Nicola Sturgeon imposes travel ban on Blackburn and Darwen residents and other local authority areas

First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, has imposed restrictions against travel to and from Scotland to three local authority areas south of the border.
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Bolton, Blackburn and Darwen and Bedford, are the areas affected, with Ms Sturgeon saying Scots must delay any plans to visit those areas.

She added: “We’re not placing legal restrictions on travel to Lancashire or Greater Manchester more widely, or to areas around Bedfordshire.

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“But if you’re planning to visit these areas in the next few days, please consider whether you need to make your visit, or whether it can be delayed.”

People queuing for Covid vaccinations at the ESSA academy in Bolton as the spread of the Indian coronavirus variant could lead to the return of local lockdownsPeople queuing for Covid vaccinations at the ESSA academy in Bolton as the spread of the Indian coronavirus variant could lead to the return of local lockdowns
People queuing for Covid vaccinations at the ESSA academy in Bolton as the spread of the Indian coronavirus variant could lead to the return of local lockdowns

Advice on the Gov.scot website said travel to and from Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, and Bolton is only allowed for permitted reasons from Monday 24 May 2021, for example for work or education.

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The death toll under this daily measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – remains at 7,664.

The daily test positivity rate was 1.9%, up from 1.6% the previous day.

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There were 81 people in hospital on Thursday with recently confirmed Covid-19, down two from the previous day, and of these four people were in intensive care, down one from the day before.

Nicola Sturgeon has said it “makes more sense” to review coronavirus restrictions on a weekly basis, after announcing Glasgow will be the only area to remain in Level 3 of Scotland’s measures.

Speaking at a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing on Friday, the First Minister said authorities are “fairly certain” the increase in cases in the city is being driven by the Indian variant – referred to by Ms Sturgeon as April-02 – with “extensive public health measures” deployed over the past 10 days.

The number of cases per 100,000 people in Glasgow has increased from 71 last week to 122.6 in the seven days to May 18.

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