Brazil strain: No sign of new cases

Coronavirus contact tracers have yet to track down 18 people who were on a flight from London to Aberdeen in January that also carried three travellers later found to have the new Brazil variant.

However, health secretary Jeane Freeman said yesterday there is no evidence of any community transmission of the more aggressive mutant variant of the disease that has crippled health services in South America.

Public health teams have offered testing to around 300 contacts of the three offshore workers and no more cases have been identified.

There should be a guaranteed job in the classroom for every available teacher as part of plans to help education “bounce back” after the coronavirus pandemic, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has said.

He made the suggestion as he appealed to fed-up SNP supporters to give his party a try in May’s Holyrood election.

Addressing the Scottish Liberal Democrat spring conference, Rennie hit out at Nicola Sturgeon’s party, who he said had “no vision now”.

He said of the SNP: “It’s all about the factions and the internal fighting.

“It’s the sign of a party that has been in government for 14 years, that has run out of energy and run out of ideas.”

He urged disenchanted SNP supporters to “test out” the Liberal Democrats by supporting them in May.

He said: “If you are tired of the SNP fighting, and disappointed by what they have achieved, then why not try the Liberal Democrats at this election?”