Sturgeon urges all to wear face masks in enclosed spaces
The people of Scotland have been called on to start wearing face coverings in all enclosed spaces to protect both themselves and others.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the call during her daily briefing as she revealed there were just 53 new cases – though 40 of those have only just arrived and predate the previous 24 hours.
A further 122 people were in hospital while the total number of people in hospital decreased by 23 and 34 patients were in intensive care and 12 deaths have been registered due to Covid-19.
However, Ms Sturgeon also revealed that 1010 older people were discharged from hospital and returned either to their own homes or to care homes during April.
This comes amid a growing clamour for information about the possible spread of the virus from hospitals to care homes igniting the current crisis that has claimed hundreds of lives.
The First Minister was keen to point out that everyone has a responsibility to obey the rules and should still be remaining at home and seeing as few people as possible to continue to contain the virus.
Last weekend saw a huge spike in movement across the country, with hundreds of people talked to by the police and dispersed after failing to observe social distancing rules like capping the number in a group at eight.
She said: “Our national response to Covid-19 depends on people being prepared to look out for each other and show solidarity with each other and volunteers are an essential and highly valued part of that collective national effort.
“Each and every one of us has a part to play in that effort and it remains the case that the best way in which all of us can show solidarity with each other is by sticking to the rules and the public health guidance.
“You should still be staying at home most of the time right now and you should still be meeting fewer people than normal, I’d ask all of you to consider whether or not your life feels as if it is going back to normal, I am sure it is not.
“But if it is perhaps you should think about whether you think you are following all of the public health guidance because unfortunately and regrettably our lives shouldn't feel completely normal right now.
“When you do meet people from another household, when you are away from home, you should stay outdoors at all times and you should stay two metres apart from members of other households.
“You might be reading or hearing in the media today some voices saying that one metre is sufficient so I want to take the opportunity today to stress that the clear and strong advice from the Scottish Government is to stay two metres apart from those in other households.
“Don't meet-up with more than one a day and please keep to a maximum, an I stress a maximum, of eight people in a group, remember to wash your hands often that is actually more important as you start to meet I'll be at a physical distance with people from other household so wash your hands often and thoroughly.
“And if you're away from your home, out and about, please remember to take hand sanitiser with you.
“Wear a face covering when you're in shops and public transport and again I want to make her a direct appeal to hear if you haven't been waiting a face covering so far, I'm asking you to please think about doing so now.
“It can offer some protection to other people, it protects them from you transmitting the virus to them if you have it, perhaps without knowing it, and other people who have face covering are offering you some protection as well.
“It's something all of us can protect each other.”
