Prime Minister and NHS turbocharge booster programme against Omicron and launch an urgent national appeal calling for people to get jabbed
Latest data shows booster is needed to protect ourselves and the NHS against the variant
Prime Minister: “A tidal wave of Omicron is coming. Get Boosted Now.”
UK Chief Medical Officers raise UK Covid Alert Level from Level 3 to Level 4
All adults in England to be offered a booster jab by the end of the year. Devolved administrations also agree to accelerate vaccinations.
The Prime Minister, together with the NHS, last night launched an urgent national appeal calling for people to get jabbed, as he outlined plans to significantly increase NHS vaccination capacity.
It comes as the UK Chief Medical Officers increased the UK Covid Alert Level from Level 3 to Level 4 due to a rapid increase in cases of the Omicron variant.
The latest data suggests Omicron is extremely transmissible and will become the dominant variant by mid-December. Cases are now doubling every 2 to 3 days.
Data published on Friday suggests that vaccine efficacy against symptomatic infection is substantially reduced against Omicron with just two doses, but a third dose boosts protection back up to over 70%.
It is too early to draw firm conclusions about whether the Omicron variant is as virulent as Delta but even if it is more mild, a slight fall in vaccine efficacy can lead to a substantial increase in hospitalisations. Hospitalisations in South Africa have doubled in a week and are expected to rise in the UK over the next 2 weeks.
The extent of transmissibility, coupled with reduced protection after two doses and the raising of the alert level by the UK CMOs, means the Prime Minister and NHS England are today launching an urgent national Omicron appeal for the public to Get Boosted Now.
The government and NHS will rise to the challenge, working flat out to deliver jabs, save lives and ensure the NHS is not overwhelmed this winter with an influx of Omicron cases.
The vaccination programme is already delivering hundreds of thousands of boosters every day, with over 530,000 jabs in arms on Saturday alone, while catching up on elective surgeries and appointments and delivering all urgent care.
All adults will now be offered a booster jab by the New Year, bringing the target forward by one month.
Bookings through the National Booking System will be prioritised at most sites unless it is a pop up or walk-in only site. The National Booking System will now be stood up for over 18s and will take a short time to operationalise. From tomorrow adults over 30 will be able to book online, and all over 18s from Wednesday.
Some walk-in appointments will be available from tomorrow for over 18s, dependent on location. If there are long queues or all slots have been booked, people are encouraged to be patient and keep trying, or book online.
To deliver the ramped-up vaccination programme, NHS staff will need to be redeployed away from non-urgent services. This means that all primary care services will now focus on urgent clinical need and vaccines, and some non-urgent appointments and elective surgeries may be postponed until the New Year while every adult in the country is jabbed.
Without the added protection from this third dose, NHS beds will quickly fill up and the long term damage to the economy and the NHS efforts to bring down the backlog will be even greater.
The NHS will be given everything it needs to get jabs in arms as the UK responds to the Omicron variant.
The Prime Minister yesterday set out that the NHS will be given everything it needs to boost jabbing capacity, which will include:
New vaccination sites set up across the country, including mobile pop up sites
Increasing opening times for vaccination sites, to 7 days a week with more appointments early in the morning, in the evening and at weekends
50 military planning experts will help coordinate the national effort by supporting the NHS with logistics of the rollout
Reprioritising the NHS workforce to deliver as many jabs as possible
A national call for thousands more NHS volunteers
If Omicron is left unchecked the NHS is at risk of being quickly overwhelmed. Last week the Prime Minister confirmed the move to Plan B for England following its rapid spread.
Face coverings are now compulsory in most public indoor venues in England – this is already in place in Scotland – people are asked to work from home if they can from today, and from Wednesday 15 December negative lateral flow tests will be needed to enter nightclubs and large events, except for those who are double vaccinated and subject to approval from Parliament.
Every adult in the country is now being urged to book their jab as soon as possible. The vaccination programme is open to everyone, and first and second doses remain available.
The government will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations on the booster rollout, and there will be Barnett consequentials for any new funding.
Danger of Omicron ‘running riot’ – but Nicola Sturgeon backs away from tighter restrictions
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House this afternoon:
Good afternoon everyone, thanks for joining us. As you can see I’m joined today by the Chief Medical Officer and the National Clinical Director.
Throughout this pandemic – and particularly at key stages of it- I’ve tried, we’ve tried, to be open and upfront with you about the challenges and the uncertainties confronting us, so that you can better understand – if not always agree with, I accept – the difficult judgments and decisions that we have had to make.
I’m afraid that this is another moment when such frankness is really important.
The purpose of today’s update is to level with you on what we know so far about spread in Scotland of the new Omicron variant – and also our estimate at this stage of what we are likely to face in the days and weeks to come.
The fact is that we do face a renewed and a very severe challenge in the shape of the Omicron variant.
To be blunt, because of the much greater and faster transmissibility of this new variant, we may be facing – indeed we may be starting to experience – a potential tsunami of infections.
Now we’re not alone in that, far from it – everything I am about to share with you about the situation in Scotland is, I believe, broadly reflected in the data for the rest of the UK too. And although I’m not familiar with the data elsewhere, I would suspect it is reflected there too.
However, we have just published an evidence paper which seeks to provide you with more detail about the Omicron variant here in Scotland at this stage, and you can find that evidence paper online on the Scottish Government website or Twitter feed.
Now I’m going to come back to more detail in that and to tell you what we do know about and what we expect from Omicron and I’ll do that shortly.
Firstly, though, as I usually do, I’m just going to briefly summarise today’s statistics.
5,018 positive cases were reported yesterday – which is 9.3% of all tests carried out.
Now, this is one day’s figures – but as you can see it is a sharp rise on the average of around 2,800 per day that we have been reporting recently, and it underlines our fear that a new wave may indeed be starting.
573 people are currently in hospital with Covid – that’s 5 fewer than yesterday.
And 40 people are in intensive care, 1 more than yesterday. Although I would remind you that there is always a time lag between rising cases and rising numbers of people in hospital and intensive care.
And sadly, a further 19 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, and that takes the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 9,707.
And I want again to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
I am pleased to report, though, and this is important and will become increasingly important in the weeks to come, that the vaccination programme continues apace.
4,358,725 people now have a first dose, 3,967,477 are now double dosed, and we have also now, very significantly, passed two million booster or third doses administered in Scotland. To be precise, 2,000,915.
On first, second, third and booster doses, Scotland is still the most vaccinated part of the UK.
And again, I want to record my thanks to everyone involved in organising and delivering this vaccine programme. Without a doubt, the biggest peacetime logistical exercise that has ever been undertaken in Scotland.
