Coronavirus in Scotland: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon extends lockdown
Speaking from St Andrews House, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted she would "not be pressured" into lifting the lockdown before she was certain that it was safe to do so.
Ms Sturgeon said "any significant easing up of restrictions would be very very risky", adding that the move would only be considered once she was "confident that the all-important R number is comfortably below 1".
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIt comes as Boris Johnson signalled to MPs yesterday that lockdown measures would be relaxed from Monday.
Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government had not yet been consulted by Downing Street on the decision, but said that earlier today the Prime Minister had requested a call with the leaders of the devolved nations for this afternoon.
Today's announcement comes after the legally-required review of lockdown measures taken by the Scottish government this morning.
The next review is scheduled to fall on May 28, but the First Minister stressed that the government could decide to ease restrictions before then, if the evidence changes.
A message from the Editor
Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.
Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.
Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.
Joy Yates
Editorial Director
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.