Kill the Bill: Bristol protesters gather at police station - BBC News

Protesters marched through Bristol as part of another demonstration against the Police and Crime Bill.

Avon and Somerset Police said about 100 people had gathered on College Green by about 19:00 BST rising to 150 by 20:10.

Several hundred protesters then marched through the city centre before heading back towards Bridewell Police station at about 21:30.

A sit-down protest took place at the station which was boarded up following violent scenes at the 21 March protest.

• Kill the Bill: The protesters' perspective
• Protesters on why they are marching

Supt Mark Runacres of Avon and Somerset Police said the force deployed police liaison officers at College Green "to try and develop that communication" with protesters.

"They established some communication which has been really helpful and again thanks to those who have assisted us with that," he said.

"That's what we look to encourage in advance of any future protest events, particularly Saturday to get in touch with us in advance so that we can discuss things like the protest route, the timings the duration and the end point."

"That really helps us to assist and facilitate the protest."

Earlier at College Green, protesters cheered a speech by organisers explaining their concerns about the new legislation which is making its way through Parliament.

At about 20:30 people started leaving and marched towards the city centre chanting "our streets".

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A small number of uniformed police officers walked in front of a large group of protesters who headed past Bridewell Police station towards Broadmead.

They then marched towards the Bearpit roundabout before looping back on themselves and returning to the city centre.

During the march there was a low police presence.

It is the fourth such protest in the city centre and the first to be held under new rules for lockdown easing.

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At the scene: BBC reporter Scott Ellis

A good 300 to 400 people were at College Green where people said that if police kept away and did not intervene the protest would remain peaceful, and it was good-natured.

I saw the Dean of the Cathedral walking by and she was more than happy as it's her land.

The protesters set off on a march through Bristol, down past Bridewell Police station where I saw riot police. They went past the boarded building, to Baldwin Street then along James Barton St.

The protesters had a sit down at the Holiday Inn and now they're sitting outside Bridewell Police station and are currently blocking the road.

They've told me that they're pleased that police haven't rounded them up and let them protest. There are about 150 to 200 hundred of them with some standing in a row towards the back.

The atmosphere is still peaceful with police officers in normal uniform. The march was a bit leaderless at times, with some going off in a few wrong directions.

One speaker who addressed the crowd just before 19:00 said: "The bill curtails the right to roam," and places further criminalisation on the traveller community "that are already harassed by police and subject to racism".

The second speech ended with a rallying cry for peace.

"The only way to do something about this is by pushing the message of peace. So please, everybody, keep it peaceful today."

On Monday, Avon and Somerset Police asked organisers to "engage" with officers to ensure the event did not breach Covid-19 regulations on public protests.

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• Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021

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2021-03-30 21:39:13Z
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Sarah Everard: Priti Patel says 'images can be taken out of context' after review finds police 'acted appropriately' at vigil - Sky News

The home secretary has said "images can be taken out of context" after a review into the police's handling of the Sarah Everard vigil found officers "acted appropriately".

Speaking to reporters, Priti Patel said she backed the Metropolitan Police following the report's findings and was "appalled and shocked" to learn officers had been assaulted during the event.

The vigil for Ms Everard, whose body was found a week after she went missing in London, was held on Saturday 13 March on Clapham Common despite police warning it would breach lockdown regulations.

Image: Sarah Everard went missing on 3 March and her body was found in woodland near Ashford in Kent a week later

A report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has found that "officers remained calm and professional when subjected to abuse" and "did not act inappropriately or in a heavy-handed manner".

But it said that there was insufficient communication between police commanders about the changing nature of the events on the ground.

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The watchdog also found that the force should have adopted "a more conciliatory response" amid criticism after the event and that public confidence in the Met Police had "suffered as a result" of its policing.

Images of women being pushed to the ground by police at the vigil caused uproar in the days that followed, with hundreds gathering to protest outside Scotland Yard.

But the home secretary said: "It's important people don't judge the actions of the police by footage that was put out and aired on broadcast without knowing the full facts...

"I do also think images can be taken out of context and we should not prejudge. Some people have before knowing the full facts."

Shortly after the images emerged from the vigil, Ms Patel had called them "upsetting".

