LARGE parts of the Central Belt have been warned they could be moved into the toughest form of coronavirus lockdown next week, the Herald understands.

The Scottish Government called council chief executives in Glasgow and surrounding local authorities yesterday to advise them their areas could be raised from level three to level four.

The move is being considered because infection rates are not falling as much as hoped under the level three, with persistently high levels of infection.

In addition, there are understood to be concerns about public compliance with the restrictions under level three. 

There is also a desire to avoid a level four lockdown being required later over Christmas. 

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon told to do 'all she can' to save Scots' Christmas

It is understood most of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde and Lanarkshire health board areas have been contacted. No Scottish council has yet been in level four under the five-tier system which began this month.

The measure would involve a ban on indoor meetings and the closure of pubs, restaurants and other forms of hospitality, as well as tighter travel restrictions. 

Discussions at a political level are expected to start today and continue this weekend.

However no final decision will be taken until Tuesday’s Scottish cabinet, and any changes would then take effect from next Friday.

The calls to councils followed several warnings from Ms Sturgeon this week that a move to level four could be necessary.

On Tuesday, she said current restrictions had stabilised cases in Glasgow, North and South Lanarkshire, West Lothian and West Dunbartonshire, but “at a stubbornly high level”.

READ MORE: Contact tracing problems 'caused by people ignoring phone calls'

She said there were “risks of going further into winter with a high level of cases, even if the numbers have plateaued”. 

She went on: “The difficult question that we must consider in the next days is whether more time in level 3 will start to reduce cases in those areas or whether more action will be required.

“Given the severity of the level 4 restrictions, we will not take lightly a decision to move any part of the country to that level, and we want to give the current levels more of a chance to work. 

“However, we will not shy away from making that decision if we think it necessary to limit the damage that the virus can do, or if we think that a short period in level 4 may be less harmful overall for an area than a prolonged period in level 3.”

Announcing another 1,212 cases yesterday, including 474 in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area and 231 in Lanarkshire, the FM repeated the warning.

She told MSPs: “We are concerned about some areas - particularly across the central belt—in which case numbers have stabilised but have done so at a stubbornly high level. 

“That creates a risk for the winter period, and it also makes the risks associated with the Christmas period higher. Over the next few days, we will consider that aspect carefully and assess whether further action is required.”

Ms Sturgeon also revealed how Christmas was a key part of the thinking of all four UK nations.

Labour MSP Elaine Smith told her people of all religions and none were anxious to make plans “particularly in central Scotland, where extreme measures have been in place for many weeks now.

“So can the First Minister tell us what progress has been made with the four nation talks on this?

“And what consultation is she having with other political parties and civic Scotland to try to avoid a bleak and lonely Christmas?”

Ms Sturgeon said: “I had a four nations discussion yesterday about a couple of things but the Christmas arrangements were one of them.

“What is really important here is that we strike the right balance.

“Firstly, we’ve got to recognise that people want to spend time with their loved ones at Christmas.

“I am no different to everybody else in that respect. We also have to give people confidence in any rules and restrictions that are in place and encourage maximum compliance.

“That means recognising the reality of the Christmas period and we all want to get to that position.

“We have to think if people are going to be interacting more over Christmas, what are we advising people to do after Christmas in January for example to minimise the risk.

“We just have to make sure that for all of us being able to enjoy Christmas a bit more is not going to lead to loss of life, and illness, in January or February that could otherwise have been avoided.

“I wish - probably on this more than on many other aspects - that there was an easy answer, but there is not. We need to get to a sensible position, which is what the Scottish Government is trying to do... with the other Governments of the UK.”
The Scottish Government was asked for comment  about the possible move to level 4.