First Minister confirms Falkirk to drop down to Level 2 COVID restrictions

But it came with a warning to be careful and cautious in a bid to avoid any rise in infection rates.

Falkirk was one of three district across Scotland that were move down from Level 3 by Nicola Sturgeon.

Also moving down are Inverclyde and Angus

The First Minister said: “All three have reduced and now have relatively low rates of transmission - and although Falkirk’s has increased very slightly in recent days, it has not changed our judgment that all three meet the criteria for moving into Level 2.”

The change takes effect from Friday.

The First Minister also announced that 11 local authorities currently in Level 4 restrictions will move to Level 3.

But she said it was more important than ever to adhere to the restrictions on travel and social gatherings.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Moving any area down a level is not a neutral act.

“Because it allows some restrictions to be lifted, it presents more opportunities for the virus to spread, so it presents real risks.

New affordable homes for BainsfordFalkirk festive appeal pulls in donations and Christmas jumpers

“I would ask everyone – especially in those areas that are moving down a level – to continue to do everything you can, to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.”She urged people to “be careful and cautious.” and continue to limit social interactions with others as much as possible.

She added: “It may be counter-intuitive, but as restrictions ease, caution becomes more important, not less.”

On a more positive note, she hailed the start of COVID vaccinations as “a day of optimism for all of us.”

She continued: “It marks, we hope, the beginning of the end of the pandemic.

“The end is not quite with us yet.

“The route back to something much closer to normal life is clearer and closer now than at any time since March, and we are all looking forward to reaching that point.

“But we are not quite there yet.

“Our priority must surely be on doing everything we can to ensure that, when we do reach it, all of our loved ones are there with us. That means taking extra care to stay safe now.”

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.

https://www.localsubsplus.co.uk/nord/dm/FKH/V