Plan B measures will be removed following millions getting the booster, which gives strong protection against Omicron
People will no longer be advised to work from home, face coverings will no longer be mandatory in indoor venues, and organisations will be able to choose whether to require NHS Covid Passes
Vaccination remains our best defence against COVID-19 and people are urged to Get Boosted Now
The UK government has announced that England will fully return to Plan A on Thursday 27 January thanks to the success of the booster programme, with ministers urging anyone who has still not had a top-up jab to come forward and Get Boosted Now.
On 8 December, the Prime Minister announced a move to Plan B following the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The measures introduced helped to control the spread of COVID-19, bought time to assess the variant and allowed the NHS to rapidly expand the booster programme to strengthen defences.
While vaccinations remain a priority, the success of the vaccination programme so far means we are now able to cautiously return to Plan A in England.
This means immediately (from yesterday, Wednesday 19 January):
The UK government is no longer asking people in England to work from home if they can. People should speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office, and should follow the Working Safely guidance.
From today (Thursday 20 January):
Face coverings will no longer be advised in classrooms for both staff and pupils.
From next Thursday (27 January):
Venues and events will no longer be required by law to use the NHS Covid Pass. The NHS Covid Pass can still be used on a voluntary basis as was previously the case in Plan A.
Face coverings are no longer required by law in any setting. Public health guidance will remain in place, suggesting individuals should continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
The Department for Education will remove national guidance on the use of face coverings in communal areas, with local Directors of Public Health able to recommend the use of face coverings in education settings across their area only where the department and public health experts judge the measure to be proportionate due to specific health concerns. This is a temporary measure and Directors of Public Health continue to advise individual settings experiencing outbreaks.
Any local introduction of face coverings must be subject to routine review and removed at the earliest opportunity.
Throughout the pandemic, the UK government says it has maintained a balanced approach to COVID-19 measures, considering the freedoms of individuals together with the public health concerns of COVID-19.
Although the government is able to remove blanket restrictions, prevalence of COVID-19 is still high with over 16,000 people in hospital in England with the infection. As such individuals, employers and local leaders are urged to act cautiously and consider the risk of COVID-19 when moving back to Plan A. The guidance on gov.uk will be updated accordingly.
Due to the success of the booster programme, with over 30.5 million boosters given in England, the situation continues to improve.
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that getting a booster is 89% effective in preventing hospitalisation from COVID-19 from two weeks after it is administered and is 65 to 75% effective against symptomatic infection from Omicron.
Vaccinations remain our best defence against COVID-19 and in December the Prime Minister launched a national appeal to Get Boosted Now. The government met its target of offering every eligible adult a booster jab by Christmas and now more than 4 in 5 (81%) of eligible adults in England have had their booster.
Over 90% of people aged 12 and above have had their first dose and over 83% have had their second. The government recently provided an extra £22.5 million to councils for Community Vaccine Champions to help drive uptake in harder-to-reach communities.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today marks the start of the next chapter in this country’s fight against COVID-19.
“Our plan was to use the time that Plan B gave us to give ourselves extra power in our fight against Omicron. That plan has worked, and the data shows that Omicron is in retreat.
“But it’s not the end of the road and we shouldn’t see this as the finish line. The best step that we can all take is to get vaccinated. It was the jabs that have got us this far, and the jabs can keep us here too”.
The vaccine programme is being bolstered by the development of world-leading antiviral treatments. In December, the Prime Minister confirmed a new national PANORAMIC study where 10,000 UK patients at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 will be given molnupiravir to treat their symptoms at home.
Testing also remains a vital tool in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and has allowed the government to take a proportionate approach to restoring individual freedoms.
Thanks to the accessibility of lateral flow tests (LFT), people self-isolating with COVID-19 can now end their isolation after five full days, provided they test negative on day 5 and 6. Contacts who are fully vaccinated can also avoid isolation by testing daily with LFTs and most of those who test positive on a LFT no longer have to confirm their case with a PCR test.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Face-to-face education for all students has consistently been my priority, and that is why I am removing face coverings from classrooms – as promised – on the earliest possible date, making sure there is as little disruption to students’ learning as possible.
“National guidance to wear face coverings in communal areas will also be removed in line with the national move out of Plan B.
“Although we can take this action because we know the risk from Omicron is lower, the virus is still with us and proportionate protective measures remain vital to protect education. My message remains the same as ever – testing and vaccinations are our best weapons against the virus – keep testing, and get your vaccination as soon as possible.”
Chief Medical Advisor for the UK Health Security Agency, Dr Susan Hopkins said: “The recent decline in community case rates and individuals requiring hospitalisation is encouraging and it’s thanks to the public, who have taken up vaccination and followed the Plan B measures closely, that we’ve got to this point.
“However we should not be complacent. The pandemic is not over yet and we will need to remain cautious to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
“I encourage everyone to get the vaccine as soon as they can, to continue testing regularly with LFTs – particularly before periods of high risk and before seeing anyone who is vulnerable – and to take a PCR test if they have symptoms.”
Government will set out a long term strategy for living with COVID-19 in due course.
Public asked to remain cautious while case numbers are still high
Additional measures aimed at stemming the spread of the Omicron variant whilst the vaccination booster programme took effect will be lifted next week.
From 5am on Monday 24 January, restrictions including one metre physical distancing in hospitality and leisure settings and table service in hospitality venues will not be required and attendance limits at indoor events will be removed. Non-professional indoor contact sports will also resume.