Some of the footage circulating online from the vigil in Clapham is upsetting. I have asked the Metropolitan Police for a full report on what happened.

My thoughts remain with Sarah’s family and friends at this terrible time.

— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) March 13, 2021

But she defended her change in tone, saying she had "rightly" demanded a report on the event for this reason.

She added that violence towards officers was "simply unacceptable" and said the police had "conducted themselves in the right way".

One officer who was at the vigil, Met Police Sergeant Imogen Hirst, said she was "hit three times in the chest" and there was "a lot of pushing and shoving".

"There's actually body-worn [footage] where I'm saying to this person who assaulted me 'madam don't hit me, please don't hit me' and she continued to hit me before I gently pushed her out of the way," she said.

"The verbal abuse I heard was the worst. I've worked tens and tens of demonstrations and I've never been verbally abused like that."

The Met Police said in a statement: "We are determined to tackle violence against women and girls and hope this report goes some way to build confidence that our officers are working tirelessly to keep Londoners safe."

Police added that while the vast majority of those who attended the vigil throughout the afternoon did so in a "dignified, respectful and lawful manner", the atmosphere changed after 6pm and officers faced "considerable abuse and hostility from a small minority of the crowd".

Image: Police surround the bandstand in Clapham Common, London

Reclaim These Streets had failed to agree with the Met on how a vigil could be held in line with the rules, however hundreds of people turned up anyway to lay flowers on the bandstand to show their respects.

The organisation said the report from HMICFRS was "disappointing" and demonstrated "institutional sexism running through the force".

In a statement on Twitter, the group also said: "The HMICFRS interviewed Reclaim These Streets for over 10 hours. The Met Police antagonistic actions around the vigil forced us to cancel the event, which then in turn, caused a greater number of people to attend due to their publicity.

"We warned the Met Police on Friday night, that forcing us to cancel would cause additional risk to public safety, as did Lambeth Council. They completely dismissed our warning and concerns.

"The HMIC had a responsibility to begin rebuilding the trust between women and girls across the capital and the Metropolitan Police. The disregard for us as women organisers in the report is clear there is still institutional sexism running through the force."

A minute's silence for Ms Everard was held at 6pm when the crowd had reached around 500 people and the police presence had grown.

It was shortly after this that chanting began and a local councillor asked people to go home.

As it got dark the police started to urge a group of people on the bandstand to leave and told them COVID regulations were being broken.

The bandstand was soon almost surrounded by officers and the atmosphere started to become more hostile. It was at this point that a number of women appeared to be shoved and people starting shouting at the police.

Chants of "all cops are b******s" were directed towards officers on the bandstand.

Met Police officers grabbed women stood within the bandstand before leading them away, to screaming and shouting from onlookers.

By 8pm the clashes had finished and the Metropolitan Police said four people were arrested for public order and coronavirus regulation breaches.

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2021-03-30 17:10:16Z
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Coronavirus: Covid antibodies in half of UK population and festivals to go ahead - BBC News

Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus outbreak this Tuesday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.

1. Half of UK has Covid-19 antibodies

Vaccinations and infections mean that about half of the people in the UK now have antibodies against Covid-19, according to tests carried out by the Office for National Statistics. Antibodies are proteins in the blood which recognise specific infections and fight them off. With 30 million people having received at least one dose, most of the protection has been acquired through vaccination. Among over-65s, who have been prioritised for the vaccine, about 90% have antibodies. There has been a small decline in detectable antibodies among this group since January, however. The ONS suggests this may be because some people had their first dose but had not received their second yet - but it stressed that doesn't mean they have less immunity.

Reuters

2. Scotland to end stay-at-home rule on Friday

Scotland is ending its "stay at home" lockdown order on Friday and urging people to stay local instead, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed. People will still be asked to remain within their local authority area until 26 April, when the travel ban within Scotland is lifted. Hairdressers, barbers, garden centres, homeware stores and click-and-collect services will also be allowed to reopen from Monday. The ending of the stay-at-home order follows similar moves in Wales earlier in March and yesterday in England. Conservatives in Wales have said they hope to end social distancing altogether on 21 June if they win May's Senedd elections.

