From Tuesday 5 January East Lothian, along with the rest of mainland Scotland will move from Level 4 to a temporary Lockdown.
Similar to the restrictions put in place back in March 2020 this means that you should stay at home where possible. There are exceptions for a variety of activities, however these situations will only arise for essential activities.
In all cases I would ask the people of East Lothian to consider whether their activities are essential. There is a list of exemptions, along with more detailed guidance available at the Scottish Government website here.
I understand that this will be a blow to many in East Lothian, however increasing case numbers, as well as the increased prevalence of the new variant strain of the virus mean that these measures are necessary to avoid the NHS becoming overwhelmed and to ensure that there is adequate space in our hospitals for those who will contract the virus.
I would ask people in our county to continue to exercise the caution and care that has been evident across our communities through last year into 2021. We are not in the same place we were in March 2020. There is much to be hopeful about – the Astrazeneca vaccine rolled out today and the Scottish Government remains committed to an efficient roll out of the vaccine across society.