Locking Aberdeen down was a “very, very difficult decision to make” but had to be done due to the “concerning” rate of the outbreak in the city, a public health consultant has said.
The sudden increase in spread in the Granite City has led to the immediate suspension of hospital visits to all NHS Grampian facilities.
It announced last night that Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Woodend Hospital, Royal Cornhill Hospital, Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital and Roxburghe House would all be affected.
The city-wide lockdown has also resulted in the closure of all bars and restaurants in Aberdeen and an order for people not to travel further than five miles.
The council also confirmed that care homes would return to allowing essential visitors only in a move that will come as a blow to many families.
Dr Emmanuel Okpo, consultant in public health medicine for NHS Grampian, said: “From a health protection point of view it is really important members of the public comply with the instructions issued by the government.
“In the last two months we have seen very low levels of cases reported in Grampian and this sudden increase in cases is concerning.
“That is why the government has decided to put these restrictions in place.
“It’s a very, very difficult decision to make, but on the balance of probability and trying to keep the public safe so that we can reduce the spread of the infection of this disease, I think that decision had to be made.”
NHS Grampian had been piloting the phased resumption of visits to patients in its facilities, with patients in certain wards allowed one designated visitor.
It is understood the restrictions do not apply to those identified as essential visitors.
Dr Okpo said it was essential that the lockdown manages to bring the spread of Covid-19 “back to the level it was before the outbreak”.
He urged Aberdonians to be vigilant and follow the guidelines and measures around face coverings and social distancing, but added that a level of complacency had perhaps set in over the last couple of weeks.
“It’s not to blame the public, because the number of cases that were being reported were seen as low, but that can make people a bit complacent,” Dr Okpo said.
“It is the responsibility of all of us to make a conscious effort to be aware that the virus hasn’t gone away, even when it’s at low levels in the community, and that if we come together in crowded places you can get a cluster like we have had just now.
“I understand the Scottish Government is going to be monitoring the situation every week, and reviewing it every week, and we hope we will see a cases coming down over the coming days or weeks and hopefully we can go back to where we were and reintroduce easing of the lockdown.
“It’s important that people take the restrictions and the safety measures announced seriously. That will include social distancing when you go out and face coverings.
“We know the virus is circulating and we want to bring it down to a level where the transmission is not as high as it is just now.”