Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland (2020) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This is a timeline of how the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland unfolded during 2020. The rules and how things were reported were different in Scotland compared to other parts of the UK like England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

Timeline of COVID-19 in Scotland
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Timeline of COVID-19 in Scotland

January 2020: First Tests

24 January – Five people in Scotland were tested for COVID-19. All tests came back negative. A special team was set up to deal with the new disease.

February 2020: Getting Ready

10 February – By this date, 57 tests had been done, all negative. This number grew to 412 by 25 February.
22 February – COVID-19 was officially named a "notifiable disease." This meant doctors had to report cases. A system was set up with 41 doctor's offices to collect samples from people who might have the virus, even if they hadn't traveled.
26/27 February – A coronavirus outbreak happened at a Nike meeting in Edinburgh. At least 25 people linked to the event, including 8 people living in Scotland, were thought to have caught the virus. A special team worked to find everyone who had been in contact with those who tested positive.
29 February – Scotland's Chief Medical Officer, Catherine Calderwood, announced that hospitals and 41 doctor's offices would start watching for the virus.

March 2020: First Cases and Lockdown

1 March – The first case of coronavirus in Scotland was confirmed.
3 March – The first person from the Nike meeting tested positive.
4 March – Two more cases were confirmed. One person had traveled from Italy, and the other had been near someone with the virus.
6 March – The number of confirmed cases doubled to 11.
9 March – Cases more than doubled again to 23.
11 March – The first case of the virus spreading within the community was found. This meant it wasn't linked to travel or known cases.
13 March – The first death from coronavirus in Scotland was confirmed.
16 March – There were 171 confirmed cases from 4,895 tests. Almost all health areas in NHS Scotland had reported cases.
20 March – The Scottish Government told cafes, pubs, and restaurants to close.
23 March – With many deaths across the UK, Boris Johnson announced a nationwide "Stay at Home" rule. This rule, known as the UK lockdown, would start at midnight and be checked every three weeks.
24 March – 16 patients with confirmed COVID-19 had died. The Scottish Parliament closed, planning to reopen on 1 April to talk about new laws.
25 March – The First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government would create a special group to give advice on COVID-19.
26 March – It was announced that 25 deaths had been reported, with 896 confirmed cases in Scotland.

April 2020: Building Hospitals and New Rules

1 April – Confirmed COVID-19 cases passed 2,000 in Scotland, with 76 deaths in hospitals. The Scottish Government said they would do 3,500 tests a day by the end of the month. Work also began to turn the SEC in Glasgow into NHS Louisa Jordan, a hospital that could hold 300 to 1,000 patients. The 2020 Edinburgh festivals were canceled.
5 April – Catherine Calderwood, Scotland's chief medical officer, resigned. This happened after it was found she had visited her second home during the lockdown, breaking the rules.
6 April – A new law, the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, was approved and became law.
7 April – The Scottish Government announced that 12,000 nursing students and returning healthcare workers had joined the NHS to help fight COVID-19.
16 April – The lockdown was extended for another three weeks until 7 May.
20 April – Experts said the number of confirmed cases was "flattening out." The number of people in hospital for COVID-19 had started to fall in Scotland. The NHS Louisa Jordan hospital in Glasgow opened.
22 April – New data showed that the number of deaths in Scotland was 80% higher than usual. Many deaths were happening in care homes.
23 April – As the Scottish Government shared its plan for ending lockdown, Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, said that lifting rules in Scotland would likely happen slowly. Some measures might stay until 2021 or longer.
28 April – The Scottish Government suggested people cover their faces in some public places, like shops and on public transport.

May 2020: Different Paths for UK Nations

7 May – Confirmed cases passed 11,500 with 1,515 deaths in hospitals. The Scottish Government met its testing goal of 3,500 tests a day. They set a new goal of 8,000 tests a day. Nicola Sturgeon extended the lockdown for three more weeks.
8 May – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the four nations of the UK might loosen lockdown rules at different speeds. She would not rush to lift restrictions too early.
10 May – The UK government changed its coronavirus message to "stay alert, control the virus, save lives." But leaders in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland decided to keep the original message: "stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives." Nicola Sturgeon removed the limit on how much outdoor exercise people could do in Scotland.
11 May – Nicola Sturgeon asked Scotland to "stick with lockdown for a bit longer." This was when the four UK nations started taking different approaches to lockdown.
18 May – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced plans to start easing Scotland's lockdown from 28 May. Anyone aged 5 or older with COVID-19 symptoms could now get tested.
21 May – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon shared a four-phase "route map" for easing lockdown in Scotland. This included allowing people to meet outdoors with one other household in the first phase. Schools in Scotland would reopen on 11 August with a mix of school and home learning.
26 May – The Scottish Government announced plans for "Test and Protect," a system to track and trace the virus.
28 May – Contact tracing systems started in England and Scotland. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that lockdown rules in Scotland would ease from the next day. People from two different households could meet outdoors in groups of eight or less.
29 May – Lockdown rules were eased in Scotland.