Now, in relation to the Omicron variant specifically, as of 5pm yesterday, there were 110 confirmed cases in Scotland. And to give some context to that, 10 days ago we reported a total of 9 confirmed cases.
Now, these are confirmed cases and by that we mean that Omicron has been confirmed through genomic sequencing.
There are two reasons why confirmed cases represent just the tip of the iceberg and shouldn’t really be looked at as the best indicator of the true prevalence of the variant in Scotland right now.
The first reason is because genomic sequencing takes some time, much longer than processing a PCR test, so there is a time lag in these figures. But secondly, while in Scotland we do a lot of genomic sequencing, not all tests are or indeed can be analysed in that way.
So a much better indicator of whether a case is Omicron or not, is whether the PCR test shows a specific genetic characteristic known as the S gene drop out. And you may have heard us talk about that previously.
Now around 95% of all tests in Scotland are analysed in a way that allows us to know this.
And almost all tests that do show the S gene drop out just now will be the Omicron variant.
So these figures help to give a much better sense of the true scale of the variant in Scotland at this stage.
And, what they show, is that Omicron right now is rising exponentially. Indeed, what we are seeing in the data just now is perhaps the fastest exponential growth that we have seen in this pandemic so far.
In the final week of November, if we look at all of the Covid cases recorded in Scotland, there were no days when the proportion of cases with the S Gene drop out was higher than 1%.
However, by last Sunday, the 5 December, the proportion had risen to 2%. On Tuesday, it was just over 4%. On Wednesday it was almost 7%, and today, it is 15.5%.
Now you might think that these are still relatively small percentages, but consider that trend. This is doubling on a very, very, rapid basis. Indeed, our estimate at this stage is that the doubling time for Omicron cases is between 2 and 3 days. And actually it may be closer to 2 days than to 3 days.
Now, if that continues, and we have no reason at this stage to expect that it won’t, Omicron is going to very quickly overtake Delta as the dominant strain in Scotland.
Indeed, I think we can now say with some confidence that we expect it to overtake Delta within days, not weeks. We estimate this will may be as early as the very beginning of next week.
Now you might be asking, why does that matter? It matters because Omicron has a much higher R number – a higher transmissibility – than the Delta variant which for some time now has been the dominant strain in Scotland and much of the world.
So, the R number in Scotland in recent weeks has been hovering around 1. We always like it to be below 1, but hovering around 1 is not the worst place to be in. Of course, we’ve been seeing a decline in cases in Scotland in recent weeks.
However, the R number associated with Omicron is likely we think to be well over 2 –and possibly closer to 3.
And as and when Omicron becomes the dominant strain as it is in the process of doing, the R number associated with it will then increasingly become the R number for Scotland as a whole.
So as a result, our estimate is that the R number overall is likely to rise and possibly to rise above 2.
All of these estimates are based on the limited data that we already have here in Scotland, and we have been analyzing that closely but also other data available from South Africa and elsewhere.
What it all that means is that in our judgement right now, it isn’t any longer a question of if we are facing a surge in cases. We now believe that to be virtually certain.
Our health protection teams are working really hard through contact tracing, testing and isolation to slow the spread of Omicron cases and I want to thank them for the excellent work they are doing and everybody across the population who will be following their advice.
But the nature of transmission, and the nature of a variant that is even more transmissible than what has come before, means we do expect to see a rapid rise in cases in the days and weeks ahead.
This is driven by the transmissibility of this variant. Figures we are seeing here in Scotland are consistent with data from around the world. And they provide a considerable degree of certainty that Omicron is significantly more transmissible than the Delta variant.
The best expert advice at this stage also tells us that that Omicron is more capable of re-infecting people who have had the virus previously.
And – based on preliminary laboratory trials – the best evidence suggests it can evade to some extent the immunity conferred by vaccination.
Now, and I want to underline – triple underline – this point. That does not mean that the vaccines will not significantly help us. Being less effective is not the same – nowhere near the same – as vaccines being ineffective.
And booster doses, in particular, will help retain a higher level of vaccine efficiency.
So getting your vaccines, including your booster, remains absolutely crucial.
The thing we don’t know yet, is whether Omicron cases cause more or less serious illness than the Delta variant.
However, there is an absolutely crucial point that we all need to understand, and it is one of the most important points I need to set out today because it is a matter of basic and quite brutal arithmetic.
Even if the variant is generally a little bit less severe for most people – and let me stress we still don’t know if that is the case – but even if it is, and we certainly hope it will be, for some people it will still cause serious illness, hospitalisation, and, tragically, some people will die.
But the overall impact point here is that even if a smaller percentage of people overall than is the case for Delta require hospital treatment, a small percentage – and a smaller percentage – of a bigger number will result in a massive number of cases who might need hospital care.
And given the volume of people who could be infected by Omicron because of its greater transmissibility, even if most of those cases are mild, the number of cases of serious illness amongst those infections will put massive strain on the ability of the NHS to cope.
Also, the numbers of people becoming infected even mildly – and having to isolate – will put a significant strain on the economy and on critical services.
And we’re actually starting to see this already. I can tell you that today there are 60 ScotRail cancellations due to staff shortages, and these staff shortages are mainly due to Covid.
And as you may have seen in the media already today, many staff at an Accident & Emergency unit in Lanarkshire are having to isolate – through no fault of theirs, incidentally – after attending a social event and becoming infected.
So, all of this means that Omicron, I am afraid, is an immensely concerning development – even if it does prove to be slightly less severe than Delta. It’s concerning for Scotland, for the UK, and indeed for the world.
I wanted to set this out to you today, not to try and scare people, but to provide the context for the difficult decisions that all governments might have to take in days to come. And to do what I have always tried to do – level with you and try to share the rationale for these decisions.
We, in the Scottish Government, will be considering our next steps very carefully – but also mindful, in the face of this virus, particularly a more transmissible variant, of the need to act quickly.
We will be discussing matters on a 4 nations basis too. I am very mindful, very mindful, that anything we do – including some of what I am saying today – has an economic and a financial impact for businesses and UK funding arrangements means we have no choice but to look to the Treasury to act. That’s a point I will be raising again with the UK Government in a COBR meeting later this afternoon.
It is worth noting though – as I illustrated a moment ago – that not acting will also have a financial and economic impact as more people get infected and have to be away from work. But the impact of not acting will be less managed and therefore potentially more damaging.
Now, I will keep you and obviously Parliament fully updated in the days ahead.
But, there are two points I want to briefly make today before I conclude.
The first is in response to advice I received last night.
Given that Omicron is now becoming dominant, our response to it has to become more general. Because it will quickly be the case that most people who have Covid have the Omicron variant.