Nightclubs can reopen and whilst the Covid certification scheme will not be extended at this stage, regulations will be updated to ensure venues cannot avoid the scheme by putting tables on dancefloors whilst still allowing dancing.
People will continue to be asked to work from home whenever possible, with employers asked to facilitate this. However, the Government will engage with businesses now about a return to a more hybrid approach from the start of February if case numbers continue to decline.
The guidance to keep social interaction at home and in indoor public places to a maximum of three households is also being lifted but given case numbers remain high, the public are being asked to be cautious and to limit contacts where possible, in addition to taking lateral flow tests before meeting people from other households.
Further baseline measures including a requirement to collect customer details in hospitality settings, the use of face coverings in public places and on public transport in addition to the current Covid certification scheme will remain in place to limit the spread of Omicron and reduce pressure on essential services.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Because of the vaccination programme, and the efforts we have all made to curb transmission, our position is not as difficult as feared back in December. That is why we were able to lift the limits on outdoor events yesterday and why we are lifting other restrictions from next Monday.
“We are still in a very challenging position and the NHS remains under significant pressure, with the number of Covid cases still exceptionally high. Although we can be cautiously optimistic about our current position, we all still need to play our part in helping to slow the spread of the virus.
“The key ways in which all of us can do that include getting vaccinated as soon as you can, limiting and prioritising contacts that matter the most to you and taking lateral flow tests when you are planning to see other people.
“All of this makes a difference and is the reason why we have been able to start lifting restrictions and can look ahead to a much better spring and summer.”
Around 12,000 students will assist in the safe delivery of health and social care as services continue to respond to the pandemic.
More than 3,000 nursing and midwifery students are heading out on placements this month. A further 7,000 students will be placed across the service in February, complemented by around 1,500 Allied Health Professional students and more than 500 paramedic students who will also be involved in the delivery of care via supervised practice.
The practical component of student learning remains centred on supervised involvement in the frontline delivery of patient care as part of accruing the hours necessary for registration as a healthcare professional. It is an integral part of the ongoing work to respond to the challenges of COVID-19, and is greatly valued by the workforce.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As part of their professional programme of education, and throughout the pandemic, these students have worked tirelessly to support our NHS, making an invaluable contribution to the delivery of care as part of their supervised practice in health and social care environments.
“As we go into a third year facing up to the challenges of COVID, we are fortunate to combine good quality learning attained by students as part of their supervised practice with the positive impact these students have on the delivery of safe, effective patient care and their ongoing support of our NHS. And I wholeheartedly thank them for their hard work during this difficult time.”
Senior Charge Nurse for Critical Care at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary Steve Walls said: “As part of their learning experience, students have adapted to what has been very challenging time, providing the highest quality of care as valued members of clinical teams across a broad range of services, from our hospitals to the community.
“For me it has been fantastic to see how they have developed while providing an extra pair of hands, eyes and ears to make sure our patients are safely cared for as we respond to the pandemic. They also bring with them an enthusiasm that can lift the mood of a shift.”
Honours nursing student at Glasgow Caledonian University and mother-of-three Natalie Elliott, from Lanarkshire, was one of the first students to go out on supervised hospital placements in April 2020. She said: “ I learned so much. The experience has helped boost my confidence and improved my performance.
“It was a real privilege to be part of the pandemic response and to feel that you’ve made that little bit of a difference. There was a sense of camaraderie on the wards and I really felt part of the team.
“It has also helped me develop more self-awareness. Nursing can be stressful but I’ve learned to look after myself and be more resilient when I feel overwhelmed with the challenges I face, particularly when wards are short staffed and there are difficult cases to deal with.”
Professional sports affected by the recent COVID-19 crowd limits have been allocated £2.55 million in financial support from the Scottish Government.
The funding comes from the £5 million announced for professional sport on 5 January, as part of £375 million in wider business support. It will support up to 75% of losses after the Omicron outbreak saw a limit of 500 introduced on outdoor crowds.
This restriction will be lifted tomorrow – Monday 17 January.
The funding will also support clubs impacted by the limit of 200 on indoor sports. The traditional Boxing day Premier League football fixtures and horse racing at Musselburgh on New Years Day were among the events affected by the restrictions.
Sports minister Maree Todd said: “These sports clubs are at the heart of their communities, but many of them have suffered real hardships as the necessary COVID-19 lockdown restrictions meant attendances were heavily restricted.
“This funding will help to ensure clubs are able to bridge the gap in revenue, as spectators return safely to sports events in larger numbers when these restrictions are eased next week.
“This Government has pledged to provide funding to support organisations affected by the necessary measures to keep us all safe and these allocations show we are doing this.
“We will continue to work in partnership to support all our sports clubs to help them through this difficult time and to ensure this funding can be accessed by all clubs as efficiently as possible.”
The funding package is split as follows:
Ice hockey – £350,000
Basketball – £20,000
Horse Racing – £265,000
Rugby – £125,000
Football – £1.79million
Total: £2.55 million
Further funding from the £5million may be allocated in the event of further restrictions having significant financial impacts.
Ice hockey and basketball clubs affected, deemed to be most in need, will receive their funding directly from sportscotland.
The other sports will see the funding provided to governing bodies who will then distribute it to members. The amounts for each football club will be finalised by the SFA/SPFL after this weekend’s fixtures, as they are included in the period of restrictions.
‘Vaccination is vital’: Scots urged to get boosted as soon as possible
Anyone who has not yet received their booster or third dose is being urged to come forward now, to give the best possible protection against the Omicron variant.
That includes anyone who was unable to attend a vaccination clinic before the Hogmanay bells because of a COVID-19 infection, or if they were self-isolating.