June 2020: Easing Restrictions and No Deaths

7 June – No new deaths were recorded in Scotland for the first time since lockdown began in March.
8 June – No deaths were reported in Scotland for a second day in a row.
18 June – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the next phase of easing lockdown. People living alone or single parents could form an "extended group" with one other household from 19 June. This meant they could stay overnight. Up to three households could meet outdoors. Face coverings would become required on public transport from 22 June. Most shops could reopen from 29 June.
19 June – Scotland entered the second phase of its plan. The Scottish Government changed its message from "stay at home" to "stay safe."
22 June – Wearing face coverings became required on public transport in Scotland. Dentists could reopen for urgent care. Places of worship could reopen for individual prayer.
23 June – Scottish Education Minister John Swinney confirmed that schools in Scotland would return full-time in August if the virus remained under control.
24 June – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced big changes to lockdown rules. People could meet indoors with two other households from 10 July. Pubs, restaurants, holiday places, and hairdressers could reopen from 15 July. The two-meter social distancing rule stayed in place for Scotland.
26 June – Scotland recorded no deaths or new cases of COVID-19. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland was "not far away" from getting rid of the virus.
29 June – Shops that were not essential reopened in Scotland.

July 2020: Face Coverings and Travel Rules

2 July – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that wearing face coverings would become required in shops in Scotland from 10 July.
3 July – The UK Government listed 59 countries where people arriving in England would not need to quarantine. These changes did not apply to Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Scotland lifted its five-mile travel limit and allowed self-contained holiday places to be used.
8 July – The Scottish Government announced that people arriving from Spain and Serbia would still have to quarantine for 14 days in Scotland. This was different from the UK government's list.
9 July – Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that people in Scotland could meet indoors with two other households from 10 July. Shopping centers would reopen from 13 July. Hairdressers, barbers, and indoor parts of bars and restaurants would reopen from 15 July.
10 July – Wearing face coverings became required in shops in Scotland. The Scottish Government allowed the 2020–21 Scottish Premiership football season to start on 1 August.
13 July – Shopping centers reopened in Scotland. Outdoor contact sports for children also restarted.
15 July – Hairdressers, barbers, pubs, restaurants, cinemas, tourist places, places of worship, and childcare facilities reopened in Scotland. This was called "the biggest step so far" in easing lockdown.
20 July – Scotland lifted quarantine rules for people arriving from Spain.
22 July – Figures showed COVID deaths had fallen to their lowest level since the pandemic began.
26 July – Quarantine rules were put back in place for travelers arriving from Spain due to a rise in cases there.
27 July – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that the temporary hospital, NHS Louisa Jordan, would be used to help with appointments delayed by the pandemic.
30 July – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon gave schools the go-ahead to reopen on 11 August. She set a temporary date for gyms, swimming pools, and indoor sports places to reopen on 14 September. The program for people who were shielding would pause on 1 August.
31 July – 30 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Scotland, the highest daily rise since 4 June.

August 2020: School Returns and Local Lockdowns

1 August – The shielding program was paused for England and Scotland. Three popular Historic Environment Scotland castles reopened to the public.
2 August – Health officials started looking into a group of 13 COVID-19 cases linked to a pub in Aberdeen.
5 August – Lockdown rules were put back in place in Aberdeen after cases rose. Pubs and restaurants had to close, and travel to and from the city was restricted.
7 August – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon extended the list of places where face coverings were needed to include libraries, museums, and places of worship. Collecting contact details became required for the hospitality industry.
10 August – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon apologized for problems with exam results, saying the Scottish Government "did not get it right."
11 August – The Scottish Government agreed to improve thousands of exam results. Pupils in Scotland returned to school for the first time since March.
12 August – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that lockdown measures would stay in Aberdeen.
19 August – Lockdown measures in Aberdeen were extended for another week.
20 August – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that gyms, swimming pools, and indoor sports courts could reopen from 31 August.
23 August – Lockdown rules in Aberdeen were partly lifted.
25 August – The Scottish Government announced that school pupils would need to wear face coverings in school hallways, common areas, and on school buses from 31 August.
26 August – Scotland recorded two COVID-19 deaths, the first daily deaths since 16 July.
28 August – A new law gave police the power to break up house parties with more than fifteen people.
31 August – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was worried after 160 more people tested positive. Face coverings became required in Scottish secondary schools. Gyms, swimming pools, and indoor sports courts were allowed to reopen.