And we must do all we can in that context to break the transmission chains.
Therefore, from tomorrow, our advice will be that all household contacts of any confirmed Covid case should isolate for 10 days regardless of their vaccination status and even if they initially get a negative PCR test.
I know that this is not easy – and we will obviously keep it under review. We will also ensure careful exemptions for critical services.
But we believe this to be essential at this moment to help slow transmission.
Non household contacts should continue to isolate pending a PCR result. If that is negative they can leave isolation at that point as long as they are double vaccinated.
Secondly, I want to refer to the advice that Public Health Scotland made public late yesterday afternoon that people should think about deferring work Christmas parties.
This is not easy advice to give or to hear.
But it is incumbent on public health experts to set out very clearly and frankly the risks we face, and it is incumbent on me and government to pay attention to that advice.
There is a significant risk with Omicron – and we are already seeing the reality of it – of Christmas parties or events with lots of people becoming super-spreaders.
And if that happens lots of people get infected and if these are work events, as well as the risk to individual health, there is a risk to the ability of the workplace to operate as people have to isolate. And I’ve already cited the train cancellations and the Accident & Emergency unit in Lanarkshire as examples and illustrations of that.
So the public health advice – which I have no alternative but to agree with given the evidence of risk that I know about and have now shared with you – is that we should all think a bit more carefully about unnecessary contacts, especially in crowded places just now. And that it would be sensible to defer work Christmas parties.
Now I know this has a big impact on businesses which is why we are considering – and pressing the UK government – on financial support.
But once again we face a situation that frankly has no easy options.
We know that any additional protective measures will cause social and economic harms – especially after almost two years of this pandemic.
But we also know – from past experience – that early action is often needed when dealing with this virus. In fact acting early, is often the best way of acting proportionately. So we can’t rule out further measures. And I’m afraid we can’t avoid the advice that I have shared with you today.
I will continue to do all I can to be upfront and open with you in the days ahead. And I continue to be so grateful for the responsibility the vast majority across the population are showing.
For now, though, I will end with a plea to abide by all the current protections that we have in place. It is more important than ever.
In fact, doing that still gives us the best chance we have of minimising the need for any further protections
So I want to stress once again what those current protections are.
Firstly, please get vaccinated. What I’ve set out to you today is grim to hear, I understand that. But vaccination, even with that, means we are in a better position than last year and a better position – a vastly better position – than we would be without it. So please get your vaccination – first, second, third or booster dose – as soon as you are able to. It’s the single best thing we can do. And it’s not too late if you haven’t done that already.
Secondly, test yourself regularly and often.
If you are going to meet other people – then test yourself before you do so. And if you are asking someone round to your home, or if you’re meeting someone for lunch or a drink, test yourself and stress the importance to the people you are meeting of them doing the same.
Do that even if you are going out for Christmas shopping.
The evidence we have, suggests that lateral flow tests are as effective at identifying Covid for Omicron cases, as they are for Delta cases.
So that means they are a hugely important way of helping us find out whether we might have the virus – especially if we don’t have symptoms. So if we take these tests before we go, and if we’re positive if we isolate and get a PCR test, we significantly reduce the risk that we then pass the virus on, inadvertently, to others.
You can get LFD devices online, NHS Inform, they’ll be mailed to your home, or get them from a local pharmacy or test centre. They’re easy to get and they’re going to be made available in other places over the next period – shopping centres, garden centres, for example. But they’re already easy to get and they’re easy to use as well.
And finally, please comply with all of the other basic protections.
It’s more important than ever that you’re wearing your face covering on public transport, in shops, and when moving about in hospitality.
Keep windows open when you are meeting people indoors. Don’t get me wrong, I know that is not an easy thing to ask in Scotland in December, but it does make a difference.
And follow all of the advice on hand hygiene and cleaning surfaces.
And please work from home if you can. If you were working from home at the start of the pandemic, please work from home now. And employers, if that was the case for your staff, please enable it to be the case now.
This is not a briefing any of you would have wanted to hear. It’s certainly not one I wanted to deliver, especially not as we approach Christmas. Just as I’m sure all of you long for the day you never have to see me, or any of us, at this podium again for a Covid briefing, let me assure you I long never to have to do another Covid briefing again.
But we face a really challenging period ahead again. And the only way through it, and we know this from experience, is together, with a shared understanding of what we need to do and a shared willingness to do it for our own sake and the sake of all those around us.
And a key thing to remember is that – even with Omicron – we know the things we can do to help to make a difference.
So please – get vaccinated, test yourself regularly, and follow all of the other rules and guidelines. That will help us get through, even with everything I’ve said today I hope it will help us have a Christmas much more normal than last year. Above all, a Christmas that is safe and allows us to go into the new year still hoping for that better Spring ahead.
Beleaguered Boris bows to the inevitable as new variant cases soar
Move to Plan B confirmed as Omicron spreads across UK, with early analysis suggesting cases could be doubling at a rate of as little as 2.5 to 3 days
Face masks to become compulsory in most public indoor venues, other than hospitality
NHS Covid Pass to be mandatory in specific settings, using a negative test or full vaccination via the NHS Covid Pass
Vaccines and testing remain our best lines of defence
People asked to work from home if they can
The Prime Minister last night confirmed that England will move to Plan B following the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the UK.
Urgent work has been ongoing to understand the impact of the new variant with regards to vaccines, treatments and transmissibility. Early indications showed a large number of concerning spike protein mutations as well as mutations in other parts of the viral genome.
On Saturday 27 November, the government acted quickly to slow the spread of Omicron while more data was collected and assessed.
The most recent data suggests that Omicron has a very high growth rate and is spreading rapidly. S-gene drop out cases have grown from 0.15% of cases during the week of 21st November, to 3.3% of cases since 5 December in England. There are currently 568 cases confirmed across the UK and early analysis from the UK Health Security Agency suggesting the doubling time could be as little as 2.5 to 3 days.
As seen in previous waves, a swift rise in cases can lead to a rapid rise in hospitalisations, which will quickly lead to pressure on the NHS. The data in South Africa is showing a rapid increase in hospitalisations.
As a result of this concerning data the Prime Minister has acted quickly and with caution, confirming Plan B measures will come into force while more data on vaccine efficacy and disease severity is assessed. Plan B was set out in September and will help to slow the spread of the variant and reduce the chances of the NHS coming under unsustainable pressure, while buying time to deliver more boosters.
While it is likely there is some level of reduced vaccine effectiveness against Omicron, it is still too early to determine the extent of this.
The government will continue to look closely at all the emerging data but vaccines remain our best line of defence and it is now more vital than ever that those who are unvaccinated come forward, and those eligible for their boosters book when called.