People who are aged 18 and over can receive a booster 28 days after they tested positive or if it has been at least 12 weeks since their second dose.
Young people aged 12-17 can also attend for their second dose of the vaccine – many will have received an appointment but this group can also attend a drop-in clinic at a time and place convenient for them as long as 12 weeks have passed since their first jab.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The recent acceleration of activity in response to the emerging threat of the Omicron variant has been a remarkable national endeavour and I can’t stress enough how grateful we are to all those involved.
“More than three million people have now received a booster or third dose, offering strengthened protection from the virus and reducing the risk of hospitalisation from the virus.
“However, we believe Omicron has not yet peaked, and the pressure being felt by the health and social care system is extremely high. So, to protect ourselves and the NHS at this critical time it is vital people complete the vaccination course for which they are eligible. It remains vital that everyone gets their booster vaccine when they are eligible.
“We know many people have been unable to attend appointments because of the virus, or due to self-isolation, so I urge anyone who has been unable to attend to rearrange it or go to a drop-in clinic.
“It is never too late to receive your booster – or a first or second dose – so please come forward as soon as possible, as there is plenty of capacity available.”
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nicola Steedman said: “Data shows you are significantly more likely to be admitted to hospital if you are unvaccinated.
“We now know that boosters provide the best possible protection against this variant of the virus. My clinical colleagues and I know the difference this will make – we see it in our hospitals and communities every day. Please get vaccinated.”
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccination at NHS Inform
Boosters continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from Omicron in older adults
Latest data from UKHSA shows booster doses are continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from the Omicron variant among older adults.
Figures show that around 3 months after they received the third jab, protection against hospitalisation among those aged 65 and over remains at about 90%.
With just 2 vaccine doses, protection against severe disease drops to around 70% after 3 months and to 50% after 6 months.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has taken this latest evidence into account in their ongoing review of the booster programme.
The Committee advises that at this present time:
there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, or fourth jab, to the most vulnerable (care home residents and those aged over 80) – the timing and need for further booster doses will continue to be reviewed as the data evolves
priority should continue to be given to rolling out first booster doses to all age groups
unvaccinated individuals should come forward for their first 2 doses as soon as possible
Professor Wei Shen Lim, the JCVI’s chair of COVID-19 immunisation, said: “The current data shows the booster dose is continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease, even for the most vulnerable older age groups.
“For this reason, the committee has concluded there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, though this will continue to be reviewed.
“The data is highly encouraging and emphasises the value of a booster jab. With Omicron continuing to spread widely, I encourage everyone to come forward for their booster dose, or if unvaccinated, for their first 2 doses, to increase their protection against serious illness.”
The latest study looked at booster doses in those aged over 65, who were among the first to be eligible when the booster rollout began in mid-September.
Whilst with a booster dose, the duration of protection against severe disease remains high, protection against mild symptomatic infection is more short-lived and drops to around 30% by about 3 months.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement in the House of Commons on the Omicron variant yesterday:
Mr Speaker, with permission I will make a Statement on the Omicron variant, and our measures to contain this virus, fortify our NHS and keep our country open.
First, I am sure the whole House will join me in paying tribute to everyone working in our NHS and social care, for their extraordinary efforts in the teeth of yet another wave of this pandemic, and for all they have done, together with thousands of volunteers, to get Britain boosted.
Since we began the Get Boosted Now campaign just over three weeks ago, we have delivered 10 million extra boosters across the UK; we have doubled the rate of vaccination from 450,000 doses a day to a peak of more than 900,000; we have matched the NHS’s previous record day, and then beaten it again and again; and we have met our target of offering a booster to every eligible adult in England a whole month early.
As a result, we have a higher level of booster protection than all our European neighbours, with over 34 million boosters administered across the UK, including in England reaching more than 90 per cent of the over-70s, and 86 per cent of the over-50s.
Together with the evidence that Omicron causes less severe disease than previous variants, and the way the public have conscientiously changed their behaviour in response to Plan B, this level of protection means we are in a very different position than during previous waves.
I know some Hon Members might therefore ask whether this means we can now do away with measures altogether. But I am sorry to report that hospital admissions are rising rapidly, doubling around every 9 days, with already more than 15,000 Covid patients in hospital in England alone.
We are experiencing the fastest growth in Covid cases that we have ever known, with over 218,000 cases reported yesterday, although that included some delayed reporting.
And potentially of greatest concern, case rates are now rapidly rising among the older and more vulnerable, including doubling every week among those over 60, with the obvious risk that this will continue to increase the pressures on our NHS.
So in response to the latest data, the Cabinet agreed this morning that we should stick with Plan B for another three weeks, with a further review before the regulations expire on 26 January.
People in England should carry on working from home whenever they can, wear face coverings on public transport and in most indoor public places, and take a test before going to high risk venues or meeting the elderly or vulnerable.
All of these measures are helping to take the edge off the Omicron wave, slow the spread of infection, manage the immediate pressures on our NHS and buy time for the boosters to take effect.
And those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should, of course, continue to follow the rules where they live.
Mr Speaker, faced with these pressures on our NHS, I know some Members may ask the opposite question: whether we should go even further and move towards a full lockdown. But lockdowns are not cost free. They impose a devastating toll on our physical and mental wellbeing, on our businesses, jobs and livelihoods, and, worst of all, on the life chances of our children.
So this government does not believe we need to shut down our country again. Instead we are taking a balanced approach, using the protection of the boosters and the Plan B measures to reduce the spread of the virus, while acting to strengthen our NHS, protect critical national services and keep supply chains open.
