The Scottish Government approved new measures to reduce transmission rates of Covid-19 yesterday.
Eleven local authorities will move into Level Four which is the highest protection level from 6pm on Friday and will remain so until 11 December 2020. The Scottish Government says it is continuing to try to suppress the virus in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
These regulations apply to people living in Edinburgh as you cannot travel outside the local authority area except for an essential purpose. This is now backed by enforcement legislation.
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said: “The decision to move local authorities into the highest protection level and to restrict travel between them was a difficult one to make. We recognise this will be difficult for many businesses and individuals in the affected areas.
“These decisions are hard, but driven by evidence and we have taken the additional measures of putting place necessary and proportionate travel regulations because we have to limit the spread of the virus between Level 3 and 4 areas as well as out of them.
“These measures are essential to protect our communities and, especially at this time of year, to manage the pressures on the NHS, not only at Christmas, but also looking towards January, when the NHS faces its greatest challenge in any year, let alone with COVID.
“We all want Christmas. A decisive approach to move local authority areas to the highest level of restrictions now is intended to reduce the prevalence of the virus in a few weeks’ time.
“For the moment, we can all play our part in ensuring that the current restrictions have their desired effect, by sticking to the rules.”
Find out more about the COVID protection levels and what you can and cannot do at each level.
The local authority areas which are now in Level 4 include:
East Ayrshire
East Dunbartonshire
East Renfrewshire
Glasgow
North Lanarkshire
Renfrewshire
South Ayrshire
South Lanarkshire
Stirling
West Dunbartonshire
West Lothian
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