Yesterday the NHS confirmed a huge expansion of the booster programme, with the National Booking Service now open to all those aged over 40 to book their jabs. The dose interval has also been shortened from six months to three months, with those eligible now able to book a month in advance – two months after their second dose.
The vaccine programme will be supported by the continued development of world-leading treatments. Today the Prime Minister confirmed a new national study that will see 10,000 UK patients at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 given the treatment molnupiravir to treat their symptoms at home.
Testing will also be a vital tool in controlling the spread given the likely increased transmissibility of Omicron. As there is now demonstrated community transmission of Omicron, we intend to introduce daily contact tests for contacts of confirmed positive cases instead of the ten-day self-isolation period.
Everyone should test using a lateral flow device, particularly before entering a high-risk setting involving people you wouldn’t normally come into contact with, or when visiting a vulnerable person. Lateral flow devices remain free of charge and can be collected from local pharmacies.
From tomorrow (Friday 10 December), face coverings will become compulsory in most public indoor venues in England, such as cinemas, theatres and places of worship.
There will be exemptions in venues where it is not practical to wear one, such as when you are eating, drinking or exercising. For that reason, face masks will not be required in hospitality settings.
From Monday 13 December, those who can will be advised to work from home in England.
From Wednesday 15 December, and subject to parliamentary approval, the NHS Covid Pass on the NHS App will become mandatory for entry into England’s nightclubs and settings where large crowds gather – including unseated indoor events with 500 or more attendees, unseated outdoor events with 4,000 or more attendees and any event with 10,000 or more attendees.
People will be able to demonstrate proof of two vaccine doses via the app. Having considered the evidence since the emergence of Omicron, proof of a negative lateral flow test will also be accepted.
Introducing Covid-status certification from next Wednesday will give English businesses a week’s notice, as promised in the government’s proposals for introducing mandatory certification published in September.
A full list of guidance on these changes will be available on gov.uk in the coming days. Face covering regulations will be laid in parliament today, with the remaining regulations laid on Monday 13 December.
Parliament will debate the measures next week, with a vote expected to take place on Tuesday 14 December.
The government will keep the data under constant review. The regulations set to expire six weeks after implementation, with a review after three weeks.
Taken together, the UK government is hopeful these measures will reduce transmission and slow the spread of the Omicron variant. They will continue to urge those eligible to get their boosters when called.
PM Boris Johnson’s opening statement at COVID-19 press conference: 8 December 2021
As soon as we learned of the new Omicron variant, this government acted – introducing targeted and proportionate measures as a precaution, whilst our scientists discovered more.And we’re learning more every day.
We do not yet know Omicron’s severity, its exact rate of transmission, nor indeed the full effectiveness of our vaccines against it.
But since I last spoke to you, it’s become increasingly clear that Omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant, and it’s spreading rapidly all around the world.
568 cases have been confirmed through genomic sequencing across every region of the UK, and the true number is certain to be much higher.
Most worryingly, there is evidence that the doubling time of Omicron in the UK could currently be between two and three days.
And while there are some limits to what we can learn from South Africa, because of the different rates of vaccination and different rates of previous infection, we are seeing growth in cases here in the UK that mirrors the rapid increases previously seen in South Africa.
And South Africa is also seeing hospitalisations roughly doubling in a week, meaning that we can’t yet assume Omicron is less severe than previous variants.
So while the picture may get better, and I sincerely hope that it will – we know the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations, and therefore sadly in deaths.
And that is why it is now the proportionate and responsible thing to move to Plan B in England – while continuing to work closely with our colleagues in the Devolved Administrations – so we slow the spread of the virus, buy ourselves the time to get yet more boosters into more arms, and especially in the older and more vulnerable people, and understand the answers to the key outstanding questions about Omicron.
So first, we will reintroduce the guidance to work from home.
Employers should use the rest of this week to discuss working arrangements with their employees
but from Monday you should work from home if you can. Go to work if you must but work from home if you can.
And I know this will be hard for many people, but by reducing your contacts in the workplace you will help slow transmission.
Second, from this Friday we will further extend the legal requirement to wear a face mask to most public indoor venues, including theatres and cinemas.
There will be of course exemptions where it is not practical, such as when eating, drinking, exercising or singing.
Third, we’ll also make the NHS Covid Pass mandatory for entry into nightclubs, and venues where large crowds gather including unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue with more than 10,000 people.
The NHS Covid Pass can still be obtained with two doses but we will keep this under review as the boosters roll out.
And having taken clinical advice since the emergence of Omicron, a negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient.
As we set out in Plan B, we will give businesses a week’s notice, so this will come into force in a week’s time, helping to keep these events and venues open at full capacity, while giving everyone who attends them confidence that those around them have done the responsible thing to minimise risk to others.
As Omicron spreads in the community, we will also introduce daily tests for contacts instead of isolation, so we keep people safe while minimising the disruption to daily life.
And of course we will take every step to ensure our NHS is ready for the challenges ahead.
But the single biggest thing that every one of us can do, is to get our jabs and crucially to get that booster as soon as our turn arrives.
One year to the day since the UK became the first country in the world to administer a Covid vaccine into the arms of Margaret Keenan, we have opened up the vaccine booster to all those over 40, and we are reducing the gap between second dose and booster to a minimum of just three months.
Our heroic NHS staff and volunteers have already done almost 21 million boosters, including reaching 84 per cent of all the eligible over 80s.
But we need to go further and faster still, because our scientists are absolutely confident that your immune response will be stronger if you have been boosted.
And while you are at it – please get your flu jab too.
Let’s do everything we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones this winter – and to reduce the pressures on our NHS.
As we learn more, so we will be guided by the hard medical data around four key criteria:
+ the efficacy of our vaccines and our boosters,
+ the severity of Omicron,
+ the speed of its spread,
+ and the rate of hospitalisations.
We will constantly monitor the data and keep it under review.
And of course we must be humble in the face of this virus.
But if and indeed as soon as it becomes clear that the boosters are capable of holding this Omicron variant, and we have boosted enough people to do that job, then we will be able to move forward as before.
So please everybody play your part – and get boosted.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: First Minister’s statement:– 7 December 2021
Presiding Officer,
I will give an update on the general COVID situation.
I will also share the most up to date information we have on the Omicron variant – both its transmission in Scotland and the world’s developing understanding of it – and set out the steps we must take to slow its spread, and to stem transmission of the virus more generally.
First, though, today’s statistics.
3,060 positive cases were reported yesterday – 9.2% of all tests carried out.
576 people are in hospital with COVID – which is 15 fewer than yesterday.
And 38 people are in intensive care, which is five fewer than yesterday.
