Sturgeon pleads with Scots not to ‘twist’ new Covid rules

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is urging Scots not to “twist” new coronavirus regulations when they come into force on Monday.

Sturgeon said if people applied their own interpretation of the rules then they “simply won’t work”.

The First Minister has already warned the country the new five-tier system of restrictions represents the best chance of avoiding another national lockdown.

In a plea to “frustrated” Scots, she urged them to think about the impact their decisions would have on others at this “critical point in the pandemic”.

The First Minister spoke out ahead of the new system of coronavirus restrictions coming into force at 6am on Monday, November 2.

As part of that the Scottish Government is launching a new campaign about the implications if people fail to abide by the rules, which include preventing people across much of Scotland travelling outside their local council area, apart from for essential purposes.

The new travel restriction applies in areas classed as Level 3 – the tier being applied across central Scotland, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, as well as Ayrshire and Dundee.

Sturgeon said: “I know that people are tired and frustrated, but at this critical point in the pandemic, I want to remind people that the decisions they make over the coming days and weeks have a real impact on not only themselves but others.

“Right now, we rely more than ever on public willingness to adhere to the measures in place.

“The new protection levels should enable communities to control outbreaks quickly and effectively and minimise transmission of the virus by following the guidance and supporting each other to comply. But, if we all put our own twist on the rules, they simply won’t work.”

The First Minister continued: “We’ve seen how our collective efforts at the start of the pandemic helped to suppress the virus to levels where businesses could open, people could meet up with less restrictions, and we were able to restore some normality to our lives.

“We all need to play our part to help protect lives, our mental health, the NHS, jobs and businesses. Stopping the spread starts with all of us.”