Nicola Sturgeon delivered an update on the current Covid situation earlier this afternoon (Tuesday, January 18).
During her briefing, she offered an update on the easing of the remainder of restrictions, that were put in place immediately after Christmas.
On January 17, the limits on outdoor public events were lifted, meaning football matches and the upcoming Six Nations Championship could go ahead with full crowds.
READ MORE — Covid Scotland: Fourth vaccine 'not good enough' against Omicron experts warn
Now, the limits on indoor activities such as concerts as set to be dropped, and nightclubs will soon be able to reopen.
Here is everything you need to know about what the First Minister said in Tuesday's update.
The latest statistics
7,752 positive cases were reported yesterday.
1,546 people are currently in hospital with Covid-19 — 21 fewer than yesterday — while 59 are in intensive care, 17 of whom have been in intensive care for more than 28 days (one more than yesterday).
A further 31 deaths have been reported, taking the total death toll to 10,093.
Omicron situation peaked in first week of January and now improving "significantly"
Nicola Sturgeon stated that Omicron is continuing to infect large numbers of people in Scotland and across the world, and hospital admissions remain high.
However, she said that the evidence that was set out last week indicating that the situation was starting to improve has "significantly strengthened in the past seven days".
She said that a combination of the vaccine booster programme, restrictions introduced on Boxing Day, and public compliance with these all helped limit the impact of Omicron.
Cases of the variant continue to fall across all age groups, and the number of new cases in general has fallen significantly over the past 13 days.
On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of this week, 20,268 cases have been reported through PCR and lateral flow tests, compared to 36,526 cases during the same time period the week before.
Sturgeon said: "Taking all of this into account allows us to say with some confidence that the rise incases driven by Omicron peaked in the first week of January and that we are now on the downward slope of this wave of cases."
While the number of patients in hospital with Covid is higher than it was last week — increasing from 1,479 to 1,546 — the rate of increase is significantly smaller than the week before.
She added: "All of this is very positive news and comes as an enormous relief to all of us."
However, with the return of schools and work, she said it is "possible that we will see case numbers tick up again in the next couple of weeks."
Omicron restrictions will be dropped next Monday but public should "remain cautious" in social gatherings
While the First Minister urged caution in the face of the encouraging data, she stated that the numbers have allowed the Scottish Government to drop the remaining Omicron measures that were introduced after Christmas.
These are: limits on attendance at indoor public events; the requirement for 1 metre physical distancing between different groups in indoor public places; the requirement for table service in hospitality premises serving alcohol on the premises; and the closure of nightclubs.
All of these restrictions will be lifted on January 24.
From Monday, the guidance that adults avoid non-professional indoor contact sports will also be dropped.
Additionally, the requirement that indoor social gatherings be limited to three households will be scrapped as well.
However, Sturgeon stressed that the level of Covid infection circulating in the community is still high.
She said: "To minimise the risk of us getting the virus it would be sensible for all of us to remain cautious in our social interactions at this stage.
"Even though from Monday we will no longer recommend a fixed upper limit on numbers of households, if we all continue to keep gatherings as small as our circumstances allow for now - until the end of this month - we will reduce our risks of infection.
"And, of course, we should continue to take lateral flow tests before meeting up with people from other households."
She also continued to urge the public to report the results of their lateral flow tests, saying that it is "even more important now that we are no longer advising confirmatory PCR tests for those without symptoms who test positive through lateral flow devices".
Public should continue working from home and face coverings still required
Sturgeon said that people should continue to work from home "wherever possible", and urged employers to facilitate this.
However, she stated that the Scottish Government would "engage with business now about a return to a more hybrid approach from the start of February".
The "baseline mitigation measures" that were in place before Omicron, and the requirement for businesses, service providers and places of worship to take reasonable measures to minimise the spread of coronavirus on their premises, will be retained.
This means that face coverings will continue to be required on public transport and public indoor settings.
Additionally, hospitality venues are asked to continue collecting visitors' contact details for the purposes of Test and Protect.
The Covid certification scheme will also continue to be enforced at large indoor and outdoor events, and in late night venues.
Covid certification will not be extended to pubs and other hospitality venues — though one change is coming to nightclubs
The First Minister stated that the "most difficult decision" that was made on Tuesday was whether to extend the certification scheme to other premises, such as licensed hospitality venues.
She said: "Given that cases are now falling quite rapidly, and the current wave is receding, we decided that we will not at this stage extend the Covid certification scheme to other premises.
"We will, of course, reconsider this should circumstances - and therefore the balance of judgment - change in any significant way.
She continued: "If cases were to start to rise very sharply again, extension of certification may well be a more proportionate alternative to other, more restrictive measures.
"However, our conclusion today - given the improving situation - is that extending certification would not be proportionate at this stage."
One change that is being brought into effect involves nightclubs and other late night venues.
Currently, these venues must apply the Covid certification scheme if they have, in use, a designated area for dancing.
Starting Monday, the Scottish Government will amend this definition to provide greater clarity and prevent premises from avoiding certification by having tables on a dancefloor but still permitting dancing around the tables.
Updated rules on self-isolation remain in place
The updated rules on self-isolation following a positive Covid test that were confirmed two weeks ago remain in place.
This means those testing positive will be advised to self-isolate for 10 days — with those who don’t have a fever and take two negative lateral flow tests more than 24 hours apart on day 6 and day 7 able to end isolation after that.
Vaccinations remain critical in fight against Covid
The First Minister ended the briefing by reinforcing the importance of vaccines against Covid-19.
She stated that all 16 or 17 year olds who had their second jag 12 weeks or more ago can now book a booster appointment online through NHS Inform, or turn up at a drop-in centre and get the booster there.
Additionally, second doses of the vaccine are now available for 12 to 15 year olds who had a first dose at least 12 weeks previously — though current guidance is that booster jags should be offered only to those between these ages who are at particular clinical risk from Covid.
Children aged between 5 and 11 with specific medical conditions that put them at greater risk from Covid will be invited for their first vaccination from this week onwards.
Sturgeon stated that 5 to 11 year olds who are household contacts of people with immune suppression will also be invited to receive vaccination.
The First Minister concluded by urging any eligible adult who has not yet been fully vaccinated to get jabbed as soon as possible.
She said: "The latest available data, adjusted for age, shows that someone not fully vaccinated is at least four times more likely to require hospital treatment than someone who has had a booster or third dose.
"And although being fully vaccinated does not eradicate the risk, for any of us, of getting Covid, it does reduce that risk - and therefore it also reduces the risk of us passing it on to others.
"Being fully vaccinated could, quite literally, save your own life - and it could save someone else’s life.
"And if you choose - without good reason - not to be fully vaccinated, you are putting your own and others’ lives at unnecessary risk."