Sadly, a further 12 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, which takes the total number of deaths registered under the daily definition to 9,661.
I want once again to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
I am pleased to report, however, that the vaccination programme continues apace.
4,355,063 people have now had a first dose, 3,962,203 have had two doses, and 1,922,604 have had a booster or third dose.
On first, second, third and booster doses, Scotland is still the most vaccinated part of the UK.
Indeed, at this stage on booster doses we are comfortably ahead of the other UK nations, with around 40% of the over 12 population having had a booster jag.
So I want to again record my thanks to everyone involved in organising and delivering the vaccine programme.
Today’s weekly update coincides with the latest three-week review point for all of the remaining COVID regulations. I can therefore confirm that at our meeting this morning, the Cabinet agreed to keep all of the current protections in place, with no immediate changes.
Given the very significant risks posed by Omicron, and the continuing high and indeed once again rising number of cases in Scotland overall, our judgment is that it would be inappropriate to lift any of the protections currently in place at this time.
On the contrary, we agreed that it is vital at this stage to strengthen compliance with all of these existing protections.
We also agreed that, in light of the rapidly developing Omicron situation, it was important to keep the need for any additional protections under daily review at this stage.
The importance of doing that will be clear from the latest data, particularly the data I will share shortly on Omicron.
Firstly, though, let me quickly summarise the overall situation.
After two weeks of falling case numbers, the last seven days have seen a rise in the overall number of cases.
Last week, I reported that the number of new cases being recorded each day had fallen by 14% over the preceding seven days.
However in this past week, cases have increased by 11%. We are currently recording just over 2,800 new cases a day on average.
Encouragingly though cases in the over 60 age groups have continued to fall – in the past week by a further 8%. There is little doubt, if any doubt, that this reflects the effectiveness of booster vaccines.
However, in all age cohorts under 60, cases are rising again.
In total, cases amongst under 60s increased by 13% in the past week – and since people under 60 currently account for more than 90% of all cases, that has inevitably driven an increase in the total number of cases recorded.
More positively, the number of people in hospital with Covid has fallen further in the last week – from 706 to 576.
And so has the number in intensive care – from 54 to 38.
That is of course welcome news.
But we should not be in any way complacent about it.
Firstly, because we know that there will always be a time lag between rising cases and rising admissions to hospital.
And, secondly, because the NHS continues to be under very severe pressure, from direct COVID pressures, but also from the backlog of work created during the pandemic.
On top of all that, the NHS may soon face additional pressures – for example from flu – as we head further into winter.
And there has always been the potential for COVID cases to rise during December – as may now be happening – as a result of more people mixing indoors more often.
So in any circumstances, we would be concerned about the current high level of cases, and the impact this might have on the NHS.
But the emergence of the Omicron variant is now an additional – and indeed very significant – cause for concern.
Public Health Scotland’s weekly COVID report will, from tomorrow, provide more detail on both confirmed and probable Omicron cases in Scotland.
It will include data, not just on confirmed cases, but also on the number of PCR tests showing what is called the S-gene drop-out – this is not conclusive evidence that a case is of the Omicron variant, but it is highly indicative of it.
The report will also contain data on the age, sex and health board area of Omicron cases.
In weeks to come – and as soon as the quality of data allows – these reports will also provide details on the vaccination status of, and hospital admissions and deaths associated with, Omicron cases.
For now, though, let me summarise what we currently know about the presence and spread of this new variant in Scotland. I can confirm that, as of 5pm yesterday, there were 99 confirmed cases here.
This is an increase of 28 since yesterday. And to give a sense of the speed of increase – albeit at this stage from a low level – the figure I reported this time last week was nine. So we have seen more than a tenfold increase in the space of a week.
A still low – at around 4% – but nevertheless steadily rising proportion of cases also now show the S gene drop out that, that as I said a moment ago, is highly indicative of Omicron.
Our estimate at this stage is that the doubling time for Omicron cases may be as short as two to three days, and that the R number associated with the new variant may be well over 2.
I can also report that there are now confirmed cases in nine of our 14 health board areas – suggesting that community transmission is becoming more widespread, and possibly more sustained, across the country.
Now our health protection teams are working hard through contact tracing, testing and isolation to slow the spread of Omicron cases. That work will obviously continue and I want to thank them for the excellent work they are doing.
However, given the nature of transmission, I would expect to see a continued and potentially rapid rise in cases in the days ahead and for Omicron to account for a rising share of overall cases.
And all of this explains, I hope, the requirement for government to review the situation on a daily rather than a weekly basis at this stage.
Let me turn now briefly to the developing global understanding of Omicron.
The first point to make is that there still a great deal we do not yet know.
However data on cases worldwide, including here at home, gives a reasonable degree of certainty at this stage that Omicron is more transmissible than the Delta variant, and perhaps significantly so.
Early – though again unconfirmed – data also suggests that Omicron is more capable of re-infecting people who have had the virus previously. In other words, it has some ability to evade natural immunity.
And, of course, there is also a concern that it may evade to some extent the immunity conferred by vaccinations.
Let me stress again, though, at this point that even if this does prove to be the case, getting vaccinated will still be vitally important.
Vaccines being slightly less effective is not the same, nowhere near it in fact, as vaccines being ineffective.
Being vaccinated will still give us much more protection against Omicron, especially from severe illness, than we will have if we are not vaccinated.
Now further data and analysis is needed to confirm all of the hypotheses about the transmissibility, immunity evasion and severity of Omicron.
We will learn more about its characteristics and implications- in the days and weeks ahead, and this developing understanding will inform and shape our response.
However, we can assume already that the emergence of Omicron is a significant challenge for all of us.
A variant that is more transmissible than Delta, and which has even a limited ability to evade natural or vaccine immunity, has the potential to put very intense additional pressure on the National Health Service.
And a key point we must understand is this, and I want to underline this point. The sheer weight of numbers of people who could be infected as a result of increased transmissibility and some immune evasion will create this pressure even if the disease the new variant causes in individuals is no more severe than Delta.So there is no doubt, unfortunately, that this is another serious moment in the course of the pandemic.
And I will talk shortly about what that means for all of us.
But firstly, let me outline the principles that will guide any decisions government may have to take in the days and weeks ahead.
It is worth noting that the period ahead – as we learn more about the new variant – may involve very difficult judgments for governments everywhere. Indeed, many governments around the world are already taking decisions that we all hoped were behind us for good.
For the Scottish Government, our first principle will be to seek to do what is necessary to keep the country as safe as possible, even if that is sometimes at the expense of being popular.
And second, we will strive to get the right balance between acting proportionately and acting preventatively.
