Covid in Scotland: 'Right to question' when restrictions will ease

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has said it is fair to question whether restrictions in Scotland will be at level zero by the end of June.

The whole country is due to move to level zero on 28 June but the prevalence of the Delta variant, first detected in India, may delay that.

Mr Yousaf said the Delta variant was a "bump in the road" and its impact on the NHS was still being assessed.

Nicola Sturgeon will give an update on Scotland's restrictions on Tuesday.

Ahead of that, the UK government is expected to announce on Monday that it will delay plans to end all Covid restrictions in England on 21 June.

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Asked on the BBC Scotland Sunday Show, if there would be a delay to Scotland moving to the lowest level of Covid restrictions - level zero - on 28 June, Mr Yousaf said he couldn't commit to any specific dates at this stage.

He added: "I think you are right to question that date and understandably so because the Delta variant is a bump in the road.

"We have to ensure that we fully understand the effects and the link between the rise in cases and hospitalisation, that is the key critical question which we are poring over on a daily basis."

Mr Yousaf said Scotland was in the "very early days of a potential third wave" so the Delta variant's impact on NHS capacity was still not clear.

Mr Yousaf said hospital data would be crucial to the decision on easing lockdown but added it was still "very early days" in assessing the impact of the Delta variant despite lower hospital admissions than in previous waves of the pandemic

The health secretary warned on Friday that Pfizer vaccine supplies would be "tight" over the next few weeks and would restrict the vaccination programme.

Mr Yousaf told the BBC he has since had positive talks with UK government ministers and said he was "reassured" everything was being done to speed up the rollout of the vaccine.

The SNP minister said the target of offering every adult a first vaccine by the end of July was still on track.

Second jab plea

As part of the effort to speed up the number of people fully vaccinated, people over the age of 40 are being urged to have their second Covid jab as soon as possible.

The Scottish government has said anyone in that age group who has a scheduled appointment more than eight weeks after their first jab should seek an earlier slot.

The UK vaccines committee has recommended shortening the interval between jabs from 12 to eight weeks.

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