'Furious' Sturgeon blasts footballers who went to pub

A “furious” Nicola Sturgeon has launched an outspoken attack on eight Scottish Premiership footballers who “blatantly broke rules” by going to an Aberdeen pub before two tested positive for coronavirus.

After they visited a bar in the city, currently at the centre of a “significant” virus outbreak and where a mini-lockdown was later imposed, two Aberdeen FC players tested positive for Covid-19, with a further six who also went on the night out forced to self-isolate.

Ms Sturgeon condemned the players’ actions as “to put it mildly, completely unacceptable” and suggested they had put the resumption of Scottish Premiership football, which only started again last weekend, at risk.

Meanwhile, new curbs on hospitality venues across the country, as well as an extension of face mask rules, were also announced.

Aberdeen’s game against St Johnstone in Perth, which had been due to take place on Saturday, was cancelled following an intervention from the Scottish Government.

Ms Sturgeon said she was “pretty furious” at the situation. She said: "It is now clear that all eight of these players visited a bar in Aberdeen on Saturday night.

"In doing so they blatantly broke the rules that had been agreed between the SFA, the SPFL, and the Scottish Government, which, to put it mildly, is completely unacceptable."

She added: "We are expecting members of the public to behave in a highly precautionary manner right now.

"When a football club ends up with players infected with Covid - and let's remember that this is not through bad luck but clear breaches of the rules - we cannot take even a small risk that they then spread the infection to other parts of the country."

On Friday, the number of cases in the Aberdeen outbreak rose to 101 confirmed Covid-19 - up 22 from Thursday. The hospitality sector in the city has been closed down with a five mile advisory limit on travel also reimposed.

The First Minister announced that face coverings, currently mandatory in shops and on public transport, would become mandatory from Saturday in locations such as cinemas, galleries, museums, places of worship and banks.

It does not extend to hospitality premises such as sit-in cafes and restaurants.

Taking customer contact details will become mandatory across Scotland's hospitality sector next week.

Ms Sturgeon said a common factor in the rise in new coronavirus outbreaks across the world - including the Aberdeen cluster - is the hospitality sector, and settings such as pubs and restaurants are particularly susceptible to the virus.

She said the majority of such premises across Scotland have been complying with the guidance to note customers contact details, but some have not.

Placing compliance on a "statutory footing", Ms Sturgeon said, will help ensure test and protect can function as effectively as possible. She said Police Scotland will enforce the measures if necessary.