Nicola Sturgeon ‘wouldn’t rule out’ Fife going into a higher level lockdown

The news comes as Fife faces an increase of new Covid- 19 cases and a rise in those being treated in hospital.

The number of people who tested positive in Fife hospitals was 59 yesterday, with 8 more than the previous day.

According to yesterday’s statistics, there were 69 new cases– almost double the previous day’s new cases.

Today, Fife has reported 47 new cases, taking the total up to 2750 cases in Fife since the start of the outbreak.

Fife currently sits in tier two of the five scale Scottish Government Coronavirus restrictions.

However, today, the First Minister said it was “suffice to say” that Fife is one of the local authorities which will be looked at “very closely” by the Scottish Government when they review lockdown restrictions on Tuesday.

Mr Sturgeon noted that this was due to Fife’s recent spike in cases.

Speaking at the briefing today, the First Minister said: "We will be looking over the weekend and advance of Tuesday, at all local authorities at their case numbers per hundred thousand, the direction of travel with infection- is it rising, or falling?- what the projections are, hospital capacity and then we will be applying judgement to that and coming to decisions about whether each local authority is in the right level now or whether they need to go up a level or in some, I expect a limited number if at all, will be coming down.

"Fife, it’s suffice to say, is one of the local authorities we will be looking at very closely and I certainly wouldn’t rule out a higher level to Fife at this stage.”

Ms Sturgeon made clear that she was not indicating this was the decision that the Government will make with regards to Fife lockdown restrictions.

However, she went on to say that rise of cases in Fife gives the Government “pause for thought and a bit of concern.”

She added: “I cannot say that this is because of people travelling from the central belt into Fife but unless you have an essential reason to do that then please don’t do that.”

Anyone living in a level three area, she warned, should not travel to other areas in Scotland as it would risk further spread of the virus.

Ms Sturgeon says she cannot say that that is what happened in Fife but said that it was a ‘very real risk’ which she strongly advises against.

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