Omicron variant: FM keeps her options open

MORE restrictions on travel may be needed to combat the threat posed by the new Omicron variant of coronavirus, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.

The first minister spoke out as new travel restrictions were imposed by the UK Government after two cases of the new Covid-19 strain were confirmed in England.

Scotland will also impose the travel restrictions, which will see all passengers arriving in the UK required to take a PCR test and remain in isolation until they receive a negative result.

That will apply to everyone, regardless of their vaccination status.

While no cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in Scotland as yet, Ms Sturgeon warned that further travel restrictions may be necessary.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, she said: “There are no cases identified in Scotland yet that I know of.

“We are monitoring this very, very carefully.

“I hope we don’t identify cases in Scotland but I think we should assume we will.

“Therefore, I am asking people to behave right now as if this new variant is present in Scotland, comply with all the mitigations and protections that are currently in place, pick up our compliance, and that will help us, if it is here, slow down any risk of transmission.”

While she stressed the need for a “proportionate response” to this latest development in the pandemic, Ms Sturgeon added: “I think we may have to go further on restricting travel in the days to come.

“I hope I am wrong about that, but we must keep our minds open.”

She also refused to rule out another ban on indoor mixing between households, although she was clear that “none of us want to go back” to those kind of restrictions.

“We’ve lived with this now for almost two years, we are all sick and tired of it,” she said.