We know from experience, sometimes bitter experience, that with an infectious virus acting quickly can be vital – if we wait too long for data to confirm we have a problem, it might already be too late to prevent the problem.
In fact, acting preventatively is often the best way of ensuring that action can remain limited and proportionate.
However, after two years of restrictions – with the accumulation of social and economic harms that previous restrictions have caused – we also know that it is ever more important to minimise further restrictions as far as is possible.
So while recognising that it is never a perfect science, we will seek to get that balance right.
Let me turn to the action we have taken so far and what we are asking everyone to do now.
Firstly, in line with the other UK nations, we have tightened travel rules.
In the past week, Nigeria has been added to the travel red list. That means anyone arriving in the UK from Nigeria – or the 10 countries already on the list – must enter managed quarantine for 10 days.
In addition, since this morning, anyone aged 12 or over, who is travelling to the UK from outside the Common Travel Area, will be required to take a COVID test shortly before they leave for the UK. And this is in addition to the requirement to take a test on day two after arrival in the UK and to self-isolate pending the result.
My advice to anyone planning travel between Scotland and countries outside the common travel area, is to check on the Scottish Government website for detailed guidance; and to also check the requirements of the country you are travelling to. Because the requirements there may well be different to those in force here.
Presiding Officer
At this stage, travel restrictions have an important part to play in responding to Omicron.
However, given that we already have some community transmission in Scotland, what we do domestically is also important.
That is why Cabinet decided this morning to keep in force all existing protections. However, we also agreed that it is vital not just to maintain, but to strengthen compliance with these protections.
It is time for all of us to go back to basics and ensure that we are taking all of the steps required to minimise the risk of getting or spreading this virus.
Indeed, it is through heightened compliance with current protections that we will give ourselves the best chance of avoiding any additional protections.
So I am asking everyone to make an extra effort to do so from now through the festive period and into January.
Obviously, that means wearing face coverings in indoor public places; ventilating rooms by opening windows; and ensuring good hand hygiene.
However, there are two important protections that I want to emphasise particularly strongly today.
Scotland, let's all pull together and do what's necessary.
Watch FM @NicolaSturgeon's message about how to be safe this winter, including by:
🔹 Taking a test each time you're planning to meet up with others 🔹 Working from home, where possible
Firstly, working from home. We already advise people to work from home wherever practical.
Today, I am asking employers to ensure this is happening.
To be blunt, if you had staff working from home at this start of the pandemic, please now enable them to do so again.
We are asking you to do this from now until the middle of January when we will review this advice again.
I know how difficult this is, but I cannot stress enough how much difference we think this could make in helping stem transmission and avoid the need for even more onerous measures.
Secondly, testing and isolation.
Test & Protect is deploying enhanced contract tracing for all cases with the S-gene drop-out that is indicative of Omicron – for these cases, household contacts of close contacts, rather than just the close contacts themselves, are being asked to test and isolate. If you are asked to do this, please comply.
More generally, for non-Omicron cases, if you have symptoms of COVID, please get a PCR test and self-isolate until you get the result.
If your result is negative you can end isolation at that point if you are double vaccinated. If positive, you must isolate for the full 10 days.
And crucially, please remember that you can have this virus even if you have no symptoms.
So testing regularly and repeatedly with lateral flow devices is essential.
We are asking everyone to do a lateral flow test before mixing with people from other households – and on every occasion you intend doing so.
That means before going to a pub, to a restaurant, visiting someone’s house, or even going shopping.
Let me be clear Presiding Officer, I am not excluding myself from this. I am currently doing a test every morning before coming to work and I will do a test on any occasion I mix with others over the festive period. And I will ask anyone visiting my home over Christmas to do likewise. And I’m asking every member of this Parliament to lead by example, and do that too.
LFD kits are easy to get through NHS Inform or from local pharmacies or test centres. And they are very easy to use.
So please, please do this. It will significantly help us break the chains of transition.
If we all do all of these things, difficult though I appreciate they are, then even with a more transmissible variant, I do really hope we can avoid any further measures.
I cannot guarantee this however. I don’t think any responsible person in my position could guarantee this at this stage. And given the situation we face it is important to remain open to any proportionate measures, for example the extension of COVID certification, that might help us reduce the risks should the situation deteriorate.
The government will carefully analyse the data in the days ahead. I hope this doesn’t require us to take any decisions ahead of my next scheduled statement a week today, but if it does I will obviously return to Parliament.
I want to end Presiding Officer, by again reiterating the vital importance of vaccination.
We are currently the most vaccinated part of the UK – and we have more quickly than other nations implemented the JVCI advice to reduce the gap between second doses and boosters – but we are not complacent.
We are identifying and training additional vaccinators. So far we have added the equivalent of more than 300 additional full-time staff to the vaccination workforce.
We are also working to further increase vaccination capacity. A number of health boards – Fife and Tayside for example – are now using drop-in centres to make vaccination even easier.
And we are in the process of increasing the use of mobile vaccination units provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
In addition to these efforts – which are intended to improve the supply and availability of vaccination – we are also working to increase demand by encouraging even more people to take up the offer of vaccine.
In the past week, therefore, text or e-mail messages have been sent to those aged between 40 and 60, encouraging them to book their booster jag.
For those now able to get a booster jag – that is anyone over 40 who had the second jag 12 or more weeks ago – please arrange an appointment as quickly as possible.
You can book through the NHS Inform website, or by calling the vaccination helpline.
And if you’re 16 or 17 you can of course, and should, also book your second dose in the same way.
Last week, we also sent blue envelope letters to all 50 to 59 year olds who have not yet been vaccinated at all. A similar letter is being issued over the course of this week to everyone between 40 and 49 who hasn’t yet been vaccinated.
Take-up of the vaccine has been exceptional, but there are still a significant number of people in those age groups who have not been vaccinated.
To anyone in that position, let me be clear about this – it is not too late to get vaccinated. In fact it is now more important than ever to get your first jag and start to get that essential protection.
To conclude Presiding Officer, Omicron is a really concerning development and one of the most unwelcome developments at this stage in the pandemic. But, this is the positive aspect, the actions that have helped us against other variants, will also help against Omicron.
That means we all know what we need to do to in the days and weeks ahead.
And so my request to everyone is to follow those steps. Please go back to basics and make sure that we are all doing everything that we are asked to.
That’s the best way we have of making Christmas and the New Year as safe as possible – and of maximising our ability to navigate this next unwelcome but unavoidable challenge without any additional protections.
It will also help us protect the NHS and those who are working so hard in the NHS and social care to keep us all safe. So please do get vaccinated.
Secondly, do test regularly, on any occasion before socialising, or mixing with people from other households.
