Nicola Sturgeon took to the Scottish Parliament today (March 15) to outline the latest on Covid after Scotland recorded a rise in cases.
At present, one in 18 people in Scotland are said to have the virus based off of data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) during the week up to March 6.
As she addressed the room, she noted that whilst Covid restrictions were soon coming to an end, one will have to remain for a little while longer. This is due to a change in circumstance amid Scotland's rising cases.
She explained: "Ensuring continued widespread use of face coverings will provide some additional protection - particularly for the most vulnerable - at a time when the risk of infection is very high, and it may help us get over this spike more quickly.
"We will review it again in two weeks - before Easter recess - and our expectation now is that this regulation will convert to guidance in early April."
Other restrictions such as the easing of travel requirements will be scrapped as planned. This means that from April, those with symptoms will not be required to test, and contact tracing and testing sites will close down.
In addition, from May, testing will become 'targeted' rather than UK-wide. This is in a bid to support clinical care and treatment and protect higher risk settings and for surveillance, outbreak management and responding to significant developments, such as a new variant.
She concluded: "That means on Monday the requirement on businesses and service providers to retain customer contact details will end. And so too will the requirement for businesses, places of worship and service providers to have regard to Scottish Government guidance on covid, and to take reasonably practicable measures set out in the guidance. The exception relates to the requirement to wear face coverings on public transport, and in certain indoor settings."
But what do we know about the dominant strain and what symptoms should you look out for?
What is the current dominant Covid variant in Scotland?
The FM confirmed today that the BA.2 variant is now dominant in Scotland. Despite this, she stressed that the only way to beat it is to stick to basic mitigation - such as washing your hands and wearing a face mask - as well as keeping up to date with your vaccines.
Thankfully the FM said that if the vaccine roll out continues to prove strong and people get their boosters where possible, the Scottish Government "remains optimistic that it [covid transmission rates] will move from medium to low over spring."
What is Stealth Omicron and why has it been given that name?
The variant, also known as the BA.2 strain, was first identified in December 2021 and has been spreading quickly since. In addition to having all 32 of the same mutations as the first omicron strain - known as BA.1. - it also has a further 28 mutations that are different. It has been dubbed the 'stealth' variant due to it being difficult to detect compared to BA.1.
Why was the scrapping of face masks delayed?
The scrapping of face masks has been pushed back by at least two weeks because of the rise on BA.2 cases - also known as 'stealth omicron'. The FM explained that there has been a drive in cases linked to the latest strain.
She said: "The increase in cases over the past three weeks has been driven by the BA.2 sub lineage of the Omicron variant, which is estimated to be significantly more transmissible - with a growth rate since mid-February perhaps 80% greater than original Omicron.
"BA.2 is now our dominant strain, accounting for more than 80% of all reported cases. BA.2 has become dominant in Scotland earlier than in England and Wales, hence the more rapid increase in cases here than south of the border in recent weeks - although cases and hospital admissions are now rising sharply again in England too.
"Encouragingly, there is no evidence that BA.2 causes more severe illness than BA.1, or that it is more effective at evading natural or vaccine immunity. Indeed, immune protection means that the recent rise in cases and hospital admissions has not translated into a commensurate increase in cases of severe illness requiring intensive care.
"In other words, even though weight of numbers of infections is putting significant pressure on hospital capacity - a real concern - we continue to observe strong evidence that the link between infection and serious health harm has weakened considerably. However, this is due to immune protection, not least from vaccines, more than it is to Omicron being inherently milder."
What are the symptoms of Stealth Omicron?
Many people know that you need to look out for the three key indicators. These include a new and continuous cough, a fever as well as a loss or change to your taste and smell. But there are other symptoms you'll need to keep an eye out for.
Common symptoms include:
Dry/scratchy throat
Runny nose
Sneezing
Mild muscle aches
Fatigue
Less common symptoms include:
- Fainting
- Congestion
- Brain fog
- Skin rashes
- Conjunctivitis
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sleep paralysis
- Night sweats
- Dizziness