We’re building onsite Nightingale hospitals and creating 2,500 virtual beds to increase NHS capacity.
We’ve bought more antivirals per person than anywhere else in Europe. And we’re working to identify those NHS Trusts which are most likely to need military support, so this can be prepared now.
From 10th January, we will provide 100,000 critical workers in England with free lateral flow tests for every working day to help keep essential services running.
This includes those who work on critical national infrastructure, national security, transport, and food distribution and processing. And these tests are separate – and in addition – to those already allocated to our public services, such as in education, where we have delivered 31 million testing kits to schools and colleges for the start of the new term.
Mr Speaker, we have the biggest testing programme in Europe, registering almost twice as many tests as France, and four times as many as Germany.
Last month alone, we distributed 300 million lateral flow devices – enabling millions of people to get tested and keep their loved ones, friends and colleagues safe in the run-up to Christmas.
But thanks to the sheer size of the Omicron wave, we still need to take steps to ensure our testing capacity reaches those who need it most.
So we will be suspending the need to do a PCR to confirm the result of a positive lateral flow test.
From next Tuesday in England, if you test positive on a lateral flow device, you should just record that result on gov.uk and begin self-isolating.
Mr Speaker, our balanced approach also means that where specific measures are no longer serving their purpose, they will be dropped.
So when the Omicron variant was first identified, we rightly introduced travel restrictions to slow its arrival in our country.
But now Omicron is so prevalent, these measures are having limited impact on the growth in cases, while continuing to pose significant costs on our travel industry.
So I can announce that in England from 4am on Friday we will be scrapping the pre-departure test, which discourages many from travelling for fear of being trapped overseas and incurring significant extra expense.
We will also be lifting the requirement to self-isolate on arrival until receipt of a negative PCR, returning instead to the system we had in October last year, where those arriving in England will need to take a lateral flow test no later than the end of Day 2 and, if positive, a further PCR test to help us identify any new variants at the border.
Mr Speaker, all of these measures are balanced and proportionate ways of ensuring we can live with Covid without letting our guard down.
And we can only do this thanks to the biggest and fastest booster campaign in Europe.
Yet Mr Speaker, there are still almost 9 million people eligible, who haven’t had their booster. As many as 90 per cent of those in intensive care with Covid have not had their booster and over 60 per cent have not had any vaccination at all.
And there are 2 million slots available over the next week alone. So I urge Hon Members on all sides of the House to do everything possible to encourage your constituents to get boosted now.
This is the very best way to save lives, reduce the pressure on our NHS and keep our country open. And I commend this Statement to the House.
Pre-departure testing removed for vaccinated travellers
Testing and border measures are changing for fully eligible fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England
A lateral flow test can be used instead of PCR tests for eligible fully vaccinated travellers and over 5s to take on or before day 2
Eligible fully vaccinated travellers and under 18s will no longer have to take a pre-departure test or self-isolate on arrival in England – returning to the travel rules that were in place before Omicron
Scotland expected to follow suit
Omicron is the dominant variant in the UK and is spreading widely among the community
From 4am on Sunday 9 January, eligible fully vaccinated travellers and over 5s will be able to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR on or before day 2 of their arrival in England. Lateral flow tests for travel can be booked from Friday 7 January and taken upon arrival, by the end of day 2.
Eligible fully vaccinated passengers and under 18s will no longer need to take a pre-departure test or self-isolate on arrival in England from 4am on Friday 7 January but must continue to take their post-arrival tests.
As data shows Omicron is the dominant variant in the UK and spreading widely in the community it is now proportionate to cautiously reduce testing measures at the borders.
Anyone who receives a positive result on their lateral flow test must self-isolate immediately and order a NHS PCR test from gov.uk. Positive PCR tests for arrivals will be sequenced to understand if and where variants are emerging around the globe in order to protect the UK public.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “As we learn more about the Omicron variant it is right that we keep our testing and border measures under review to ensure they remain proportionate.
“The steps we’re taking will make travel easier for people while protecting the UK public from the virus.
“Omicron continues to be a serious threat and it is important that travellers continue to get tested. The most important thing anyone can do if they haven’t already is come forward for their vaccine.”
Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “I’ve always said that we won’t keep international travel restrictions in place any longer than they are necessary to protect public health.
“That’s why we’re removing the temporary, extra testing measures we introduced for Omicron in November, making travel easier and cheaper for fully vaccinated passengers and providing a big boost for the travel industry as we enter the peak new year booking period.
“We want to provide more certainty to passengers and businesses, and will do a full review of our international travel measures for 2022 by the end of the month.”
Dr Susan Hopkins UK Health Security Agency said: “It is vital anyone who receives a positive Day 2 lateral flow test self-isolates immediately and orders a PCR on gov uk. All travel PCRs with high amounts of virus are sequenced to help us understand if any new variants are emerging around the world and entering the UK.
“Everyone must continue to wear face coverings where required, wash hands regularly and work from home to help stop the spread of the virus and keep our loved ones and community safe.”
Lateral flow tests for international travel must be purchased from a private provider as NHS Test and Trace lateral flow tests cannot be used for international travel. Passengers who have already bought a PCR to use for travel do not need to buy another test as PCRs can still be used.
Unvaccinated passengers must continue to take a pre-departure test, PCR test on or before Day 2 and on or after Day 8 and self-isolate for 10 days. ‘Test to release’ remains an option for unvaccinated people to shorten their self-isolation period.