And finally, make sure you comply with all of the existing protections.
Wear your face coverings on public transport, in shops, and when moving about in hospitality.
Keep windows open. Not easy, I know, in the weather we are currently experiencing but try to keep windows open if you’re meeting people indoors. And follow all of the hygiene advice.
And if you were working from home at the start of the pandemic, please do so again for the next few weeks.
None of this is what any of us want two years into this ordeal. I know that.
But it is the best way of slowing the spread of the virus in general and Omicron in particular.
And by doing that, we do give ourselves the best possible chance of enjoying a Christmas that is more normal, but also safe – and of avoiding a new year hangover of spiraling cases.
Please – and I really hope this will be for one last time in this pandemic – let’s all pull together, do what is necessary, and get each other and the country through this winter and into what we all hope will be a better and brighter spring.
Scotland’s leading pro-European campaigning body, the European Movement in Scotland (EMiS), has underlined its cross-party credentials by choosing a former SNP cabinet secretary and a former Conservative MEP as its new honorary presidents.
Mike Russell, MSP until May this year and former Scottish Government cabinet secretary for Constitution, Europe and External Affairs, and John Purvis, a Tory MEP for 15 years, jointly take over the post bequeathed to them by (Lord) Ming Campbell, the LibDem peer.
They were unanimously confirmed in their new posts at the EMiS annual general meeting in Edinburgh which reaffirmed its commitment to Scotland rejoining the European Union as soon as possible – whether in its own right as an independent state or as part of the UK. As a non-party/cross-party body EMiS is neutral on Scottish independence.
Separately, EMiS is to launch a campaign for Scotland and/or the UK to rejoin the single market and customs union as the devastating economic and social effects of Brexit are revealed daily.
Philippa Whitford MP, SNP Commons spokesman on Europe (and health);
David Broucher, a former UK diplomat/ambassador in, among other places, Bonn and Prague;
Peter Sellar, an EU lawyer specialising in regulatory affairs and author of a paper on this topic for the Scottish Independence Convention.
David Clarke, Vice-Chair of EMiS commented: “Our choice of new Honorary Presidents underlines the cross-party consensus in Scotland for rejoining the European Union, with membership of the single market and customs union a first stage.
“John Purvis is a long-standing Conservative with deep roots in the EU and European financial services, while Mike Russell’s commitment to Europe as an SNP politician, minister and thinker is unmatched. Our campaign to rejoin the EU steps up a gear with our latest webinar on 8th December and throughout 2022.”
Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Gordon MacDonald has added his support to the campaign to introduce paid leave for families who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks.
One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, however, under current UK legislation, workers are only entitled to paid bereavement leave following a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
As a result, families across the country are forced to rely on their employer’s good will or sick leave to allow them to grieve their loss.
On 3 December, a Private Members’ Bill introduced by Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley which would see three days of paid leave for parents who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks will receive its second reading in the House of Commons.
A petition has been launched calling for the UK Government to support the campaign and MPs from all parties have backed the bill.
Many parents have spoken of the stigma associated with miscarriage and this bill would finally close gap in support.
Some companies have already gone further than the bill proposes and offer paid leave for between seven and 14 days for people who experience a miscarriage at any stage of the pregnancy.
Other countries, including New Zealand, have written similar provisions into law and in September Australia became the latest country to adopt paid miscarriage leave.
Gordon MacDonald MSP said: “I know many parents in Edinburgh Pentlands have experienced miscarriage and too many of them have to rely on their employer’s good will or take sick leave when it happens.
“Miscarriage is no one’s fault yet the stigma associated can often put parents in a position where they are unable to properly grieve their loss.
“Countries like Australia and New Zealand have already taken the progressive step to ensure all parents affected by miscarriage are entitled to paid leave.
“It is time that the UK followed in their footsteps and I fully support this bill to provide the much needed, long overdue support grieving parents need and finally end the stigma associated with miscarriage.”
Angela Crawley MP’s private members’ bill is due to be debated today – Friday 3rd December 2021
The City of Edinburgh Council is being ripped off to the tune of £42 million as they continue to pay for wretched PFI contracts – eating in to vital council education spending.
Research from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has found that the amount being forked out by City of Edinburgh Council is 11% of its education resource funding, meaning millions are being wasted on the contracts.
PFI contracts were introduced by the Tories and adopted by Labour during their time at the helm of the Scottish Government.
Gordon Macdonald MSP said: “The rotten PFI contracts were introduced by the Tories but supercharged by the Labour-led Scottish Government and unnecessarily cost councils across Scotland, including Edinburgh.
“It is incredible that the lasting legacy of Labour governments continues to be felt as schools’ budgets are eaten up significantly by these shameful contracts.
“The SNP scrapped PFI contracts, meaning that money can be spent on Scotland’s young people and not on absurdly expensive contracts.
“This demonstrates how we still cannot trust Labour with the public purse in Scotland as we continue to pay for their disastrous decisions in government.”
Net revenue expenditure on education services and schools PFI unitary charges (£m) in 2019/20
Education Services (£m)
PFI unitary charges (£m)
PFI unitary charges as a % of education expenditure
The Scottish Child Payment will be doubled to £20 per week per child from April 2022, the First Minister has announced. The decision has been welcomed by poverty camapigners.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that more than 105,000 children will immediately benefit from the increased payment, which supports low income families with children aged under 6.
First introduced in February 2021 as a £10 per week payment designed to tackle child poverty, it provides regular, additional financial support for eligible families.
The benefit, which is unique in the UK, will be fully rolled out to children under the age of 16 by the end of 2022, subject to data on qualifying benefits being received from the Department of Work and Pensions. It is expected over 400,000 children could be eligible for the doubled payment from that point.
From 2023/24 it will represent an annual investment in tackling child poverty of around £360 million a year. The increase to £20 per week further underlines the Scottish Government’s national mission to tackle child poverty.
The First Minister said: “The Scottish Government is determined to lift children out of poverty.
“Of the £2 billion a year that the Scottish Government invests to support people on low incomes, over £670 million is already targeted at children. Through the range of new payments delivered by Social Security Scotland, low income families receive, in the early years of each child’s life, £5,000 of additional financial support.
“At the heart of this is the Scottish Child Payment – the only payment of its kind anywhere in the UK, designed solely to lift children out of poverty and give them better lives. The £10 per week payment for eligible children under age 6 will be extended to all eligible children under 16 at the end of 2022; and we committed to doubling the payment to £20 per child per week within this Parliamentary term.
“I am proud that our budget will confirm that we will double the Scottish Child Payment from the start of the new financial year. This increase to £20 per child per week will reach over 105,000 children under age 6 in just four months’ time. When we extend the Scottish Child Payment to all under 16s at the end of next year, over 400,000 children and their families will be eligible.
