Scotland Moves to Next Stage in Tackling Virus as Cases Rise

(Bloomberg) --

Scotland will ban mass gatherings from next week and is assessing the need for school closures along with the rest of the U.K. after the number of coronavirus cases spiked.

The government in Edinburgh halted any events involving 500 or more people, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told said on Thursday. The closure of schools is under review because of the likely impact, with classes being canceled potentially until the summer, Sturgeon said.

In step with the rest of the U.K., Scotland has decided against more drastic measures to see how the virus spreads while other European countries have already shut down education and told people to work from home.

The challenge is how to act without risking making the situation worse, Sturgeon said. “If schools are closed, children have to go somewhere and there could be informal gatherings where there’s more risk of the virus spreading,” she said. Keeping children in school also allows staff to ensure they stick to the mandated hand-washing regime.

Sixty people had tested positive in Scotland for Covid-19 as of Thursday, almost doubling in a day from 36. The health service in Scotland is currently working on doubling intensive-care capacity.

Earlier, Sturgeon said the current expert advice suggests that halting mass gatherings such as soccer matches wouldn’t have a significant impact, though they require police and medical personnel. She said the decision to implement a ban was to send the message that it wasn’t business as usual.

Sturgeon spoke after she had dialed in to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s meeting of his emergency team as the U.K. took its response to the next level.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rodney Jefferson in Edinburgh at r.jefferson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alastair Reed at areed12@bloomberg.net

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