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3. More work needed to rule out lab leak Covid theory, says WHO

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says further investigation is needed to rule out a theory that Covid-19 emerged from a laboratory in China. Although such a leak is the least likely cause, more extensive research is needed, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The virus was first detected in Wuhan, in China's Hubei province in late 2019, but the Chinese government has dismissed the allegations of a virus leak. An international team of experts travelled to the city in January to probe the origin of the virus but Dr Tedros said they had difficulty accessing raw data and called for "more timely and comprehensive data sharing" in the future.

Reuters

4. Crowds and brawls greet sunshine and eased restrictions

Just one day after restrictions in England were eased to allow up to six people or two households to gather outdoors, police put in place a dispersal order to prevent large crowds gathering in Nottingham Arboretum. Videos shared on social media showed people brawling, hugging and drinking while enjoying the warm weather. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, First Minister Arlene Foster has called for the PSNI's chief constable to resign after it was announced there would be no prosecutions following the attendance of 2,000 mourners - against Covid restrictions - at the funeral of former IRA head of intelligence Bobby Storey.

5. Festivals to go ahead - but vaccine passports will be needed

The organiser of the Leeds and Reading festivals has said he is confident they will go ahead in August - but fans will "almost certainly" need some form of Covid vaccination passport. Melvin Benn said he was taking the prime minister at his word that legal restrictions would be removed in June for a "summer of fun". Headline acts announced so far include Stormzy, Liam Gallagher and Queens of the Stone Age. But Mr Benn said if the dual-site festival does have to be cancelled, fans will receive a refund.

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And don't forget...

You can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.

If you want to know what rules have been relaxed, and what changes are expected next, you can find all the details here.

What questions do you have about coronavirus?

In some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

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If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.

• WHO GOT IT RIGHT?: The different ways governments around the world responded to Covid-19
• SCARY ADULT THINGS: Does anyone have this whole life thing sorted?

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2021-03-30 17:06:29Z
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Appalling Nicola Sturgeon 'decapitation' comment shared online being 'assessed' by police - Daily Record

Cops have launched a probe after a post referring to 'decapitating' Nicola Sturgeon was shared online.

The comment, from an unknown user on the Wings Over Scotland blog called the First Minister 'a witch' and said that Glasgow southside, her constituency, was 'the seat of the devil herself'.

The SNP First Minister will face a challenge from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sawar in the southside at the upcoming election.

Wings Over Scotland has taken a Pro-Salmond position in the recent feud between him and Nicola Sturgeon and has given support to the Alba party.

The comment was posted on Wings Over Scotland

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One commentator under a Wings article titled 'The Lifeline', which talks about the new Salmond-fronted party, said he lived in the Glasgow seat and would be backing Labour and Alba as 'Decapitating this witch would stop the SNP dead in their tracks'.

The comment from an 'Andy' reads: "I’m still Voting Labour 1 and my new Party (ALBA) 2.

"I am going to try and stop Sturgeon even getting to Holyrood in the first place.

"The Glasgow Southside Constituency is unique, in that it is the seat of the Devil herself ... Nicola Sturgeon."

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A police spokeswoman said: "Police Scotland has been made aware of online comments regarding the First Minister and the information is currently being assessed."

Ian Reid, 57, from West Linton, in the Borders, told the Daily Record he had reported the comment to the police.

The former social care worker said the issue 'transcends politics' and that he fears this sort of rhetoric lead to the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox.

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He said: "It's just appalling.

"I said to the police 'I'm sure you have a lot more to be dealing with just now'.

"I trust they will deal with it

"I'm Joe Public- I am a member of the SNP... but I'm not part of the SNP establishment or anything like that, I don't have my own blowhole- I would like to describe myself as an ordinary Joe.

"And perhaps there's an irony there because it did strike me that this was the precursor to the Jo Cox situation.

"Not so long ago politicians of every view were condemning that and the whole country was traumatised by it.

"This, I can assure you, transcends politics... this kind of abhorrent view needs to be called out by everyone.

"I think this is something that doesn't require two thoughts and just needs to be called out."

He went on to call for the post to be removed and said he was shocked to see it on the Wings blog.

He said: "It was shared on Friday night and it is still there.

"I was interested in Scottish politics... so I went over to Wings to see what was being said in terms of the Alba party.

