Covid in Scotland LIVE: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon addresses country as more cases of the new coronavirus variant, Omicron, are found in Scotland
Nicola Sturgeon will be addressing Scotland on Tuesday with an update on coronavirus, and specifically the new variant, Omicron.
Cases of this new variant have already been confirmed in the country, and the First Minister has already stressed the need for caution.
Follow here for all live updates.
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Nicola Sturgeon briefing: Follow here for all updates from the First Minister’s Tuesday briefing
Uptake in the over 60s is now 84% - that’s high, but we want to get it higher still so if you have yet to
get your booster, please do so now.
Similarly, if you are aged between 40 and 59, please book online at NHS Inform.
The JCVI had, of course, already recommended second doses for 16 and 17 year olds and, from today,
anyone in that age group can book an appointment for their second dose online.
People who are immunosuppressed - and who have already had three doses - should also now be
eligible for boosters;
Those who are immunosuppressed and have not yet had a third jag, should get that now, regardless of
when their second dose was administered;
And, finally, 12 to 15 year olds should be offered a second dose.
While certainty is not possible until we know more, my hope is that – beyond temporary travel measures
– no additional restrictions will be required.
However, that will depend partly on what information emerges about Omicron in the days to come, but
also and significantly on all of us complying rigorously with all the protections currently in place to stem
transmission.
It remains the case that our first and most important defence against the virus is vaccination.
The Scottish Government’s view is that it would be sensible given the incubation period of the virus -
and on a precautionary basis - for these travel rules to be tightened further on a four nations basis.
10 countries from southern Africa have so far been added to the travel red list.
Anyone travelling back to Scotland from those 10 countries must enter managed quarantine for 10 days
on their arrival.
Some protections that the UK Government has announced in recent days in relation to England - for
example a requirement to wear face coverings in some settings – are already in place, and in fact more
extensive, here in Scotland.
So at this stage, rather than introducing new protections, we are asking people to significantly step up
and increase compliance with existing protections – such as face coverings, hygiene, home working,
ventilation, vaccination and regular testing.
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