Incident management team again recommends level three Covid-19 restrictions for north-east

Level three Covid-19 restrictions for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire are being recommended again.

According to sources, the national incident management team believe measures should be tightened in the north-east amid rising numbers of cases.

In each of the last two weeks, they have recommended a move to level three, but the final decision resulted in the area retaining its level two status.

However, more than half of Aberdeen now has an infection rate of more than 100 per 100,000 people.

The data, which covers the seven-day period from December 4 to December 10, shows 265 people have tested positive for the virus in the city. The rate per 100,000 people is 115.9.

This figure is almost 10% higher than the Scottish average of 105.8.

In Aberdeenshire, over the same period there have been 223 cases, with a rate of 85.4 per 100,000 population.

The seven-day test positivity rate for the region is 4.8%.

There have also been a number of outbreaks at care homes across the north-east.

Local authority leaders are set to meet with ministers and public health officials later today to discuss the recommendations.