"When I was scrolling trough I saw it and just thought 'what!'

Top news stories today

At the time of writing the comment is still on the website.

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2021-03-30 16:33:56Z
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COVID-19: UK records 56 more coronavirus deaths and 4,040 new cases as 30.6 million have had first vaccine dose - Sky News

The UK has recorded 56 more COVID-19 deaths and 4,040 new cases in the latest 24-hour period.

This compares with Monday's figures of 23 deaths and 4,654 infections.

There is typically an increase in reported deaths on Tuesdays as weekend updates are added in.

A total of 126,670 people in the UK have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, and there have been 4,341,736 lab-confirmed cases since the pandemic began.

Meanwhile, 30,680,948 people have now had a first COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 3,838,010 have had both jabs.

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Some 236,119 first shots were administered on Monday.

Also, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show weekly registered coronavirus deaths in England and Wales have fallen to the lowest level since October.

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There were 963 deaths registered in the week ending 19 March where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, the ONS said.

It is the lowest number since the week ending 16 October, and the first time the weekly death toll has fallen below 1,000 since the following week.

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2021-03-30 15:47:13Z
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COVID-19: Around half of Britons have coronavirus antibodies, latest data suggests - Sky News

Around half of Britons in most parts of the country have COVID-19 antibodies, new data shows.

In England, some 54.7% of people in private households are likely to have tested positive for the antibodies in the week to 14 March, according to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world

Regional estimates for the percentage of people with antibodies range from 60% in the North West, to 50.3% in the South East.

The data showed that 50.5% of people in Wales had coronavirus antibodies, along with 49.3% in Northern Ireland and 42.6% in Scotland.

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However, the figures only include people in private households and not settings such as hospitals and care homes.

The presence of COVID-19 antibodies suggests someone has either had the virus or been vaccinated.

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It takes two to three weeks after infection or vaccination for the body to produce enough antibodies to fight off coronavirus.

So far, 30,151,287 people have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in the UK, and more than 4.3 million confirmed cases of the virus have been reported since the start of the pandemic.

The government has pledged it will have offered all adults a coronavirus jab by the end of July.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also set a target to offer a first dose of the vaccine to all 32 million people in the top nine priority groups by 15 April.

The ONS figures also showed that 86% of people aged 80 and over in private households in England are likely to have COVID-19 antibodies.

Since care home residents were also among the first to receive the vaccine, the true figure for antibodies among those aged 80 and over may be different, the ONS said.

In Wales, an estimated 79.2% of people aged 80 and over were likely to have tested positive for antibodies in the week to 14 March, along with 74% of people in Scotland.

In Northern Ireland, the ONS uses different age groups due to smaller sample sizes and estimated that 76.4% of people aged 70 and over were likely to have tested positive for antibodies in this period.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned against complacency despite the ongoing success of the vaccination programme on Tuesday.

Almost 2.5 million people in Scotland have received the first dose of a vaccine, but Mrs Sturgeon said at her daily coronavirus briefing people should still be "hyper-vigilant".

"There are still no grounds for complacency," she said.

"In fact, it is really important right now that while the vaccination programme continues to be rolled out, that all of us remain hyper-vigilant in how we're going about our daily lives."

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2021-03-30 14:15:00Z
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Coronavirus in Scotland RECAP: Nicola Sturgeon says easing of lockdown restrictions to go ahead as planned - The Scotsman

HealthCoronavirus

Live updates on Covid-19 in Scotland, the UK, and around the world.

Tuesday, 30th March 2021, 6:34 am

Updated Tuesday, 30th March 2021, 1:47 pm

The latest updates on Covid-19 in Scotland.

Hello and welcome to our live blog for Tuesday, March 30.

Follow along here to stay up-to-date with the latest developments on the coronavirus crisis.

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Last updated: Tuesday, 30 March, 2021, 13:50

• Stay at home rule to lift on Friday, FM confirms
• 411 new Covid cases reported in Scotland
• 12 Covid deaths reported on Tuesday
• Click and collect and hairdressers to reopen from Monday

Ministers ‘mortified’ at campaign trail Covid breaches, says Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon has said two of her ministers were “pretty mortified” after breaking coronavirus rules after they were pictured campaigning with groups of activists.