“This is the boldest and most ambitious anti-poverty measure anywhere in the UK. Delivering it isn’t easy. It will involve hard choices elsewhere in our budget. But it is a choice we are opting to make.
“Eradicating child poverty is essential if we are to build the strongest foundation for Scotland’s future. And that is what we are determined to do.”
Scottish Government Minister and Scottish Green Party Co-Leader Patrick Harvie said: “With rising inflation, energy costs and the recent UK Government cuts to Universal Credit, further action to tackle child poverty could not have been more urgent.
“I’m therefore delighted that the Scottish Government has been able to double the Scottish Child Payment from April, just months after our policy of free bus travel for children and young people goes live.
“These bold actions deliver on key commitments made in the cooperation deal between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party, and will make a real difference to families across Scotland.”
Scottish Greens MSP Lorna Slater said the decision will be pivotal to tackling child poverty in Lothian.
Ms Slater said: “With a new Covid variant, rising energy costs, inflation and the catastrophic impact of a Tory Brexit being felt, it is more important than ever that we do everything we can to help people that are being hit by Westminster’s cuts and austerity.
“That is why I’m delighted that we will see the Scottish Child Payment doubled in the forthcoming Scottish budget. This will be pivotal to tackling child poverty and will be welcomed by families that are feeling stretched, particularly those that have been hit by Boris Johnson’s punishing Universal Credit cut.
“With Greens in government we are delivering for people and the planet and making a real difference to families in Lothian and beyond.”
“That is why we are introducing free bus travel for everyone under 22 from January, extending free school meals to all primary school pupils and ensuring that government contracts pay the real living wage. We will continue to work towards a fairer, greener Scotland.”
Social Security Scotland delivers a number of benefits for families. These include Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment, Early Learning Payment, School Age Payment and Best Start Foods.
The newly doubled Scottish Child Payment, together with the three Best Start Grant payments and Best Start Foods, could give families up to £8,400 by the time their first child turns 6.
Campaigners have welcomed the announcement:
Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland at Joseph Rowntree Foundation said:“This is very welcome news that will provide vital support for families with young children following what is expected to be a challenging winter as the cost of living continues to rise. Doubling the payment for older children cannot come soon enough.
“As we noted in our Poverty in Scotland report, this investment alone will not be enough to meet the interim child poverty targets, but it is an important step in the right direction and will make a real difference to families.”
Hot on the heels of COP26, the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee has launched an inquiry that will explore the role of local government and its partners – private and voluntary sectors, social enterprises, and local communities – in both financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland.
MSPs will consider what councils and partners are doing practically to help reach the targets, what skillsets are being used, and what barriers are in their way. They will also probe how councils leverage in capacity and finance from the private sector and look for examples of effective partnership working that is delivering net zero.
The inquiry will focus particularly on the ambitious target of 75% overall reduction in carbon emissions to be met by 2030 (against baselines set in 1990 and 1995).
Speaking as the inquiry was launched, Committee Convener, Dean Lockhart MSP, said: “COP 26 has underlined that government at every level has a role to play in addressing climate change. In Scotland, local government powers span everything from encouraging active travel, to deciding what sort of homes get built in communities, to promoting recycling and a circular economy.
“To get results, local government must partner effectively with business, the voluntary sector and local communities themselves. This is why we want this to be a hands-on inquiry, focusing on the strengths of those relationships and practical steps being taken.
“We need to understand how council budgets are being used to drive action on net zero and how well they are leveraging in skills and private finance. And we need to understand what role the Scottish Government can play to support and – where necessary – to challenge local government to play a full role in the flight against climate change. ”
The Committee has launched a survey looking for views which closes on Friday 21 January 2022.
All travellers returning to Scotland from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana will be required to self-isolate and take two PCR tests from 12:00 on Friday (26 November), regardless of their vaccination status.
Managed Quarantine accommodation will be stood up to cater for any arrivals from these countries. This will apply to all arrivals from 04:00 on Saturday (27 November).
The decision follows concerns about cases of the emerging B.1.1.529 variant cases in the south of Africa, given concerns over a high number of mutations and the effectiveness of vaccines against it.
Anyone who has arrived in Scotland from any of the six countries in the previous 10 days will need to enter Managed Quarantine hotel on arrival to Scotland and will need a day two and day eight coronavirus (COVID-19) PCR test regardless of their vaccination status.
Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “International travel restrictions are necessary to protect the greater public health. While many restrictions have been significantly relaxed – largely thanks to the success of the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out – we have always said it may be necessary to quickly impose fresh measures to protect public health in Scotland.”
UKSecretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid said: “As part of our close surveillance of variants across the world, we have become aware of the spread of a new potentially concerning variant, which UKHSA has designated a Variant under Investigation.
“We are taking precautionary action to protect public health and the progress of our vaccine rollout at a critical moment as we enter winter, and we are monitoring the situation closely.
“I want to pay tribute to our world-leading scientists who are working constantly to keep our country safe, and I urge everyone to keep doing their bit by the getting the jab and following public health guidance.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We’ve always maintained public safety is our number one priority, which is why we’ve kept in place measures which allow us to protect the UK from new variants.
“We’re taking this early precautionary action now to protect the progress made across the country, and will continue to keep a close eye on the situation as we continue into the winter.”
Dr Jenny Harries, UKHSA Chief Executive, said: “Scientists at UKHSA are in constant close collaboration with colleagues around the world to identify and assess variants as soon as they emerge.
“This is the most significant variant we have encountered to date and urgent research is underway to learn more about its transmissibility, severity and vaccine-susceptibility. The results of these investigations will determine what public health actions may limit the impact of B.1.1.529. “
“This is a clear reminder to everyone that this pandemic is not over, and we all have a responsibility to do what we can to limit transmission and reduce the infection rate and prevent the emergence of new variants.
“This means coming forward for vaccination as soon as possible and following public health advice. Wear a face covering in crowded places where it’s difficult to avoid coming into close contact with others, try to meet people in well-ventilated areas and seek a test immediately if you have symptoms.”
The first genomes of this variant were uploaded to the international GISAID database on 22 November. Genomes have now been uploaded from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong but the extent of spread is not yet determined.
The UKHSA produces risk assessments of the spread of Variants of Concern or Variants under Investigation internationally.
These risk assessments cover a range of factors for each country including assessment of surveillance and sequencing capability, available surveillance and genome sequencing data, evidence of in-country community transmission of COVID-19 variants, evidence of exportation of new variants to the UK or other countries and travel connectivity with the UK.
