First Minister Nicola Sturgeon addressed MSPs in Holyrood's debating chambers today to give an update of Covid rules and mitigations.
Covid cases have been rising at a staggering rate in Scotland with NHS Grampian warning they are coming close to peak numbers and are overwhelmed.
Ms Sturgeon explained that Public Health Scotland experienced an error, delaying the data for the last few days.
READ MORE - New covid strain in Scotland responsible for soaring case numbers
She said: "The case number being reported today therefore - 38,770 - is the cumulative total for the past four days. For context, the total for the equivalent 4 day period last week was 36,051."
Covid cases rising
According to the Official National Statistics, in the week to March 6, one in 18 people in Scotland has Covid.
The average rise in cases now is just over 12,000 a day. To put it in perspective, three weeks ago there was an average of 6,900 a day.
Hospital admissions with people with Covid has also risen with as three weeks ago, there was 1,060 people. Today it is 1,996.
The new BA.2 Covid strain has caused the spike making up 80 per cent of recorded Covid cases. The new mutation of the Omicron variant estimated to be more transmissible with a growth rate since mid-February perhaps 80 per cent greater than original Omicron.
The First Minister stressed the importance of vaccination. She added that there was no evidence to say that the new strain has worse symptoms than the original Omicron variant or that it is any better at dodging the vaccines.
She said: "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. That is borne out by current experience in Hong Kong, where relatively low rates of vaccination, particularly in the older population, mean that Omicron is causing very significant levels of severe illness and death.
"This underlines the vital importance of vaccination."
You can also follow our live blog for all the latest updates on First Minister's speech.
Progress of the vaccination programme
- Letters inviting 5 to 11 year olds not in higher risk groups for vaccination started arriving at the end of last week. First vaccinations are on Saturday.
- Additional booster jags for older adults in care homes started last week, and appointments will start next week for everyone aged 75 and over.
- Additional boosters for those who are immunosuppressed will start from mid April.
All remaining travel restriction to be lifted
In line with the UK Government, the Scottish Government confirmed that all remaining restrictions will be lifted from Friday, March 18 4am.
This means anyone arriving in the UK from Friday, will no longer needs to fill out a Passenger Locator Form, take any Covid test or isolate - regardless of Covid vaccination status.
However, the First Minister added she was cautious of these measures and reminded MSPs that they still have the power to reintroduce travel measures if, for example, a new variant emerges.
Track and Trace to be scrapped
From Monday March 21, it will no longer be a legal requirement for businesses to take contact details from customers.
Businesses can still continue to do it if they choose to.
Places of worship will also no longer have to follow Covid guidance .
Face masks will remain
The Scottish Government have confirmed that the legal requirement to wear face masks will continue in Scotland.
Sturgeon said: "Given the current spike in case numbers, we consider it prudent to retain this requirement in regulation for a further short period. I know this will be disappointing for businesses and service providers such as day care services.
However, 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."
Community Covid testing to be scrapped in May
The First Minister said today that Covid testing for Scotland will be limited due to funding constraints from the UK Government. New rules will come into force from April 18.
Until April 18, the Covid testing advice is;
- People who don't have symptoms are advised to test twice a week using a lateral flow test.
- If they are a close contact, take a LFT daily for seven days.
- Get a PCR test if Covid symptoms develop.
From April 18 until May 1, advice regarding lateral flow testing will change. The advice will be;
- People who do not have symptoms no longer need to take lateral flow tests twice a week.
- With the exception in health and care settings, the advice to test regularly will also end from 18 April for workplaces, and for early learning and childcare settings, mainstream and special schools, and universities and colleges.
- People who are a close contact will still be advised to test daily using LFTs for seven days and on each occasion when visiting a hospital or care home. This advise will continue until end of April.
- If you have Covid symptoms you should get a PCR test.
Contact tracing of positive cases will also continue until end April, and PCR test sites will remain open during this period, though opening hours and locations may change during the transition.
Sturgeon added: "Though, as with all measures, we will keep this under review, our intention is that from end April all routine population-wide testing will end, including for those who have symptoms.
"Contact tracing will end at this point too - although people with symptoms of respiratory illness will be advised to stay at home. Physical test sites will close at the end of April - although mobile testing units and lab capacity will be retained for our longer term testing purposes.
"We will do everything we can to support those who have worked on the testing programme during the transition. I want to thank all of them for their invaluable contribution over the last two years.
"From May 1, instead of a population wide approach, we will use testing on a targeted basis - 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.
"Let me stress that for any purpose for which we continue to advise testing, access to tests will, in Scotland, remain free of charge."
Ending her update she thanked the public for their efforts and acknowledged that people will be disappointed with face masks remaining.
Sturgeon said: "Today marks steady progress back to normal life and a more sustainable way of managing this virus. However, while cases are spiking, there is still pressure on the NHS and concern amongst the most vulnerable.
"So I ask everyone to be patient for a little while longer on face coverings and to continue following all advice on hygiene, ventilation, testing and, of course, vaccination.
"I thank everyone for their continued efforts."
You can also follow our live blog for all the latest updates on First Minister's speech.
