Scotland may need ‘reverse gear’ if rise in Covid cases continues

The daily figure for coronavirus cases in Scotland on Friday was 662, a 161 increase on Monday 8 March.

At the government’s coronavirus briefing, Professor Leitch said a “reverse gear” might be needed if cases continue to rise over the next seven days (PA)

A rise in Scottish coronavirus cases over the past five days has “worried” a top government adviser, though he expressed hope the data was merely a “blip”.

Jason Leitch, the National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government, said the increase was not dramatic but showed the need for a cautious easing of lockdown.

The daily figure for coronavirus cases in Scotland on Friday was 662, a 161 increase on Monday 8 March. 

At the government’s coronavirus briefing, Professor Leitch said a “reverse gear” might be needed if cases continue to rise over the next seven days. 

He said: “Up until Monday, everything was looking good, numbers were falling, we were decelerating.

“Our seven-day average across the nation was 65 per 100,000, the lowest it’s been for months.”

Around half of Scotland’s council areas recorded cases in less than 50 people per 100,000.

Prof Leitch continued: “But since Monday the numbers have risen.

“So Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, the numbers have gone up, and that has worried us again.

“They haven’t gone up dramatically and it may just be a blip, but we don’t know.”

He said the latest figures emphasise the need to open up from lockdown slowly and reviewing progress at three-week checkpoints.

Prof Leitch was also asked about cases in the Greater Glasgow health board area, where a total of 276 cases were recorded on Friday, the highest daily number since 9 February. 

He was asked whether the surge in cases may be linked to celebrations by Rangers fans in the city last weekend.

He said it was too premature to tell and that they wouldn’t know until they looked “at the data.”

“We won’t know until the contact tracing is done where people have been, that, of course, doesn’t give causation, it just tells you where people have been,” he said.

“And if we see a pattern, then we’ll have to give advice around what that pattern tells us.”

Last Sunday, Rangers fans celebrated the team’s Scottish Premier Title win with a public gathering. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon condemned the fans on Twitter and urged them to “just go home.”

Ms Sturgeon said: “I congratulate @RangersFC on the title win & recognise what a moment this is for fans.

“But gathering in crowds just now risks lives, and could delay exit from lockdown for everyone else.

“If those gathering care at all about the safety of others & the country, they will go home.”

Lockdown restrictions in Scotland started to be eased last month and a phased return to schools began in mid-February. Additional reporting by Press Association