Public Health Scotland has published figures showing case numbers and vaccination rates. We have added them to the table below, and if you have been following the numbers as closely as we have you will realise that today’s number is the highest ever recorded in one day.
If you wish to see the figures up to 3 August for each day (with some highs and lows from the past few months) then please read this article here, but for the sake of brevity this article now has August information only.
Scotland has now moved beyond Level 0 but the legal requirement for wearing masks in indoor settings is to be retained largely as it has been. The First Minister advised at a media briefing on Tuesday that the case numbers (which on Tuesday were the highest daily total since the pandemic began) are being carefully monitored and that The Scottish Government may reintroduce restrictions if it is felt necessary. She pointed out that the link between new cases and serious health harms has not yet been completely broken, although it has been weakened.
Ms Sturgeon said: “New cases in Scotland have more than doubled during the last week. This is one of the sharpest rises we have seen during the pandemic.
“We always knew that cases were likely to rise as restrictions eased – so to some extent what we are seeing now is not entirely unexpected.
“However, the scale of the increase is still a cause of real concern – although context is still important.
“We know that vaccination is making a big difference.
“Indeed that explains why so many of the new cases we are seeing just now are in younger people less likely to have had both doses of vaccine. Around half of new cases are in people under the age of 25.
“If the surge continues or accelerates – and if we start to see evidence of a substantial increase in serious illness as a result – we cannot completely rule out having to reimpose some restrictions.
“Of course, we hope not to have to do that – and if we did, we would be as limited and proportionate as possible.”
Deaths involving Covid-19 for Week 33: 16 – 22 August 2021
As at 22 August, 10,505 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).
In the week 16 – 22 August, 41 deaths were registered that mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, the same number as last week.
12 deaths were of people aged under 65, six were people aged 65-74 and there were 23 deaths of people aged 75 or over. 28 deaths were male, 13 were female.
City of Edinburgh, Fife, Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire had the highest numbers of deaths at council level last week with four each. In total, 20 council areas had at least one death last week.
The number of deaths from all causes registered in Scotland in this week was 1,163 – 171, or 17%, more than the five year average.
Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said: “The latest figures show that last week there were 41 deaths where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. This represents no change from the previous week.”
“Deaths from all causes were 17% higher than the five year average – the 13th week in a row where we have seen a higher than average number of deaths.”
Beyond Level 0
The legal requirement for physical distancing and limits on gatherings has been removed from Monday 9 August when all venues across Scotland are able to re-open.
Some protective measures will stay in place such as the use of face coverings indoors and the collection of contact details as part of Test and Protect. Capacity limits of 2000 people indoors and 5000 people outdoors will also remain in place although some exceptions may be possible on a case by case basis. These will be reviewed on a three weekly basis to ensure they remain proportionate.
Adults identified as close contacts of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 will also no longer be automatically required to self-isolate for 10 days from 9 August. Anyone who is double-vaccinated with at least two weeks passed since their second dose and who has no symptoms will be able to end self-isolation if they return a negative PCR test. The same conditions will also apply to anyone aged between five and 17 years old, even if they have not been vaccinated. The requirement to take a PCR test will not apply to children under the age of five.
Test and Protect will also implement revised guidance for under 18s. This means that the blanket isolation of whole classes in schools will no longer happen and a targeted approach, that only identifies children and young people who are higher risk close contacts, will be adopted. Fewer young people will have to self-isolate, and most will be asked to self-isolate for a much shorter period of time. To allow time to monitor the impacts of these changes, the majority of the mitigations that were in place in schools in the previous term will be retained for up to six weeks. This will help support a safe and sustainable return to education after the summer break.
While the gateway condition on vaccination has been met, with 92% of those over the age of 40 protected by two doses of the vaccine, there are still many more people who have not had the vaccine, cannot have it, or are not yet eligible for it. Invitations for vaccines are now going out to 12 to 17 year olds with specific health conditions that make them more vulnerable to Covid. This follows the recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. The government expects to have offered first doses to this group by the end of August.
The JCVI has now recommended vaccination to young people aged 16 and 17.
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