National clinical director Jason Leitch concedes he is not able to give a date when sports fans will be allowed back into stadia.
Professor Leitch says he’d “absolutely love it” if he could cheer on his teams in person, but adds that supporters are going to have continue watching from home.
His comments to BBC Radio Scotland on Monday morning come after Scotland’s national rugby team defeated England at Twickenham for the first time since 1983, with no supporters present in London due to coronavirus restrictions.
The last time a top-flight sports fixture took place in Scotland without any public health restrictions was March 11 2020, when Hearts travelled to St Mirren in Scottish Premiership action.
In autumn last year limited numbers of fans were allowed into grounds in tier one areas, including in Aberdeen, however that was before a new variant of Covid-19, first seen in England, was identified.
Saturday’s Calcutta Cup victory for Scotland came with fans shut out of pubs as well, during the current coronavirus lockdown.
‘Prevalence is still too high’
Professor Leitch says despite the lowering R-rate, and falling numbers of positive tests in the country, the amount of people being admitted to intensive care is still too high to consider reopening sports grounds.
He said, “One of the big challenges we still have is – the R number is down and positivity is down – but the prevalence is still too high.
“Last week, 67 people were admitted to intensive care. We had more than that in but the pipeline is probably the more important statistic; 67 people were admitted to intensive care with this disease last week and many of them will die, so we’re not out of the woods yet.”
Professor Leitch later added that the government is going to be “cautious” when it comes to opening stadia.
“We’re doing well and the population are really really doing it, but we’ve got to be really cautious about any opening just now.”
