Scotland has come “through the worst” of the Omicron variant, Humza Yousaf has insisted.
But the Heath Secretary warned the NHS was still facing substantial pressure due to a backlog of operations and procedures.
The number of patients with covid in intensive care wards dropped to 24 yesterday, the lowest figure since July.
The Scottish Government introduced a set of fresh restrictions in December aimed at tackling the spread of the Omicron variant, which included an effective ban on crowds at sporting events and the reintroduction of social distancing in hospitality venues.
Those measures have now ended but Scots still face wearing face masks on public transport and in shops.
"I think we’re through the worst of it," Yousaf told BBC Radio Scotland.
“I definitely think the last few weeks of December and the first few weeks of January – that five to six-week period – was probably the worst… and most intense period the health service has ever come under in its 73-year existence.
“That’s not coming from me, that’s coming from people… who have been working there for decades and decades.”
Despite the downturn in cases of the new variant, the Health Secretary cautioned there was still substantial pressure being exerted on the health service.
“While we’re through, perhaps, the worst of it, we should also say that there is still significant pressure on the health service,” he said.
“That pressure comes from the continued number of Covid patients, they’re just under 1,000, thankfully, who are in hospital with Covid.
“It also comes from the cumulative impact of two years of a pandemic and having to catch up with that significant backlog.”
Yousaf also said “extensive” infection control measures placed on dentistry services would not be eased until the spread of Covid-19 reduced further, while he raised the possibility of another variant of the virus.
“Until we are in a more endemic state in relation to Covid, until we are able to get back to even more normality than we have at the moment, then I’m afraid those infection prevention and control measures – in some shape or form – are going to have to remain.
“Our recovery is going to have to work around what is currently still a quite fragile state.
“Any clinician or public health expert that I’ve spoken to, nobody suggested that Omicron was the last variant that we’ll see.”
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