Address to the nation on 22 September 2020
The last six months have been unprecedented. They’ve been the hardest many of us have ever lived through.
But through our collective efforts across Scotland, we did beat Covid back.
As a result – although too much heartbreak has been endured and too many families are grieving – many lives were also saved.
But as we enter winter, and with many lockdown restrictions now thankfully lifted, the challenge is once again getting harder.
Albeit from the very low level we achieved in the summer, cases are rising again.
In the last three weeks, they have almost trebled.
And as the virus spreads, we see more people being admitted to hospital again and sadly dying.
So we are once again at a tipping point – we must act to get Covid back under control and protect the things that matter most to us.
In a global pandemic of a virus with as yet no vaccine, we simply can’t have 100% normality. No country can. So we must choose our priorities.
Our priorities are saving lives and protecting health.
- Keeping schools open.
- Restarting NHS services.
- Ensuring care homes are safe.
- And protecting jobs and livelihoods.
It is to safeguard these priorities that I must ask all of you again to make sacrifices. Sacrifices for our national well-being. They are not easy but please believe me when I say they are essential.
We have decided that from Friday there will be a national curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants. They will have to close by 10pm – to reduce the time people spend there.
And from tomorrow, we are all being asked not to visit each other’s homes – because we know that is often how the virus spreads most easily from one household to another.
There are exceptions – for care of the vulnerable, extended households, childcare and tradespeople.
But generally, by staying out of other people’s houses for now, we give ourselves the best chance of bringing Covid back under control.
We can still meet outdoors with one other household in groups of up to 6 people
And because we know this is especially difficult for children and young people we’ve tried to build in more flexibility for you.
If you are younger than 12, there are no limits on playing with your friends outdoors.
And if you are between 12 and 17 you can meet your friends outdoors in groups of 6 – but you don’t all have to be from just two households.
Now, for everyone – adults and children – I know that today must feel like a step backwards.
But please know that thanks to all your efforts over the last six months, we are in a much stronger position than in the spring.
Cases are rising but less rapidly than back then.
Our Test & Protect system is working well – tracing contacts and breaking chains of transmission.
We have much more information on how and where the virus spreads.
And we know what we need to do to protect ourselves and others.
And all of us have a part to play.
So I am asking everyone – please, follow the new rules. They will make a difference.
If you can and haven’t already, please also go to protect.scot and download the Protect Scotland app – so more people who might be at risk of the virus can be traced quickly and asked to self-isolate.
And remember FACTS – face coverings, avoid crowded areas; clean your hands and surfaces; keep two metre distancing; and self-isolate and get tested if you have symptoms.
Finally, I know that all of this has been incredibly tough – and six months on it only gets tougher. But never forget that humanity has come through even bigger challenges than this one.
And though it doesn’t feel like it now, this virus will pass. It won’t last forever and one day, hopefully soon, we will be looking back on it, not living through it.
So though we are all struggling with this – and believe me, we are all struggling – let’s pull together. Let’s keep going, try to keep smiling, keep hoping and keep looking out for each other.
Be strong, be kind and let’s continue to act out of love and solidarity.
I will never find the words to thank all of you enough for the enormous sacrifices you have made so far.
And I am sorry to be asking for more.
But a belief I hold on to – and one I am asking you to keep faith with in those moments when it all feels too hard – is this: If we stick with it – and, above all, if we stick together – we will get through it.
New measures to drive down infection rate
Household restrictions and 10pm closing time for hospitality settings
Further measures to protect the population from the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been announced by the First Minister yesterday (Tuesday) as Scotland faces an upsurge in cases.
The new restrictions focus on no household visits and a 10pm closing time for all hospitality settings.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said today that this action is necessary in order to prevent a resurgence in community transmission of the virus and the potential for a rapid return to the pressures the NHS experienced earlier in the year.
Measures include:
Inside people’s homes (from today, Wednesday 23 September)
- Do not meet people from any other households in your home or another person’s home socially, unless they are in your extended household
- These rules also apply to children
- Children whose parents do not live in the same household can move between homes, as can non-cohabiting couples
- Very limited exemptions apply for childcare, and for tradespeople
Private gardens or public outdoors spaces (from today, Wednesday 23 September)
- A maximum of six people from two households can meet in outdoor spaces
- You should limit as far as possible the total number of households you meet in a day
- Under-12s do not count towards the maximum number of households or number of people who can meet outdoors. Under-12s do not have to physically distance
- A maximum of six 12 to 17 year olds can meet in outdoor spaces, with no household limit. Physical distancing is still required
Indoors in public spaces (from today, Wednesday 23 September)
- A maximum of six people from two households can meet in public indoor spaces such as cafes, pubs and restaurants
- Children under 12 from those two households do not count towards the limits
Hospitality (from 00:01 Friday 25 September 2020)
- Pubs, restaurants and all hospitality settings will be required to close at 10pm
- Table service will continue to be required in all hospitality premises
Car sharing
- You should only car share with members of your own, or extended, household, and follow guidance when there is no alternative
Working
- You must continue to work from home where practicable
These restrictions will be reviewed within three weeks and further guidance will made available where necessary.
Action – and adherence to restrictions – is needed now to safeguard lives, protect from infection and bring the R number down below one.
The First Minister said: “It is worth stressing that because of the collective sacrifices we all made to drive infection levels down over the summer, the growth in cases is from a low base and – at this stage – far less rapid than in March.
“I want to thank the people of Scotland for their cooperation, forbearance and the sacrifices they have made – but these measures are essential in ensuring we do not let this virus get out of control again.
“While these measures are tough, we believe they can make a significant difference while keeping our schools, public services and as many businesses open as far as possible.
“Early data suggests that restrictions currently in place in west central Scotland are starting to slow the increase of cases. So by extending household restrictions nationwide now, in an early and preventative way, we hope it will help to bring the R number down and the virus back under control.
On hospitality measures, the First Minister said: “I want to thank those businesses that are making huge efforts to ensure compliance. However, I want to be clear with the hospitality trade about this.
“Notwithstanding the economic implications, further restrictions – including possible closure – will be unavoidable if the rules within pubs and restaurants on hygiene, face coverings, maximum numbers in groups, and the distance between them are not fully complied with.”