Nicola Sturgeon issues urgent warning over car-sharing in coronavirus hotspots
NICOLA Sturgeon has issued an urgent warning to people sharing cars – saying 1,000 people who tested positive in the last week had got into a vehicle with others.
The Scottish First Minister made it clear that people shouldn’t be sharing lifts with other people in different households unless it was essential.
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And she reiterated that it could mean people were spreading the virus to others.
Ms Sturgeon said this afternoon: “Please avoid car sharing unless it is essential.
“I’ve had people contacting me asking if that is really important, so let me give you this piece of information.
“According to our most recent figures, more than a thousand people who tested positive for Covid in the previous week reported sharing a car.”
The First Minister stressed the worrying figure didn’t mean all 1,000 cases came from sharing cars – but it is easily spread when indoors with someone outside of your own households.
The guidance tells Scots not to travel with people outside of their own household except when there is “no alternative”.
And it warned if people do share a car it should be on as few occasions as possible.
Passengers should wear a face mask inside the car and sit as far apart from people outside of their household.
Only six people at any one time should share a car.
And if Scots regularly share a vehicle, they should try and stick to riding with the same people every time.
Ms Sturgeon admitted the position in Scotland is “really tough” and that she understood people’s frustrations with the continual lockdowns.
She has brought in a fresh five-tiered system of local lockdowns, which mimics the one in England, but has two tougher levels.
The new system features five levels of measures – from “level zero” to four – to be applied in different areas of Scotland depending on the spread of the virus.
The top level would be close to a full lockdown like back in March, but the aim is for schools to remain open at all times if possible.
She said a higher tier was needed after English medics admitted that the top rung might not be enough to get cases right down again.
Formal confirmation of which areas of Scotland will be placed under which restrictions is set to be announced tomorrow.
Ms Sturgeon said this lunchtime: “The position we are in right now is really tough and everyone is thoroughly sick of it.
“That has been the case for some time but as the nights get darker and we head into winter, and as our attention and thoughts turn to Christmas, I think that feeling becomes a heavier one for all of us.”
In the last 24 hours, 28 people have died of coronavirus and there were 1,202 new infections in Scotland.