Covid Scotland RECAP: Nicola Sturgeon speaks to nation in TV address | Scots facing new covid restrictions | Booster roll out accelerated
Nicola Sturgeon is addressing parliament right now with an update on coronavirus.
She is thought to be introducing new restrictions as the new Covid variant Omicron is predicted to hit the country hard.
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Hide AdThe First Minister will also be on a televised address to the nation this evening.
Follow here for all updates through out the day.
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Omicron Scotland Update Live: Follow here for all updates as the First Minister addresses the nation
“Our vaccination programme is running fast - we are currently the most vaccinated part of the UK.
“46% of the over 12 population have had boosters.
“However, just as vaccines started to win this race, the virus learned to run faster.
“That means we must deliver boosters even faster.”
“While we are speeding up vaccination, we must also try to slow down Omicron.
“That is why we are also proposing today, albeit reluctantly, some further protective measures.
“I am appealing to everyone to follow today’s advice, to help slow Omicron down while more of us get our boosters.
“Let me clear, we do not do this lightly.
“I know how hard it is.
“Please believe me when I say I would not be asking for yet more sacrifice if I did not genuinely consider this to be necessary in the face of a threat that is very real.”
“Firstly, we want to keep businesses open but to help achieve this we are asking them to step up the protections in place in their premises.
“We intend to amend regulations to put a legal requirement on those running businesses or providing services to take measures which are reasonably practicable to minimise the risk of transmission.
“We will issue guidance this week to make clear what this means for different sectors.”
“For hospitality, it will mean, for example, measures to avoid crowding at bars and between tables, and a reminder of the requirement to collect contact details of customers to help with contact tracing.”
“My hardest request today is of the general public.
“I want to be clear, I am not asking anyone to ‘cancel’ Christmas - but in the run up to and in the immediate aftermath of Christmas, I am asking everyone to reduce as far as possible, and to a minimum, the contacts we have with people in other households. I will say more about Christmas Day in a moment.
“We are not banning or restricting household mixing in law as before. We understand the negative impact this has on mental health and wellbeing.”
“But we are asking everyone - and we will issue strong guidance to this effect - to cut down as far as possible the number of people outside our own households that we are interacting with just now.
“This will help break transmission chains.
“So my key request today is this - before and immediately after Christmas, please minimise your social mixing with other households as much as you can.”
“I know this is a tough thing to ask people to do, especially at this time of year. So I want to be clear why we are doing it.
“One of the things we have already learned about Omicron is that it has a very high attack rate.
“That means if just one person in a gathering is infectious, that person is likely to infect many more people in the group than was the case with the Delta variant.
“So by reducing the numbers of people and households gathering together, we help limit the extent of its spread.”
“Turning to Christmas Day specifically – or Christmas Eve or Boxing Day or whenever you have your main family celebration - we are not asking you to cancel or change your plans, and we are not proposing limits on the size of household gatherings.”
“Places of worship will also remain open, with appropriate mitigations.
“But we will issue guidance to help you make Christmas safer.
“Reducing your contacts in advance of and after Christmas as I have just strongly advised will help do this.
“Keeping your celebrations as small as your family circumstances allow is sensible too.
“Make sure everyone in your gathering is vaccinated and has done a test in advance.
“Keep rooms ventilated and follow strict hygiene rules.”
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