Travel restrictions lifted in Dumfries and Galloway

Travel restrictions have now been lifted on parts of Dumfries and Galloway that experienced a cross-border cluster of coronavirus cases.

People in a number of towns and villages in the region were told not to travel more than five miles for leisure even while the limit was lifted for the rest of Scotland last week.

But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed residents in these areas would now get to enjoy travelling further for recreation as the rest of the country has.

Speaking at the Scottish Government briefing on Covid-19 on Tuesday, she said public health officials now believed “all chains of infection” in the area have been located and controlled.

It comes as one new death of a person with the virus in Scotland was reported, after the country went three days with no reported deaths.

It takes the country’s death toll to 4162 including presumed Covid deaths.

Just two new cases of the virus have been confirmed Scotland-wide in the last 24 hours.

In recent weeks, a total of 12 cases were identified within a cluster between south-west Scotland and north-west England, with 23 contacts traced.

Sturgeon said the limited travel distance guidance in Dumfries, Annan and Gretna would now be lifted to match the rest of the country, as well as allowing those in the area to visit care homes.

Residents of Lockerbie, Langholm and Canonbie were also told not to travel beyond five miles, meaning they could not visit pubs in England which reopened over the weekend.

Sturgeon said: “All chains of infection within Dumfries and Galloway have now been identified and controlled.”

The First Minister thanked those affected by coronavirus in the area for their co-operation, including employers and the 23 contacts who were traced by officials for self-isolating.

She said she was “very grateful” to all those involved.