All the new Covid rules expected for bars, restaurants and shops in Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon today announced new guidance and rules designed to ensure that Scots enjoy Christmas celebrations ‘safely’ amid the Omicron threat.

The Scottish Government has so far reported 296 confirmed cases of the highly mutated strain of Covid - but the actual figure is said to be much higher.

Omicron has also caused concern among the global scientific community.

Early studies have shown that the effectiveness of two doses of the coronavirus vaccines may drop when it comes up against an Omicron infection.

Nicola Sturgeon announced new guidance earlier today (PA)

The First Minister has said that the emergence of the variant in Scotland is behind a recent surge in Covid cases.

It is believed that the reproduction rate - which is also known as the R number - of the variant could be as high as four in Scotland.

As part of the guidance issued today, Sturgeon urged Scots to minimise the number of non-household contacts in the lead up and aftermath of Christmas.

A request for Scots to return to working from home will now also be made a legal requirement.

Thousands of Scots are expected to hit high streets up and down the country over the coming days (DAILY RECORD)

And the Scottish Government is expected to release guidance on how hospitality and retail venues can keep punters safe amid the Omicron threat.

Here is what we are expecting to be said to businesses over the coming days.

Hospitality

• Scots bars and restaurants will be urged to step up contact tracing measures to remind customers to leave their details before sitting down.
• Customers will also be asked to stop crowding around entrances and bar areas.
• Scots have also been asked to limit the number of households gathering in groups to three - but this has not been made a legal requirement.

Retail and shops

• Retail businesses and shops will be required to adopt the “kind of protections in place at the start of the pandemic”.
• This will include measures to avoid crowding and bottlenecks inside stores.
• Physical distancing will be promoted inside stores, with limits on the number of people allowed in stores at one time.
• Shops will also be asked to install protective measures to protect customers and workers.

Full guidance is expected to be released by the Scottish Government over the coming days.