South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has said Dumfries and Galloway should be moved to level 1 restrictions when the First Minister announces her weekly review of restrictions on Tuesday.

The Scottish Government’s Covid-19 figures have revealed that weekly cases in Dumfries and Galloway have fallen by almost 70 per cent since the region was placed in level 2.

The most recent prevalence estimate (as of November 26) is 26.2 cases per 100,000, compared to 112.9 nationally, and the test positivity rate as of November 28 is just 1.4% compared to 5.5% nationally.

Colin Smyth said: “People in our region have worked hard to follow tough restrictions, and would be right to ask just what more they need to do to see a move to level 1 restrictions.

“While everyone recognises that this virus is still dangerous and we must all remain vigilant, unless the government follows its own guidelines, people will quickly lose faith in them.

“I am calling on the First Minister to seriously consider putting Dumfries and Galloway into level 1 restrictions on Tuesday. Our region has seen some very encouraging figures recently and this must be taken into account.

“Dumfries and Galloway has suffered because the Scottish Government has failed to get the virus under control in the central belt, in particular our proximity to Lanarkshire and Ayrshire which have been moved into level 4 Covid restrictions.

“There is a growing feeling that had the Government followed the scientific advice in October to introduce tougher restrictions in the central belt in the form of a circuit breaker, the current moves to level 4 may have been avoided, with all the knock on effects that is having on regions like ours.”