The First Minister is expected to give an update on Aberdeen’s lockdown this afternoon.
Nicola Sturgeon is set to announce whether measures imposed two weeks ago can be lifted but it appears unlikely the city will be returning to normality.
Aberdeen’s bars, cafes and restaurants were ordered to close on August 5, with residents being banned from having visitors in their homes and travel restrictions being reintroduced on leisure activities.
Speaking at the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh yesterday, Ms Sturgeon said there had been a decline in new cases across Grampian but the number remained higher than the rest of Scotland.
But seven of the 49 new national cases announced yesterday were in the Grampian area and Ms Sturgeon said this would be considered as part of the decision as to whether any changes can be made to local restrictions.
She said the decline in cases “suggests that the restrictions that were put in place two weeks ago are having an impact – as of course are the efforts of the health protection teams”.
A total of 220 coronavirus cases have now been linked to the cluster in Aberdeen.
NHS Grampian confirmed yesterday that 1,125 close contacts have been identified in relation to the outbreak. That number does not represent 1,125 unique individuals, as contacts can be entered multiple times.