September 2020: New Restrictions and App Launch

1 September – Rules about visiting other households were brought back in Glasgow and nearby areas due to a rise in cases. Travelers from Greece to Scotland would need to quarantine from 3 September.
3 September – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that COVID-19 was spreading again in Scotland. Scotland removed Portugal from its quarantine exemption list.
5 September – More cases were reported, making it the highest weekly rise since May. Anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Edinburgh.
7 September – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it might be necessary to "put the brakes" on easing lockdown further.
10 September – The number of people allowed at social gatherings indoors and outdoors was reduced to six. Customers in pubs, restaurants, and cafes had to wear face coverings when not eating. Scotland's contact tracing app, Protect Scotland, became available.
11 September – Households in Lanarkshire were banned from mixing.
12 September – COVID-19 cases in Scotland reached a four-month high.
14 September – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she had "very serious concerns" about COVID testing delays.
15 September – Sturgeon suggested that "guising" – the Scottish version of Trick-or-treating – might be banned for Halloween 2020.
17 September – Thailand and Singapore were added to the quarantine exemption list.
18 September – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that "hard but necessary" decisions about rules might be needed to stop another full lockdown.
21 September – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said extra COVID rules would "almost certainly" be introduced soon.
22 September – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that the ban on visiting other households would be extended across Scotland. A 10 pm curfew for pubs and restaurants would start on 25 September.
23 September – Scotland recorded 486 new daily cases. 600 students at the University of Glasgow were self-isolating after a COVID-19 outbreak.
24 September – Students at Scottish universities were advised not to visit pubs, restaurants, and parties.
26 September – Scotland's National Clinical Director Jason Leitch said the COVID-19 pandemic was "accelerating."
27 September – New rules were given to students affected by COVID-19. Figures showed that the outbreak in Scotland was being driven by infections among teenagers.
30 September – Seven COVID-19 deaths were reported in Scotland, the highest daily total since 17 June.

October 2020: New Tier System and Closures

1 October – Poland, Turkey, and some Caribbean islands were removed from the quarantine exemption list. The Scottish Government reviewed COVID rules but did not add new ones.
2 October – A match between Kilmarnock and Motherwell was called off after some Kilmarnock players tested positive.
5 October – As more cases were reported, the First Minister planned to meet advisers to discuss new measures, possibly a two-week "circuit breaker" to slow the virus.
7 October – Scotland recorded over 1,000 new COVID cases in a day. The Scottish Government announced that bars and restaurants in the Central Belt (a central area of Scotland) must close from 9 October until 25 October. Education Secretary John Swinney announced that National 5 exams for 2021 would be canceled and replaced with teacher assessments.
9 October – At 6 pm, pubs and restaurants began their two-week closure.
10 October – Workers protested new COVID-19 rules by dumping ice cubes outside the Scottish Parliament.
12 October – The Scottish Government announced plans for a three-tier COVID restrictions system, similar to England's. Rules for care home visits were relaxed.
14 October – People were warned not to travel to Blackpool after the town was linked to many Scottish COVID-19 cases.
15 October – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there would be no return to normal when pub and restaurant restrictions ended on 26 October.
16 October – New rules for face coverings were announced. They would be required in workplace canteens.
21 October – Temporary restrictions on hospitality businesses in the Central Belt were extended until 2 November.
22 October – Jason Leitch, Scotland's national clinical director, said that a normal Christmas was "fiction."
23 October – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon revealed Scotland's new five-tier COVID-19 system, starting 2 November.
24 October – The Scottish Government advised against "guising" (trick-or-treating) and parties for Halloween and Bonfire Night.
27 October – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that pubs and restaurants serving alcohol could reopen from 2 November under the new five-tier system.
29 October – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that North and South Lanarkshire, and Dundee, would be in tier 3. Most of Scotland would be in tier 2. Areas with low cases would be in tier 1. Sturgeon warned that Scotland could return to a nationwide lockdown if people broke travel rules.
30 October – Senior pupils and teachers were advised to wear face coverings in classrooms in tier 3 and 4 areas.
31 October – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned against travel to England as a four-week lockdown was announced there.

