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Addressing Nicola Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliaement on Thurdsay, Jacson Carlaw claimed the First Minsiter had “changed its story” on a claim she made about coronavirus levels in Scotland being five times lower than those anywhere else in the UK on July 9. He said: “When Parliament last met on the 9th of July and in response to questions from me, the First Minister repeatedly said that the prevalence rate of the coronavirus was five times lower in Scotland than elsewhere in the UK.

“Subsequently this figure was widely reported and repeated in the media.

“This morning the Director General at the UK Statistics Authority wrote to us and to the Scottish Government as well, giving his verdict on weather that statistic was true.

“And his verdict is damning. When challenged at the time the Scottish Government said it compared their Scottish Government COVID-19 modelling to a survey statistics for England.

“But when the UK Statistics Authority investigated and asked for the source of the statistic the Scottish Government changed its story and said it was something else entirely.

“It was now a figure from the London university for the whole UK.

“Why did the Scottish Government mislead the public about the source of this claim?”

The First Minister replied: “I don’t think that is the case and let me say I sand by the view which I think is backed by the evidence that prevalence of the virus is significantly lower in Scotland now than in England.

“Although this is not something I have a shred of complacency about.”

Ms Sturgeon said the prevalence of coronavirus in Scotland was now at “very low levels” – saying it was estimated that last week just 300 people were infectious.

The latest modelling also shows the R number – the average number of people infected by each person with Covid-19 – remains below one, she added.

But despite this “substantial” and “hard-earned” progress, the First Minister said the virus was still circulating.

As a result of that, she said Scotland could not yet move into the fourth and final phase of easing lockdown restrictions

Ms Sturgeon said: “A move to phase four would require us to be satisfied that the virus is no longer considered a significant threat to public health.

“Unfortunately that is far from the case.”

Scotland will remain in phase three, Nicola Sturgeon said – adding that this could continue beyond the next review point of lockdown in three weeks’ time.

Despite that, the First Minister said shielding – which has seen the most vulnerable Scots follow a stricter regime during lockdown – could be paused from Saturday.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I am pleased to confirm that from August 1, we will pause the advice for people to shield.

“For those of you who have been shielding, this means that from Saturday you can now follow the guidance for the general population.

“But please be especially careful about face coverings, hand hygiene and physical distancing. “

She added: “The pause also means that children who have been shielding will be able to return to school.

“And adults will be able to return to work.”

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