Thread by @theSNP

📺 Watch @NicolaSturgeon's live briefing on the latest COVID updates in Scotland.

👇 Tune in to the @scotgov live stream or watch live on bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/b…

https://twitter.com/scotgov/status/1331572125296168961

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "There were 880 positive cases reported yesterday, which represents 6.8% of the total number of tests that were carried out.

That means the total number of cases so far, throughout the pandemic, is 90,961."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "260 of the new cases were in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, 190 in Lanarkshire, 122 in Grampian and 94 in Lothian.

The remaining cases were across eight other health board areas."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "1,161 people are currently in hospital with COVID - that is 36 fewer than yesterday.

84 are in intensive care, which is the same as yesterday."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "I also regret to report that 44 additional deaths of patients who tested positive have been registered in Scotland in the past 24 hours.

The total number of deaths, therefore, is 3,588."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "Every single one of those deaths was of an individual who will be right now mourned by friends and family - so again, I want to convey my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one as a result of this virus."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "The first issue I want to cover is the Spending Review that the UK Chancellor will shortly deliver in the House of Commons."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "Over the course of this pandemic, the Scottish Government and the UK Government have worked together constructively on many issues - and we've welcomed several of the Chancellor's recent decisions, such as the decision to extend furlough."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "However, we do believe that there are several areas where families and businesses will continue to need help - even after April of next year.

That's when many of the current support mechanisms, such as furlough, are due to end."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "The kind of areas I'm talking about would include rates relief for businesses, and the uplift of Universal Credit for families and individuals.

We're hoping that the Chancellor's statement brings clarity and positive news on these issues."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "It would also provide the Scottish Government with greater clarity as we prepare our own Budget, which will be presented to the Scottish Parliament in January, and will include more detail of the support we will be rolling out."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "The second issue I want to cover is yesterday's announcement about the arrangements for the forthcoming Christmas period.

The Scottish Government will soon be publishing further guidance on what we fleshed out yesterday."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "The four UK nations decided that, for a Christmas window between 23 and 27 December, we will slightly relax the current rules on travel and household meetings.

This will enable you, if you feel it's necessary, to form a bubble of up to 3 households."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "It has to be just one bubble. You can’t chop and change it over the 5 day period between 23 and 27 December.

And none of the households within a bubble can form another bubble with other people."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "As is the case with most of these COVID decisions, some of you will think this a reasonable one, others will think it doesn’t go far enough, and many of you will think it is terrible and goes way too far."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "On this occasion, what we are trying to do is reflect the reality that for some people, sticking rigidly to current rules over Christmas - if that means, for example, leaving relatives on their own - is something they might not be prepared to do."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "Rather than leave everyone just to decide their own boundaries, we have tried to put some outer boundaries around that.

But that does not mean we are actively encouraging people to get together."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "Just because we are allowing you to create a bubble, it does not mean you have to do it and gather with the maximum permitted number.

We're relying on people across the country to make informed choices about whether or not to come together over Christmas."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "We recognise that for many people, supporting others, by being with them, will be something they feel is essential.

But for others, it won’t be essential, and you might prefer to mark Christmas differently."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "The virus will not have gone away by Christmas, and bringing people together at home carries risk.

After months of sacrifice, keeping loved ones safe, and with a possible vaccine very close now, we all have to ask ourselves if it's a risk we want to take."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "If you can get through this Christmas staying in your own home, within your own household, please do so. That would be the safest decision.

If you feel you need to see people from another household, please limit it as much as possible."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "3 households and a window of 5 days should be seen as an outer limit, an absolute maximum. Stay as far within it as you can.

And if you feel it essential to see others, think about whether you can do it differently."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "The fact that I'm stressing all of this underlines that yesterday’s decision about Christmas was a difficult one.

We know that the festive period means a lot to people, and that it can be an especially difficult time to be alone or to feel isolated."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "We still have more than four weeks to go before Christmas.

And actually, the most important thing we can all do – to make Christmas as safe as possible for all - is to reduce the number of people who are infectious before we go into the festive period."

📣 @NicolaSturgeon: "So please, continue to stick to the existing rules and restrictions.

If you're in any doubt about what those rules are in your local authority, please use the postcode checker on the @scotgov website."

🔎Check your local COVID level: gov.scot/check-local-co…

📣@NicolaSturgeon: "Finally, remember FACTS - the five key rules that we can all use to stay safe and protect others."

🇫Face coverings in enclosed spaces
🇦Avoid crowded places
🇨Clean hands and surfaces
🇹Two metre distancing
🇸Self isolate and book a test if you have symptoms