November 2020: Tier System in Action

1 November – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Douglas Ross asked for clear information about the furlough scheme (a government program to pay workers). Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the furlough scheme would be available for future lockdowns in Scotland.
4 November – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government was thinking about making a law to ban travel in and out of COVID hotspots without a good reason.
10 November – The Scottish Government announced that Fife, Angus, and Perth and Kinross would move from level two to level three from 13 November.
11 November – A "coding error" in Scotland's Test and Protect contact-tracing service meant staff had overestimated how many people they contacted quickly.
12 November – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that measures to control the virus had slowed its spread "very significantly."
17 November – Level 4 restrictions were announced for 11 council areas in the west of Scotland. These rules would start on 20 November and last until 11 December. Bars, restaurants, gyms, and non-essential shops would close.
19 November – Health Secretary Jeane Freeman announced plans for the first COVID vaccines in Scotland to be given in December.
20 November – At 6 pm, Level 4 restrictions began in eleven council areas of Western Scotland.
22 November – Health Secretary Jeane Freeman confirmed that COVID vaccination would not be required in Scotland.
25 November – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she "agonized" over allowing people to meet for Christmas. She said it would be "safer" not to.
26 November – The Scottish Government stated that Christmas household "bubbles" should have no more than eight people over age eleven from three households.
30 November – Mass testing was announced for university students and people in five areas of Scotland. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that every NHS and social care worker in Scotland would receive a £500 "thank you" payment.

December 2020: Vaccines Arrive and New Variant

2 December – The UK approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that people in Scotland should start getting the vaccine from 8 December.
3 December – The first batch of the COVID vaccine in Scotland would go to healthcare workers. Supplies would reach care homes on 14 December. The Scottish Government confirmed there would be no extension to the Christmas school holidays.
5 December – Health Secretary Jeane Freeman confirmed the first Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine supplies had arrived in Scotland.
6 December – The number of people in Scotland testing positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic passed 100,000.
8 December – All eleven areas under Level Four restrictions would move down to Level Three from 11 December. Education Secretary John Swinney confirmed that Higher and Advanced Higher exams would be canceled in 2021.
10 December – The Scottish Government announced that quiet background music would be allowed again in hospitality places from 12 December.
11 December – Non-essential shops reopened in 11 council areas, including Glasgow, as they moved from Level 4 to Level 3.
12 December – Pubs and restaurants in areas moved to level 3 could reopen, but could not serve alcohol and had to close at 6 pm.
14 December – Vaccinations using the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine began in Scottish care homes. Annie Innes, 90, became the first care home resident in Scotland to get the vaccine.
15 December – Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, and East Lothian would move from level two to level three from 18 December due to rising cases. Nine cases of a new type of COVID-19 were found in Scotland.
16 December – People in Scotland were asked to meet up on only one of the five Christmas days if they planned to see relatives. The number of COVID-related deaths in Scotland passed 6,000.
19 December – A new, faster-spreading type of COVID-19 appeared. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that Christmas gatherings would be limited to Christmas Day only. Mainland Scotland would go under level four rules from Boxing Day. Travel to the rest of the UK was also banned.
20 December – Police patrols along the England–Scotland border would be doubled due to the travel ban.
22 December – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said level four rules might need to be made stronger to control the new type of COVID-19. Sturgeon also apologized after she broke COVID rules by talking to people at a funeral gathering without wearing a face covering.
23 December – A child under the age of one became Scotland's youngest COVID-19 related death.
25 December – Rules were relaxed for Christmas Day to allow people to mix indoors and travel more freely.
26 December – Mainland Scotland moved into level four restrictions.
29 December – A record 1,895 new COVID cases were reported in a single day. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged people to stay home for Hogmanay (New Year's Eve).
30 December – A record 2,045 COVID cases were recorded. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the first doses of the Oxford vaccine would be given in Scotland on 4 January.
31 December – Scotland reported a third day of high COVID cases, with 2,622 positive tests. People were warned to stay home for Hogmanay as events were canceled.