Graeme Dey, the minister who first announced the election coronavirus rules to MSPs, broke those rules by holding an outdoor gathering which he later apologised for.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney also apologised after he took a selfie with four other SNP activists while out leafleting.

The First Minister was asked about these breaches at her coronavirus briefing on Tuesday – the first time the briefing has taken place during the election period.

She said no-one was infallible, referring to her own “mishap” over Christmas where she was seen speaking to others without a mask.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The ministers, Graeme and John, who made a mistake around the size of gatherings when they were leafleting, were in the wrong.

“Both of them have apologised. If, as many of you do, you know either of them and how seriously they take their responsibilities – they are both pretty mortified at having done that.

“None of us, unfortunately, are perfect and none of us are infallible.

“I think it’s really important that when people like me who are asking people to follow these rules do slip up you’re really upfront about it and apologise and continue to ask people to do the right thing for all of the right reasons.”

Sadiq Khan warns of ‘mass unemployment’ when furlough ends in autumn

London mayor Sadiq Khan has warned of a wave of “mass unemployment” when the furlough scheme ends in September without action to protect jobs.

Speaking at a campaign event in Westminster, Mr Khan said his focus would be on “jobs, jobs, jobs” if he was re-elected for a second term in the delayed elections on May 6.

He set out plans for a £32 million fund to establish four new skills academies to train Londoners for work in growth areas in the creative, digital, low carbon and health and social care sectors.

“My concern as somebody who lived through the 1980s is we could have another period of mass unemployment where a generation is written off,” he said.

“Should I be re-elected on May 6, our focus in the second term will be jobs, jobs jobs.

“That means protecting the jobs we have, supporting job creation but also helping those who have lost their jobs get back in work.”

Unclear where or when nurse Mary Agyapong was exposed to Covid-19 – coroner

A 28-year-old nurse who died with coronavirus less than a week after giving birth died of multiple organ failure and Covid-19, a coroner has ruled.

Delivering a narrative conclusion at the inquest into the death of sister Mary Agyapong, who died at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, coroner Emma Whitting said: “The deceased died after contracting Covid-19 but it remains unclear where and when her exposure to the virus had occurred.”

Ms Agyapong died on April 12 last year at the hospital where she worked, five days after giving birth to her second child.

She spent at least the last week of her life with coronavirus, a diagnosis initially dismissed by medics at the hospital where she worked, despite collapsing at home and suffering acute breathing difficulties.

Her widower Ernest Boateng had told the inquest at Bedfordshire and Luton Coroner’s Court that she was concerned about becoming infected at work while heavily pregnant.

Ms Agyapong, who lived in Luton and was originally from Ghana, died as the Covid-19 case rate soared across the UK.

After the ruling, Mr Boateng said: “The sudden death of my wife and the mother of our two children has been the hardest pain to bear. In those early days after Mary’s death, I was only able to carry on because of the need to care for our children and provide them with a loving home.

“Mary was strong, capable, vibrant, full of life and the most precious person in my life. It is still difficult to believe that she lost her life to the Covid-19 virus.

“I am glad that those who were involved in Mary’s care in the final weeks of her life have had to give a full account of what happened.

“I hope that the fact that they have had to do so will remind them of the need to always give the best possible care to women in Mary’s situation – especially black women who are themselves on the frontline of healthcare.”

Captain Sir Tom Moore’s book of wisdom was to be titled Eat Your Porridge

Captain Sir Tom Moore started each day with a bowl of porridge and his book of life lessons was at one point going to be called Eat Your Porridge, his ghost writer has said.

Journalist and biographer Wendy Holden wrote to the Second World War veteran after he hit the headlines last year by walking 100 laps of his garden, raising more than £32 million for the NHS.

She said her father, who also fought in Burma, would have been the same age as Sir Tom and they “clicked immediately”.

Ms Holden was the ghost writer for his autobiography Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day, published last year, and she also worked on his book of advice, called Captain Tom’s Life Lessons.

Before Sir Tom’s death on February 2, the book was due for release on what would have been his 101st birthday on April 30.

