The leader of Perth and Kinross Council has said there is no indication that the region will be moved up to Tier 3, despite a worrying increase in infection rates.
Murray Lyle fought hard last month to keep the area on level two, despite a proposal by health chiefs for tougher Tayside-wide restrictions.
Speaking ahead of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s tier review on Tuesday, Mr Lyle said: “I have not had any information today that suggests we will be going up a level, so my assumption is that we are staying at Tier 2.
“But I will have to wait and see what she says like everyone else.”
He said: “We have had small outbreaks, particularly in schools, but we have been dealing with them as we come.
“But we are continuing to see a rise in cases, and that is concerning to me.”
Last week, The Courier revealed that so far nearly 500 children and more than 50 members of staff have been told to isolate because of confirmed cases in six secondary schools and 12 primaries.
It is understood there have been cases since this weekend including at Kinross High School, where a teacher has tested positive, and Dunning Primary.
On Saturday, the B&Q store in Perth was shut for a deep clean after an employee tested positive.
A spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that our Perth store was temporarily closed following a team member receiving a positive Covid-19 test result.
“Closing the store for deep cleaning is a precautionary measure and goes beyond government advice. The store has since reopened.”
Last week, city centre butcher shop DG Lindsay and Son was forced to close for two weeks, after two staff fell ill with the virus.
The case was linked to an outbreak at Simon Howie’s main factory in Dunning, where three employees were affected.
A council spokeswoman said: “The safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff is our top priority, and whenever a case is confirmed, Perth and Kinross Council works with public health to identify all close contacts so they can self-isolate for the required time.
“We urge everyone to follow FACTS in order to prevent the spread of the disease.”
