Scotland records highest ever number of Covid cases hours after Sturgeon's lockdown threat
SCOTLAND has recorded its highest ever number of Covid cases during a 24 hour period - just hours after Nicola Sturgeon warned of a return to lockdown if infections continue to surge.
Nicola Sturgeon quizzed during briefing about hospital figures
The latest figures published by the Scottish Government show 5,021 new cases were recorded, as well as five deaths of Covid patients. Infections surged by 698 from the previous day, which had already hit a record high of 4,323. The number of people in hospital with Covid has risen for the fifth successive day - up by 27 to a total of 391.
From these patients, 44 are in intensive care, edging up by one from the previous day.
Ms Sturgeon posted on Twitter: “Another sharp rise in number of cases today (tho % positivity is lower than y’day, reflecting more tests).
“Vaccines still protecting against serious illness, but we all need to take care and act in a way that minimises risk of getting/spreading the virus.
“Please follow health advice and take these sensible precautions to keep yourself and others safe: get vaccinated. wear face coverings, wash hands and surfaces, keep a safe distance from others, stay outdoors as much as poss, ventilate indoor spaces.”
But the latest alarming rise in Covid cases comes just 24 hours after the First Minister warned she could not rule out a new lockdown if infections continue to surge.
The SNP leader had said the return of restrictions could be a possibility after new daily high case numbers were reported on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, most legal restrictions were lifted in Scotland, although the SNP leader has rejected suggestions this move was made too soon.
But the easing of lockdown has coincided with a massive jump in Covid cases, with hospital figures and intensive care admissions also rising.
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Last week, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reimposed a national lockdown in her country after just one case had been reported.
When asked if a similar approach could be taken, or the re-imposition of some lesser restrictions, Ms Sturgeon told the PA news agency: "I don't want to go back to anything like a full lockdown.
"New Zealand is in a very different position - they have Covid cases throughout that have been very, very low, but they also have lower levels of vaccination right now and their borders are still effectively closed.
"They are in a different situation and are therefore dealing with a different reality at the moment."
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She added: "I don't want to pre-empt any decision that might or might not - and I hope will not - have to be taken about the imposition of the restrictions.
"But if we, all of us, take the basic precautions right now that we know can slow this virus, then I hope no re-imposition of restrictions will be necessary.
"But I also know that no sensible First Minister, in the face of an infectious virus, would rule anything out, because protecting the population has to be the priority."
Ms Sturgeon also defended the move to lift restrictions this month.
When asked if it came too early, she replied: "No - in fact, at the time, most people criticised me for not moving out of Level 0 quickly enough.
"These are always judgments, there's no exact science when you're dealing with a global pandemic of an infectious virus."