Proof of vaccination from over 15 further countries and territories will be accepted for entry into England from 4am on Monday 10 January: Bhutan, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Fiji, Iraq, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, north of Cyprus, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Solomon Islands, The Gambia and Uzbekistan.
The World Health Organisation has recently granted WHO Emergency Use List (EUL) authorisation to the two versions of the ‘Novavax’ vaccine named Covovax and Nuvaxovid. Therefore, eligible travellers who have received either version of this vaccine will be recognised for international travel into England from 4am on Monday 10 January.
No countries have been added to the UK travel red list, which remains on standby. A further review of all travel measures will be carried out later in the month, and our long-term goal remains to return to safe, restriction-free travel as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Scotland is likely to follow suit with an announcement expected this afternoon.
Changes are being made to self-isolation rules in line with public health advice and testing requirements to help maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that anyone who tests positive for Covid-19, regardless of vaccination status, must still self-isolate for 10 days.
However, from today, Thursday 6 January, new cases will be advised they can end self-isolation if they don’t have a fever and test negative on a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) on Day 6 and again at least 24 hours later.
Triple vaccinated close contacts of those who test positive, both household and non-household, or those under the age of 18 and four months, do not need to isolate as long as they return a negative LFD test result each day for seven consecutive days, and remain fever free.
The intention is for the public to be sufficiently reassured of a negative Covid-19 status during the potential incubation period.
Any close contact who is not fully vaccinated (three doses) will still have to self-isolate for the 10 days and take a PCR test.
Changes are also being made to testing after a positive LFD – people will no longer be asked to take a PCR test to confirm the result.
Instead, anyone with a positive LFD should report the result online as soon as the test is done. This ensures that people can get the advice they need as quickly as possible. After reporting their result, people should then fill in the online form they will receive, so that contacts can also be informed and rapidly given the correct advice.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “When the Omicron variant started to take hold, we strengthened self-isolation requirements, so that all household contacts had to self isolate for 10 days.
“That step was intended to slow the spread of the variant. It also reflected the fact that we knew less about the severity of the virus at that time, and that less of the population had protection from booster and third jags.
“We are now in a very different position – and so we can now adopt different rules.
“These changes are significant, but we believe they are also justified at this phase of the pandemic. They balance the importance of self-isolation – in slowing the virus’s spread and reducing the harm it can cause – with the wider harms to the economy that broader self-isolation rules can cause.”
If you have symptoms of Covid-19 (a fever, new continuous cough, or loss of sense of taste or smell) it is important to isolate and book a PCR test (even if you have already tested positive with an LFD) – that advice has not changed.
Getting a Lateral Flow Test:
People in Scotland who need a Lateral Flow Test can do so in the following ways:
By ordering online for home delivery. A box of 7 lateral flow test will arrive within 24-48 hours. Additional booking slots are added throughout the day.
At over 1,000 Community Pharmacies. People will be able to collect one pack of 7 lateral flow tests. Pharmacies can receive a box of around 60 packs of lateral flow tests each day.
At over 60 Testing Sites. People will be able to collect one pack of 7 lateral flow tests from any regional or local test site in Scotland.
At many other collect points established by Local Authorities. Follow this link to find information on additional local sites in your community.
From where they learn or where they work if in education, health and social care or any workplace with more than 10 employees which have signed up for our workplace testing programme.
First Minister’s statement – 5 January 2022
Presiding Officer,
Firstly, I wish you, members and staff in Parliament, and everyone across the country a happy new year.
Today, I will report on the continuing rise in COVID cases.
I will outline our approach to managing this phase of the pandemic
As part of that, I will set out immediate changes to the requirements for self-isolation and testing.
And while we are not proposing any additional measures at this stage, I will confirm that existing protections and guidance will remain in place for the coming week, pending further review.
And finally, given that Omicron may not be the last new COVID variant that we face, I will also signal some longer term work to consider the adaptations necessary to enable us to deal more proportionately and sustainably with any future phases of the pandemic.
First, though, today’s statistics.
16,103 positive cases were reported yesterday – 26.9% of all tests carried out.
1,223 people are in hospital with COVID. That’s 71 more than yesterday – but it’s 544 more than at this time last week.
42 people are in intensive care – which is the same as yesterday.
Sadly, a further five deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 9,872.
Once again, I send my condolences to everyone who is mourning a loved one.
The surge of cases, driven by the extremely infectious Omicron variant, is continuing here in Scotland, across the UK, and indeed in many other countries around the world.
Here in Scotland over the past week, the total number of new reported cases has increased by 87%.
Tomorrow’s figures will almost certainly see us pass 1 million reported cases since the outset of the pandemic.
However, the rapid and very widespread transmission of Omicron is such that the daily recorded tally of cases – which has always been an underestimate of the true level of infection – now gives us an even less comprehensive indicator of how prevalent the virus is.
The weekly survey published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) gives a better indication. In the week to 23 December, it suggested that one in 40 people in Scotland had COVID.
The results of the most recent ONS survey – published just a few minutes ago – suggest that in the week to 31 December that had risen to one in 20.
The proportion of people with COVID is though likely to be even higher than that now, a few days later – and I would anticipate that we will see continued growth in the level of infection as work and school resume after the holiday period.
In short, COVID is significantly more widespread now than at any stage in the pandemic so far, and will almost certainly become even more so in the days to come.
This, of course, has extremely serious implications for the NHS and social care.
But it also has a severe and increasing impact on the economy and other critical services.
This is primarily due to very high numbers of people off work with COVID – but it is of course compounded by the wider requirements for self isolation.
