Sturgeon: People don't need to cancel October break plans

Scots don’t need to cancel holiday plans they’ve made for the October break, Nicola Sturgeon has said, despite the tightening of coronavirus measures.

In general, people should avoid unnecessary travel – but the Scottish Government is not asking them to cancel pre-booked trips, the First Minister made clear.

It comes after the closure of pubs and restaurants in the central belt, including in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with the measures affecting more than three million people.

Residents of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Lothian, Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran health board areas have been asked not to travel beyond their regions if they don’t need to.

People in these hotspot areas should try to avoid public transport except for work purposes, going to school and other unavoidable reasons.

More than two-thirds of Monday’s new coronavirus cases – 715 out of 961 infections nationwide – were shared between the Greater Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Lothian health board areas.

Sturgeon told the daily Covid-19 briefing: “We’re asking people who live in these areas not to travel outside them if they don’t need to.

“So for example, if you live in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, don’t travel outside Greater Glasgow and Clyde if you don’t really need to.”

However, the First Minister added: “We’re not insisting that people cancel October holiday plans.

“But we are asking more generally, please avoid travel that you don’t need to take to different parts of Scotland or to different parts of the UK.”

She said the Test and Protect system had recently identified a number of Covid cases linked to travel to other parts of the country, chiefly through coach travel.

Sturgeon continued: “When you do travel, please be very careful, be especially cautious if you’re travelling, whether that’s in Scotland or elsewhere in the UK, to places that are seeing high rates of infection.”

People travelling to hotspot areas anywhere in Scotland or the UK should ensure they wear a face covering, observe distancing and follow all other health advice, the FM stressed.