Scots govt reimposes Aberdeen lockdown after virus spike

LONDON: Scotland will reimpose lockdown restrictions in and around the city of Aberdeen after recording dozens of new coronavirus cases there this week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday.

The measures, which include closing all indoor and outdoor hospitality venues by 1600 GMT, follow more than 20 pubs and restaurants being involved in what Sturgeon said could become a "significant outbreak".

Residents in the city of around 229,000 people will be barred from visiting each other's homes and cannot travel more than five miles under the reintroduced restrictions.

Sturgeon said the measures would be reviewed after seven days, which will come in the same week as the planned reopening of many schools across Scotland.

"Our precautionary and careful judgement is that we need to take decisive action now in order to try to contain this outbreak and prevent further harm later on," she told reporters at her daily COVID-19 briefing.

"Acting now, we judge, gives us the time and the space to protect the ability of our young people to return to education."

Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland, saw 54 new virus cases in a 24-hour period to Wednesday, according to the devolved government in Edinburgh.

It is the first time lockdown measures have been reimposed since restrictions were gradually eased over recent weeks in the UK.

There have been no new coronavirus deaths in Scotland, which has recorded 2,491 fatalities from COVID-19 during the pandemic, for 20 consecutive days.

In neighbouring England, which has seen the highest death toll in Europe from the virus, several local lockdowns have been reintroduced since restrictions were first eased, ahead of Scotland, earlier in the summer.