London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

Sixty new Covid-19 cases confirmed in Scotland

Sixty new Covid-19 cases confirmed in Scotland

Another 60 confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been detected in Scotland, including 39 in the NHS Grampian area.

A cluster of linked cases was discovered in Aberdeen last week, leading to lockdown restrictions being reintroduced in the city.

Scotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch said 110 cases had been linked to the Aberdeen outbreak, with more expected to be confirmed.

Almost 650 "close contacts" from the infections are being investigated.

The positive cases include two players at Aberdeen FC.

The players were among a group of eight footballers who visited a bar in the city a week ago. The whole group are now self-isolating.

Mr Leitch told BBC Scotland that the increase of 60 cases was "not unexpected" but "still worries us".

He said it was difficult to be sure how many of the 39 new cases in NHS Grampian were linked to the Aberdeen cluster.

"We know that at 15:30 yesterday we had 110 cases connected to this outbreak," he said.

"We allow test and protect to do its work, rather than be constantly sending us hourly updates and that's the way it should be. I would expect a number of those positives to be connected."




Mr Leitch said the Scottish government was working to prevent community transmission outside the Aberdeen outbreak.

"We want to find each of these cases, break the chain, self-isolate the people so that we can get those numbers down again and Grampian can go back to normal - or semi-normal - like the rest of the country," he told the BBC.

But the clinical director added that the effects of the local lockdown in Aberdeen may not be seen for "days, even weeks".

Aberdeen has seen a total of 112 new coronavirus cases in the seven days up to 7 August - a rate of 49 infections per 100,000 people.

This compares to a rate of 80.6 in Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire, which is currently top of Public Health England's local authority watchlist.

NHS Grampian said it was investigating 643 "close contacts" from cases in the area.

Susan Webb, director of public health for NHS Grampian, said: "There has been a substantial rise in the number of close contacts which is not entirely unexpected.

"We speak to detected cases more than once, as we know they will recall different details as they reflect on what they have been doing and where, and who they have met."

Ms Webb said people who developed any of the recognised symptoms of Covid-19 should isolate at home and arrange a test.



A picture taken at the weekend showed people queuing outside the Soul bar in Aberdeen



On Friday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was "unacceptable" the Aberdeen footballers had gone to the Soul Bar last Saturday.

Images were shared on social media showing queues of people gathered outside the bar, which is one of about 30 venues now linked to the cluster.

The players concerned have now released a statement apologising for their actions, saying they never "could have foreseen the escalation of Covid-19 cases in the Grampian area".

They also deny deliberately attempting to "flaunt or disobey government guidelines".

"As a player group, we once again apologise unreservedly to the fans, the manager, the board and all the staff at the club," the statement adds.

The lockdown restrictions which have been reintroduced for the city's 228,000 residents include:

* not to travel more than five miles for leisure or holidays
* not to travel to the city for leisure or to visit friends and family, even if you live in Aberdeenshire
* if you are currently visiting the city, you can stay - but take necessary precautions when returning home
* no indoor visits with other households
* bars, cafes, restaurants and pubs must close, although takeaways can remain open.

The restrictions will be reviewed next Wednesday and may be extended further if required.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
×