SCOTTISH government advisers raised serious concerns today about the prevalence of coronavirus infections across Scotland, as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced plans for a public inquiry into the handling of the pandemic.

Scotland’s national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch said that he and other public health advisers were worried by a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases.

Figures released today showed the highest figure for new Covid cases in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic last year, with new cases across Scotland more than doubling over the past week. 

The rise follows the easing of restrictions north of the border, which took place on August 9.

Prof Leitch said that the virus was predominantly being transmitted among people under 40, a group with lower vaccination rates. 

Ms Sturgeon acknowledged that the scale of the increase was “still a cause of real concern.”

She said: “If the surge continues and if it accelerates and if we start to see evidence of a substantial increase in serious illness as a result, we cannot completely rule out having to reimpose some restrictions.”

The government has begun a consultation on the aims and principles of an independent public inquiry into the handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The proposed inquiry would be established by the end of the year to scrutinise decisions taken in the course of the pandemic and learn lessons for others in the future.

The government said that particular consideration would be given to the harms of the pandemic, including its impact on general health, the educational and societal problems it has caused and the resultant economic damage.