This has been brought forward to April 2, and Ms Holden said that he had been “very much looking forward to sharing his lessons and sharing his thoughts with the general public”.

These are the 11 areas in Scotland with the most new coronavirus cases between March 20 and March 26

UK’s wider Covid-19 death toll passed 150,000 in mid-March

More than 150,000 people in the UK have had Covid-19 recorded on their death certificate, new figures show.

The grim milestone was passed on March 18, but has only now been confirmed due to the time it takes for deaths to be registered.

The figures, which have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show that 150,116 deaths involving coronavirus have occurred in the UK since the pandemic began.

The total includes all deaths where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.

The ONS figures provide the fullest picture so far of how the Covid-19 pandemic has unfolded in the UK.

They are a more comprehensive measure of deaths than the numbers published daily by the Government, which count only those who died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus, and which currently stand at a total of 126,615.

Of the 150,116 deaths involving coronavirus reported by the ONS, 55,407 (37%) have taken place since the start of 2021.

The highest number of deaths to occur on a single day was 1,469 on January 19.

During the first wave of the virus, the daily death toll peaked at 1,461 deaths on April 8 2020.

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Coronavirus in Scotland: Stay at home order to lift as some shops and hairdressers prepare to open

Sturgeon: Easing of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland to go ahead as planned

Planned easing of coronavirus restrictions in Scotland is to go ahead despite cases “plateauing” rather than continuing to decline, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister was speaking during a Scottish Government, Covid-19 briefing, which are no longer given on a daily basis since the Scottish Parliament election campaign began last week.

Ms Sturgeon said the “Stay at Home” order would be removed from Friday and replaced with a “Stay Local” rule.

On Monday, hairdressers and barbers can reopen for pre-booked appointments, click and collect shopping will be permitted, and homeware shops and garden centres can welcome back customers.

University and college students can also return for in-person teaching and outdoor contact sports for 12-17-year olds may resume.

The First Minister said she will give further updates in April but that Scotland is on course to ease restrictions further, with cafes, restaurants, shops and gyms due to open from April 26 and more people allowed to meet up outdoors.

Nicola Sturgeon LIVE

Further easing of restrictions in Scotland will go ahead from Monday, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

Barbers and hairdressers will be allowed to reopen, along with more freedoms for non-essential retail and an increase in students in college returning to in-person teaching for practical subjects.

The First Minister announced the change earlier this month, but confirmed it would go ahead at the coronavirus briefing on Tuesday.

Shops will be allowed to open for click and collect services, along with homeware shops and garden centres.

The First Minister added: “We don’t want big crowds at these stores, so although they open from Monday, think about whether you really need to visit on Monday or if you’re able to wait until later in the week.”

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Nicola Sturgeon confirms that easing of rules planned for 2nd and 5th April will go ahead. They are: ‘stay local’ instead of ‘stay at home’ - some on campus learning - contact sport for 12 to 17-year-olds - some retail services - hairdressers

Nicola Sturgeon LIVE

The “stay at home” order in Scotland will be lifted later this week and replaced with a request for people to “stay local”, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The change was announced earlier this month and confirmed during the coronavirus briefing on Tuesday.

The First Minister said: “The stay at home rule is being replaced for the next three weeks at least with a requirement to stay local.

“That means the current travel restrictions, which prevent non-essential travel outside your own local authority area, will remain in place for another three weeks.

“I fully understand how frustrating that is for everybody – I share that frustration – like many of you, my family live in a different local authority to the one I live in, and so like anyone with loved ones in a different part of the country, I desperately want to see them in person.”

"It is vital that we all continue to bear that in mind and act cautiously, and be careful in the weeks ahead as we gradually start to ease lockdown restrictions," says Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon LIVE

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned against complacency despite positive figures in the vaccination programme.

Almost 2.5 million people in Scotland have received the first dose of the vaccine, but the First Minister said at the coronavirus briefing people should still be “hyper-vigilant”.

“There are still no grounds for complacency,” she said.

“In fact, it is really important right now that while the vaccination programme continues to be rolled out, that all of us remain hyper-vigilant in how we’re going about our daily lives.”

The number of new cases is now “plateauing”, the First Minister said, after having consistently dropped throughout January and February.

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2021-03-30 12:47:32Z
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