As I said last week, we have been considering very carefully the risks and benefits of changes to self isolation requirements and I will update on that shortly.
More generally, as I said a moment ago, we are not proposing any new protective measures today.
However, with the virus so prevalent, we do consider it important to continue to apply some brake on transmission, particularly in settings posing the highest risk.
Accordingly, I can confirm that the restrictions on large gatherings, the requirement for distancing between groups of people in public indoor places and for table service in hospitality venues serving alcohol on the premises will remain in force for now and indeed, I expect, until 17 January.
In addition, while this is not a legal requirement, we are continuing to strongly advise the general public to limit contact with people in other households as far as possible, and to limit the number of households in any indoor gathering that does take place to a maximum of three.
After two long years of this pandemic, I know that asking people to cut all social interaction is just not feasible – and it would be damaging of course to mental health and wellbeing.
However, limiting contacts insofar as we can, and thinking carefully about the interactions that matter most to us, is important just now.
It helps stem, at least to some extent, increases in transmission – and so has a collective benefit.
But it also helps protect us as individuals.
When at least one in 20 of us have the virus – as is the case now – the risk of getting it when we mix with others is significant.
So if we limit the occasions on which we do mix, we also reduce our own risk of catching a virus that we know could have a nasty impact on our health.
Trying to stem transmission – at least to some degree – is also important for the NHS which is under increasing pressure.
On the upside, the evidence that Omicron causes less severe illness than previous variants – at least amongst the under 60s, where the virus is most prevalent at the moment – does appear to be strengthening.
Indeed, the fact that the numbers here in intensive care are so far remaining stable while the numbers in hospital generally rises quite sharply, may be indicative of this.
We also know for certain that a booster jag provides strong protection against serious illness for people of all ages.
However, notwithstanding the success of the booster programme and indeed the apparent lower rate of hospitalisation from Omicron, the sheer volume of people becoming infected means more people with COVID are being admitted to hospital.
There is also remaining uncertainty about the impact on hospital admissions if Omicron continues to spread from younger age groups – where the risk of falling seriously ill from COVID has always been lower – to those in older age groups.
As I reported last week, work is also underway to better understand the detail behind the headline hospital numbers.
I can advise Parliament that the first results from analysis to differentiate those who are in hospital because of COVID from those in hospital with COVID but who were admitted for different reasons will be published on Friday.
Work is also being done to assess whether the average length of hospital stay resulting from Omicron is any different to that associated with other variants.
So, in short, our understanding of the precise nature and extent of Omicron’s impact on hospitals and the wider health and social care system is still developing.
However, what is beyond doubt is that it is already having a considerable impact.
The number of people in hospital with COVID has increased from 679 to 1,223 in the last week. That’s a rise of 80%. That is putting significant additional pressure on the NHS.
Indeed, the NHS is now facing increasing pressure on three related fronts.
First, from dealing with non COVID backlogs built up over the course of the pandemic.
Second, many NHS staff are absent and self-isolating either because they have COVID, or are close contacts of people with it.
This means the increasing pressure on the NHS is being managed by a depleted and ever more exhausted workforce. Let me say at this stage we owe each and every one of them an enormous debt of gratitude.
And third, as we keep saying, even with a lower rate of hospitalisation, the sheer volume of cases caused by the much greater transmissibility of Omicron will lead, is leading, to more patients with COVID ending up in hospital.
And, with reference to the analysis that will be published on Friday that I spoke about a moment, it’s important to remember, even if COVID is not the primary reason for someone’s admission to hospital, the fact they have COVID means enhanced infection control measures are required, and that further constrains NHS capacity so exacerbates that pressure.
We continue to support health boards and staff to manage this pressure – this includes working with councils to reduce delayed discharge and targeting additional capacity where possible.
Work is also underway importantly to develop alternative patient pathways for people with COVID, enabling them where possible to remain at home, where appropriate, with appropriate monitoring and advice rather than be admitted to hospital. This work will also help identify at an earlier stage patients likely to benefit from new antiviral treatments.
Of course, we can all help the NHS by taking steps to reduce transmission of the virus as much as possible.
Presiding Officer
While abiding by current guidance and protections is at this stage vitally important, we do know that measures which restrict our lives are not sustainable indefinitely.
And with a variant as infectious as Omicron, the kind of protections that are still possible within our financial resources and without causing greater harm in other ways – while still very important at this stage – won’t control transmission to the same extent as these measures would have done with other less transmissible variants.
So in light of this, coupled with the fact that unfortunately COVID won’t suddenly disappear and that Omicron is unlikely to be the last new variant we encounter, we need to continue to adapt our thinking about how to manage the virus and become more resilient to it in future.
Let me be clear at this stage, this does not, in my view, mean giving up on trying to control COVID completely – the impact of it on individual health and on our collective wellbeing is too significant for that.
But it does mean seeking ways of doing so that are more proportionate, sustainable and less restrictive.
There are no easy answers here, but adapting to the ongoing challenge of COVID is inescapable. The Scottish Government is therefore currently working on and will publish over the next few weeks a revised strategic framework, which will set out more fully how that process of adaptation can be managed with a view to building that greater resilience.
We will seek views from across Parliament as we develop this new framework in more detail. However, the changes I am about to confirm to the requirements on self isolation and testing are an early indication of an already adapting response.
I said last week that it was important to consider carefully changes to self isolation rules.
We wanted to ensure such changes are made only when in the view of clinical advisors, the benefits of them outweigh the risks of them.
I also want to make changes, as far as possible, in a coherent not a piecemeal manner, given the importance of clear public understanding of what is required.
