Highland residents thanked for following coronavirus regulations
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Residents in the Highlands have been thanked for following the coronavirus regulations but are also being urged not to become complacent.
Highland Council leader Councillor Margaret Davidson said people should still continue to follow the guidance to keep infection rates down.
It follows this week's confirmation by the Scottish Government that the Highlands will again be placed into protection level one of the five-tier coronavirus framework.
It means the region's communities can continue operating with fewer restrictions for hospitality, retail and leisure sectors than other parts of the country.
Although island authorities are now permitted to have some social interaction in homes, it is still not yet permitted in the Highlands.
Cllr Davidson said good levels of compliance in the region and good partnership working between Highland organisations to provide support, deliver advice, and maintain Covid-19 safety controls in public spaces and businesses had led to comparatively low numbers of positive Covid-19 cases and outbreaks across the region.
"I want to begin by thanking the vast majority of our residents in Highland who have been following the restrictions in place," she said.
"Your ongoing perseverance during this pandemic will help us to protect our most vulnerable family members, friends, colleagues, and neighbours.
"Being placed in a lower tier and facing fewer restrictions, it can be very easy to find ourselves becoming complacent.
"We understand that lower numbers of cases in our community can allow you to feel safer in your day to day activities and that is good progress.
"But we must also continue to do our part by following the guidance and keeping the infection rates low by physical distancing, practicing good hand and respiratory hygiene and wear face coverings – unless medically exempt.
"I am hopeful that if we continue to be careful and patient now, then we can look forward to enjoying more freedoms over the festive period and seeing our loved ones again.
"It must be our cherished goal to enter 2021 with greater hopes for our health and local economy."
Dr Tim Allison, NHS Highland's director of public health, said: "We are optimistic about prospects for a vaccine but we all need to keep following precautions to give us the best chance of tackling Covid-19 effectively."
Related story: Scotland's First Minister announces Highlands to remain in tier one
