Nicola Sturgeon to announce decision on Moray’s lockdown level

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce if Moray will remain in Level 3 today as people around the rest of the country look forward to more relaxed restrictions.

Ms Sturgeon said earlier this week that region was “most likely” to stay in Level 3 while confirming the majority of Scotland would move to Level 2 from Monday.

It comes after Moray experienced a surge in Covid cases in recent weeks, with the region’s infection rate hitting more than 100 per 100,000 earlier this week.

If the local authority is held at Level 3, travel restrictions could be imposed preventing people moving in or out of the region – except for specific purposes.

On Tuesday, Ms Sturgeon said: “If Moray stays at Level 3 then it will be necessary to reimpose travel restrictions to prevent travel in or out of the area, except for limited purposes, and hopefully only for a short period.

“If the decision to keep Moray at Level 3 is confirmed we will provide additional financial assistance to businesses affected.”

However, with only two Covid cases were registered yesterday, and the infection rate falling to 57.4, there are hopes this will not last too long.

Public health teams met yesterday to discuss the situation in Moray ahead of today’s decision.

Signs of improvement

NHS Grampian has said that early signs are encouraging in the region but warned against complacency as further mobile testing units are deployed.

Management teams have been hard at work trying to control the outbreak, and the community has answered the call to get tested and the vaccine,

The number of tests in Moray being undertaken has risen by 400% since the first warnings of rising rates.

As part of the effort to tackle the transmission of the virus, NHS Grampian accelerated vaccine rollout in Moray, which will still include second doses being administered within 12 weeks of the first jab.

Earlier this week, it was reported large queues formed outside the Edgar Road retail park unit in Elgin walk-up appointments.

Speaking on BBC’s Good Morning Scotland on Tuesday, Moray Council leader Graham Leadbitter said conversations with public health officials there is confidence the region is on the right track to tackling the outbreak.

Mr Leadbitter said: “Beyond next week, we’ll be talking about days rather than weeks.

“There’s a huge effort going on with asymptomatic testing, with PCR testing – mass PCR testing at one of our local schools, which is testing 1,000 students and staff.

“That combined with an acceleration of the vaccination programme, the roll-out of the vaccine for 18 to 30-year-olds in Moray is already having a significant impact.

“I’m hearing a lot of confidence from public health officials that they believe we will days rather than weeks before we move down to level two.”