As a result of this consideration, we are now proposing two changes to the self isolation rules, and one change to the requirement for PCR testing. And all of these changes will take effect from midnight tonight.
The first change to self isolation applies to those who test positive for COVID.
While the initial advice when someone tests positive will still be to self-isolate for 10 days, there will now be an option to end isolation after seven days as long as you, firstly, have no fever and, secondly, you record two negative lateral flow tests, one no earlier than day six after testing positive and another at least 24 hours after that.
The second change applies to close contacts of positive cases – and this includes household contacts – who are either under the age of 18 years, four months, or who are older than that and fully vaccinated.
Let me be clear, by fully vaccinated, we mean first, second and booster or third doses.
For close contacts in these categories the requirement to self-isolate will end and be replaced by a requirement to take a lateral flow test every day for seven days. Obviously, if one of these tests is positive, self-isolation will then be required.
Anyone identified as a close contact who is over 18 years and four months and not fully vaccinated will still be asked to self-isolate for 10 days and to take a PCR test.
These changes are significant and they are not completely without risk. However, at this stage of the pandemic they do strike an appropriate balance between the continued importance of self-isolation in breaking chains of transmission, and reducing the disruption self isolation causes in the economy and other critical services.
We are also proposing an important change to the advice on testing. And let me be clear again, this has been very carefully considered.
Scotland, indeed the UK as a whole, has one of the most extensive PCR testing systems anywhere in the world.
However, with infection levels are as high as they are, we must fully utilise all available testing capacity – PCR and lateral flow. And make sure isolation and advice happens as quickly as possible.
For those who have symptoms of COVID, the advice remains to book a PCR test, even if you have a positive lateral flow test.
And of course the advice to everyone is to test regularly with lateral flow devices, especially before meeting up with others.
However, from tomorrow, if your lateral flow test is positive, and you do not have symptoms, you will no longer be required to take a PCR test to confirm the result.
Instead, you must immediately isolate and also report your result online so that Test & Protect can commence the contact tracing process and give you advice as quickly as possible. You will also receive an online form that you must fill in, as would happen with a PCR positive in to ensure your contacts are notified.
Other countries, Canada for example, have already made this change.
It has been made possible because lateral flow tests are now widely available and work well.
Also, and really importantly, the Test & Protect system in Scotland can start contact tracing on the strength of a reported positive lateral flow result as well as a PCR.
And, crucially, at times of very high levels of infection the risk of a false positive lateral flow result is very low indeed – around just three in 10,000.
So the safest thing to do at this stage is treat a positive lateral flow test as confirmation of COVID. Even if you have no symptoms.
This allows us to maximise testing capacity and ensure a speedier start to the process of contact tracing and advice.
Presiding Officer
There are a few further points I want to briefly touch on today.
Firstly, the current situation continues to take its toll on every one of course, but it continues to take a toll on businesses.
Last week, I confirmed the allocation of more than £200 million of the £375 million in business support we are making available.
Today, I can confirm the allocation of a further £55 million.
Up to £28 million will be allocated to taxi and private hire drivers and operators. £19 million will support services such as beauticians and hairdressers.
£5 million will be provided for sport, and an additional £3 million for tourism.
Local authorities are as we speak working to get money into bank accounts as quickly as possible.
Secondly, in light of the widespread community transmission of Omicron in the UK just now, discussions are taking place today between the four UK governments about possible changes to travel rules, including the requirement for pre-departure testing.
If these discussions result in proposed changes, we will inform parliament as quickly as possible.
My third point relates to education, and the start of the new term.
All secondary school children are being asked to take a lateral flow test on the night before or morning of their first day back, and thereafter to test twice a week and also in advance of mixing socially with people from other households.
Likewise, university and college students should take a test immediately before travelling from home to term-time accommodation, and thereafter test twice a week and before socialising with people from other households.
And staff in all educational and early years settings should take a lateral flow test just before starting back at work, and in line with broader advice after that.
Our priority is to keep schools open and to minimise further disruption to education.
But with community transmission high, I know the next few weeks will be challenging for pupils, staff and parents.
Using lateral flow tests will help. So too will the changes to isolation rules – and updated education guidance reflecting these changes will issue shortly.
We will also work with councils to ensure the guidance issued before Christmas is followed to keep schools not just open but as safe as possible.
Presiding Officer, my final brief update today is on vaccination.
I am immensely grateful to everyone involved in delivering vaccines – and to everyone who has been vaccinated.
By the bells on Hogmanay, around 3 million people – 77% of those eligible – had received their booster or third dose.
If you weren’t one of these people – and you are eligible – please come forward now.
You can arrange an appointment online, or go to a drop-in clinic. There is plenty of capacity and you can get details at NHS Inform or your local health board website.
Getting a booster doesn’t mean we won’t get COVID, although it does reduce the chances of that, but it significantly enhances our protection against serious illness. It could quite literally save your life.
12 to 15 year olds can also now go to drop-in centres to get the second dose.
I encourage everyone in that age group to do so. If you are the parent or carer of someone in that age group, you can go with them to the vaccination centre.
The vaccine programme has been an outstanding success – but there are still many people eligible but not yet vaccinated.
If you are one of them, then for your own sake and indeed for the sake of all of us, please rectify that. It is not too late and no one will judge you for not having done it before now.
On the contrary, you will be welcomed with open arms.
Presiding Officer,This phase of the pandemic is possibly the most challenging we have faced so far.
The most infectious variant so far is creating a volume of cases that, notwithstanding its possibly reduced severity, still has the potential to overwhelm us.
