Coronavirus in Scotland - Several clusters identified

Nicola Sturgeon brings the briefing to a close by again stressing how crucial it is that people follow the five pieces of advice in FACTS: They are:

Face coverings in enclosed spaces

Avoid crowded places

Clean hands and surfaces regularly

Two metre distancing; and

Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms

The first minister concludes we need to all redouble our efforts to stop the clusters emerging or spreading.

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Mr McLaughlin from The Times also has a question for the chief medical officer about how many people have tested positive for Covid-19 despite having no symptoms.

He asks what data was behind the assertion that there was "little value" in asymptomatic testing.

Dr Gregor Smith replies the evidence on whether to test asymptomatic people or not has been emerging and the government has been very carefully keeping abreast of all the studies across the globe.

The interim chief medical officer says the directors of public health in Scotland have been looking at the benefits or "disbenefits" of adopting asymptomatic testing.

He explains the data about false positives at low prevalence levels becomes really important leading to equivocal or misleading results.

The first minister explains there is more information coming now about whether people were asymptomatic or presymptomatic when tested, but adds this is not exact and more is emerging all the time.

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Mark McLaughlin from The Times tackles Nicola Sturgeon on the timing of a future public inquiry into coronavirus.

He says the first minister has the power to set a provisional date for an inquiry and can request an interim report.

The first minister says we remain in the midst of the pandemic and her attention is focused on that.

“I have said we openly will have a public inquiry,” but she adds it is also important she focuses on a pandemic that is not over.

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Derek Healey, from The Courier, asks if the first minister can expand on why she thinks the Coupar Angus oubreak is "complex" - and if she believes a local lockdown could be necessary to tackle it.

Nicola Sturgeon replies that she is cautious about speculating but says nothing can be ruled out.

Quote Message: If we can't keep a cluster under control purely through Test and Protect then additional measures always have to be possible. from Nicola Sturgeon FM

If we can't keep a cluster under control purely through Test and Protect then additional measures always have to be possible.

The first minister adds that the complexity of the outbreak is related to the size of the workforce at the 2 Sisters plant and the nature of the work done there.

She says there have been other outbreaks in food processing plants across the UK and Europe, and they are known as places where the virus can easily spread.

"When it gets into somewhere like this it can spread quite widely," she says.

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Fraser Nicoll from Original 106 moves on to ask about the Aberdeen cluster and whether cafes and restaurants could open before public bars, as safety measures are easier to implement.

“Could we see a staggered lifting of restrictions in the city?” he asks.

Anything is possible replies the first minister, but she points out she will get advice later today or tomorrow about what if any restrictions in Aberdeen may be lifted.

In general terms she says The situation in Aberdeen we think is improving but the outbreak is not over yet.

“So it may be that we need a bit longer to get that under control, but of course we will only have restrictions in place for as long as necessary.”

She adds without the restrictions we would be dealing with a much bigger episode in Aberdeen.

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The interim chief medical officer adds the Scientific Advisory Group on Education and Children has reviewed a whole series of evidence on face coverings and the evidence remains divided.

Dr Gregor Smith says it is really important all available evidence on face coverings is considered and the prevalence of the disease in communities is key.

Where there is fairly low prevalence as there is in the majority of Scotland, the use of face coverings really adds "very, very little in terms of protection", he points out.

It would not be a proportionate response in terms of the harm they would cause in terms of the individual and their schooling, Dr Smith adds, although he reiterates this will be kept under review.

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Ross Govans from STV highlights issues with social distancing for pupils and parents outside schools and asks if the wider use of face masks could be a possible mitigating factor in this, particularly with parents picking up and dropping of young children.

The first minister says she has seen on social media pictures of scenes inside or outside schools that look too crowded and where that has been seen, the relevant director of education will be contacted to ensure schools are supported to comply with the guidance.

“We keep the issue of face coverings under ongoing review,” adds the first minister.

She says in the guidance there are robust mitigations required while trying to allow pupils to have as normal schooling as possible.

We will consider whether particularly for older pupils if more use of face coverings is appropriate and where any young person or staff member wants to wear a face covering they should be supported in doing that, explains Ms Sturgeon.

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BBC Scotland’s Jamie McIvor asks what should working parents do and employers do if their child must self-isolate?

The first minister: “We want schools to be open and we want children and young people to be at school. And we want parents to be confident and assured about sending children to school.”

“That is why my main message to everybody is do everything we are asking in order to keep community transmission low.

“The biggest risk to schools are outbreaks that start outside schools and find their way into schools.

“So far none of what I have reported today is transmission within schools.”

She adds if you are asked to keep a child off school by Test and Protect or because they have symptoms please do so.

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Nicola Sturgeon emphasises the role of "indoor social events" in spreading new infections, saying it underlines the importance of sticking to the rules on gatherings.

"If the virus is present at a house party, everyone attending the party is at considerable risk of infection," she says.

The first minister reminds people that no more than eight people should be gathering inside, with two-metre social distancing to be maintained.

Ms Sturgeon acknowledges the rules are "not easy" to follow, but says that not sticking to them is presenting "perhaps one of our biggest risks" of outbreaks at the moment.

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The first minister says that eight cases have now been identified in the Lanarkshire cluster, including five pupils from three different schools.

The north-east Glasgow cluster now has 14 cases and Nicola Sturgeon says the two clusters are still believed to be linked.

However, she says that it is important to stress that they are "community clusters with an impact on schools" rather than school-bsed clusters.

"It is not thought that the virus has transmitted within the schools," she says.

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The first minister says that nine confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been linked to the cluster at the food processing plant in Perth and Kinross.

Seven of the cases are employees at the 2 Sisters plant in Coupar Angus and two are in the wider community.

The factory has now been closed and all 900 workers there will be tested today.

Ms Sturgeon says this is a "complex and potentially significant cluster" with public health, economic and animal welfare implications.

“For all of the reasons we are monitoring all aspects of this situation very carefully and closely,” she says.

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Nicola Sturgeon says 220 cases have now been associated with the cluster linked to pubs in Aberdeen with 1,125 contacts identified.

However, the first minister says there has been a decline in new cases across the Grampian area.

“That suggests that the restrictions that were put in place two weeks ago are having an impact – as of course are the efforts of the health protection teams,” she says.

But Ms Sturgeon warns that new cases in NHS Grampian are still higher than the rest of the country, which will be taken into account when it is announced tomorrow if there is any change to the restrictions in Aberdeen.

Quote Message: The situation there does appear to be improving but it's important to stress to say that the outbreak is not yet completely over. from Nicola Sturgeon FM

The situation there does appear to be improving but it's important to stress to say that the outbreak is not yet completely over.

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Nicola Sturgeon will shortly lead the daily government coronavirus briefing.

The first minister is joined today by Interim Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith.

The focus will be on the three pupils at separate primary schools in Perthshire and Paisley who have tested positive.

The first minister will also provide updates on a series of clusters in Orkney, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Coupar Angus and Glasgow.