Question reference: S5W-33308
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 17 November 2020
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Current status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are applied when determining whether to move areas from level 3 under the COVID-19 restrictions to level 4.
Answer
Under our Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scotland’s Strategic Framework ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/covid-19-scotlands-strategic-framework/ ) an area is considered for Level 4 when it broadly meets one of the following conditions:
1. More than 300 cases of covid-19 over 7 days per 100,000 people for the local authority.
2. Over 10% positive tests over 7 days for the local authority – twice the rate for national concern given by the World Health Organisation.
3. Probability over 75% of 500 cases over 7 days per 100,000 forecast for the local authority in two weeks’ time.
4. The projection of hospital bed use in the health board in three weeks’ time is greater than the health board’s estimated capacity.
5. The projection of ICU bed use in the health board in two weeks’ time is greater than twice its normal capacity.
This data is also considered alongside other local, regional and national factors, including an assessment of the Four Harms, which include wider health, societal and economic impacts, as well as consideration of rates in neighbouring areas.
That data, together with the view of the National IMT and the recommendations of our Senior Clinical Advisers and considered by the Government who reach an evaluative judgement on the necessary steps to be taken for all local authority areas.
The evidence behind each review is provided on the Scottish Government’s website, with that for the review on which Ministers made the decision to put Local Authorities into Level 4 at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-allocation-of-levels-to-local-authorities-17-november-2020/ .