And of course two years in, the kind of measures that have helped us control transmission in past phases are becoming less tolerable and causing more harm.
So while not easy, we do need to continually adapt our ways of managing this virus, and we will do so.
But in the meantime, we must continue to do what we know makes a difference now.
So get fully vaccinated as soon as you can – please do it this week.
Prime Minister reissues call for public to get boosted and announces new critical workforce testing measures
The Prime Minister last night updated the public on the government’s ongoing actions to tackle COVID-19 and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed, including implementing Plan B measures, standing up local Nightingales to create extra capacity, buying more antivirals per person than anywhere else in Europe, significantly increasing testing capacity and rolling out the vital booster programme.
The Prime Minister thanked vaccinators for their enormous dedication over the festive period as well as everyone who came forward for a jab.
He welcomed the success of the Get Boosted Now campaign in delivering 10 million extra boosters across the UK and doubling the rate of vaccination from 450,000 doses a day to a peak of more than 900,000.
Outlining the significant protection offered by the booster jab, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for every eligible person to get their booster – with 2 million appointments available this week alone.
In his statement the Prime Minister also acknowledged the disruption to the workforce caused by the spread of Omicron and set out further measures the government is taking to address this.
He announced the Government will provide 100,000 critical workers in England with free lateral flow tests to help keep essential services and supply chains running.
Critical workers will be able to take a test on every working day and the provision of precautionary testing will be for an initial five weeks.
This will help to isolate asymptomatic cases and limit the risk of outbreaks in workplaces, reducing transmission while covid cases remain high. These critical workers are those who work in essential services, cannot work from home and are at risk of infecting each other – for example, due to working together in an enclosed space.
People covered by the scheme will include those who work in critical national infrastructure, national security, transport, and food distribution and processing. This includes vital roles in Border Force, Police and Fire and Rescue Services control rooms, electricity generation, test kit warehouses and test surge labs.
The full range of critical workers have been identified by the relevant departments and Government will contact these organisations directly on the logistics of the scheme this week.
Roll out will start from Monday 10th January. Tests will be separate from public sectors who already have a testing allocation with UKHSA, such as adult social care or education, and separate to those delivered to pharmacies and homes, so those channels will not be impacted by the new scheme.
The UK Government are now distributing around 600,000 packs of 7 tests on gov.uk directly to homes every day (more than 50% higher than last week).
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will update MSPs on the latest Coronavirus situation in Scotland in a virtual Holyrood session this afternoon at 2pm.
Teaching union the NASUWT is calling on governments across the UK to take urgent measures to protect schools from the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
In England the Union has released a joint statement with the five other trade unions representing the majority of education staff prior to the return of schools and colleges for the spring term.
And in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the NASUWT has called for urgent action from the Scottsh Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to protect schools now.
Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT General Secretary said: “Teachers have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic to support pupils and students and provide them with the best education possible.
“However, the rising number of cases of the Omicron variant could cause significant disruption in the next academic term with many teachers being forced to self-isolate.
“We must see immediate action to ensure that schools can continue to operate safely and provide high quality education.”
The statement below is from NASUWT, ASCL, GMB, NAHT, NEU and UNISON:
“There has been much speculation about the possibility of more disruption to education over the next academic term as a result of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.
“As trade unions representing the vast majority of education staff, we wish to emphasise that teachers, leaders and support staff desperately want to be able to conduct face-to-face teaching for all children and young people on a consistent basis and without further interruption caused by the pandemic.
“Education staff have moved heaven and earth to support pupils and students throughout the course of the crisis and they remain committed to providing the best possible support for all children and young people.
“They are acutely conscious that this is essential particularly in supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people who have often been most badly affected by the pandemic both educationally and in terms of their wellbeing.
“But last term education staff were more likely than other workers to test positive and therefore to have to self-isolate, inevitably leading to disruption of education.
“Schools and colleges cannot on their own reduce the threat posed by the virus and they need from the Westminster government more than rhetoric about the importance of education.
“We need the minimum amount of educational disruption this term in order to avoid a third successive year where GCSEs, A-levels and other exams have to be cancelled, and thereby removing the uncertainty and additional workload for students and teachers.
“It is essential therefore that the government takes immediate and urgent steps to mitigate the risk of Covid transmission and that it provides more support to minimise disruption in schools and colleges by such steps as:
Providing government-funded air cleaning units to every school and college classroom that needs these devices. While we welcome the provision of a small number of these units to special educational needs and alternative provision settings, the government’s decision to signpost all other schools and colleges to purchase this equipment from an ‘online marketplace’ is simply not good enough. We also question why the Westminster government takes such a different line on face coverings in secondary schools to Scotland and Wales when they use the same evidence.
Committing to providing schools with more resources in the event that on-site Covid testing is again required. Secondary schools have once again been left in the lurch at the beginning of the spring term by being asked to set up and staff testing stations with little support from the government.
Providing improved financial support to schools and colleges for the costs of supply staff to cover for Covid-related absence. The current government scheme contains so many complex conditions that it is inaccessible in many circumstances.
Making it clear that all schools or colleges due for an Ofsted inspection this term can request that the inspection is deferred, and that their request will be automatically granted. This will enable teachers and leaders to focus on the immediate and urgent task in hand – that of supporting their pupils and students – and remove the unnecessary pressure and distraction of unhelpful inspections at this time.
“As a new year begins, we urge the government to work more collaboratively and constructively with education workforce representatives to keep schools and colleges open. By working side by side, we can remove unnecessary burdens and find solutions with government in the interests of all children and young people.”
