continue

Mainland Scots must stay at home unless absolutely necessary for the foreseeable future, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs.

Schools will be closed to all but the most vulnerable children and kids of key workers until at least February 1, with a review mid-January, while cross-border travel to and from Scotland has been banned.

The decision has been made in an attempt to contain the spread of a new variant of Covid-19 which is up to 70% more transmittable than the previous strain.

Councillors David Ross and David Alexander, co-leaders of Fife Council, have implored locals to continue "sticking with it" as the vaccine looms on the horizon.

In a joint statement issued this afternoon, the Labour and SNP group leaders said: “The new variant of the virus, and the impact it is having, dictates that action has to be taken.

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"It’s important that we all continue to follow the public health guidance and help reduce the spread of the virus by staying at home.

"We know it’s tough, but we all have to work together to keep our loved ones safe and healthy and protect the NHS."

Parents and carers have been told to expect direct contact from their children's schools with updates on how education will proceed this month.

The councillors added: “Our reassurance to all Fifers is that essential services will continue, and help and support is available if you need it."

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