Lockdown considered for Western Isles after rise in cases

A decision on whether to place the Western Isles into level four will be made on Friday.

The Scottish Government is “urgently examining” a rise in coronavirus cases in the Western Isles, with a move to a level four lockdown possible.

During Friday’s coronavirus briefing, health secretary Jeane Freeman said six new cases were reported on Friday and nine on Thursday.

Paired with a separate outbreak on Barra that pushed the island into level four in recent weeks, the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway has now reached capacity.

A decision on the Western Isles’ future will be made on Friday, but the Health Secretary urged people in the area to take extra caution now.

“I would urge people to please not wait. Please stay at home whenever possible and help your local National Health Service through this,” she said.

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