BE READY FOR TOUGHER NEW RESTRICTIONS
Sturgeon to hold press conference today to announce moves to combat Omicron
NICOLA Sturgeon is planning tougher Covid restrictions after warning the current set of curbs will not be enough to contain Omicron.
The First Minister will hold a media briefing today after telling opposition leaders that the latest strain of the virus will become the dominant variant within days.
It comes after her public health agency urged the public to cancel their Christmas parties.
The body made the decision in the wake of concerns about NHS sickness level.
The Record understands Sturgeon briefed opposition leaders on Omicron yesterday and the message was gloomy.
A source said the FM warned of “tough choices” and added: “She said that where we are now in terms of restrictions is not going to be enough.” A second insider said the UK Government’s “Plan B”, which broadly resembles current restrictions in Scotland, is enough to contain the Delta variant but not Omicron.
The Scottish Government hopes Covid funding will be made available by the UK Government if stringent restrictions on businesses become necessary.
Ministers are unsure whether any new curbs will have to be introduced before Christmas.
In a statement earlier this week, Sturgeon reported a tenfold increase in Omicron.
She said at the time: “Early – though again unconfirmed – data also suggests that Omicron is more capable of re-infecting people who have had the virus previously. In other words, it has some ability to evade natural immunity.
“And, of course, there is also a concern that it may evade to some extent the immunity conferred by vaccinations.”
Sturgeon’s briefing of the opposition parties comes after Public Health Scotland urged people to put off their Christmas parties.
Dr Nick Phin, its director of public health science and medical director, said: “To help minimise the further spread of Covid-19, and Omicron in particular, I would strongly urge people to defer their Christmas parties to another time.”
“I appreciate that everyone is keen to celebrate this festive season, particularly after the pressures of the last 20 months, but by postponing some plans we can all do our bit to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”