Nicola Sturgeon will not introduce any new Covid restrictions in Scotland, despite the highest number of positive cases since the start of the pandemic being recorded in the last 24 hours.
Addressing Scottish Parliament at Holyrood this afternoon, the First Minister reported that there have been 15,849 positive cases throughout Scotland, a huge increase in the recent daily average.
Despite this figure, no new drastic measures will be introduced, with the Scottish Government hoping to have a plan going forward in two weeks time.
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The First Minister said: "15,849 positive cases were reported yesterday – that is 28.9% of all tests carried out. It is worth noting that the much higher test positivity in recent days may be partially explained by people being more selective about when to go for a test over the Christmas period.
"However, this is by some margin the highest overall daily case number reported in the pandemic to date."
Sturgeon also confirmed that there are 679 people in hospital with Covid - 80 more than yesterday. The rise in hospitalisations and positive cases is largely due to the Christmas weekend, as most Scots used the holidays to spend time with family and friends.
36 people are also in intensive care with Covid - one fewer than yesterday. Sadly, there has also been three new deaths recorded.
Ms Sturgeon added that there will be a further increase in cases in the coming days and possibly even weeks.
She continued: "It is reasonable to assume therefore that we will continue to see steep increases in cases in the days and possibly weeks ahead.
"Given the speed and extent of transmission now, it is vital that we continue to take sensible precautions and limit social interactions for a further period, as we learn more about the likely impact of this wave of infection and complete the booster programme.
"What is not yet fully understood is why this might be the case - whether it is because Omicron is inherently less severe, or because of its greater ability to infect those who have had prior infection or been vaccinated, which means that more of those who get it carry a level of immunity that protects them from serious illness.
"We don’t yet know the answer to that but, either way, if it is the case that a much lower proportion of people with Omicron need hospital care compared to other strains, that is really good news - both in terms of individual health and overall impact."
The First Minister urged Scots to exercise with caution in the coming weeks and reiterated the vital booster programme within the country, asking everyone who is eligible to book their booster jab as soon as possible.
She concluded with saying that in the next few weeks, there should be a more detailed action plan for going forward, as Omicron has yet to be fully understood.
Restrictions regarding Hogmanay celebrations, mentioned last week by Sturgeon, will now take effect, limiting the number of households that can gather indoors to just three. A further stay at home message has also been directed at Scots, in the hope that the spread of Omicron does not spiral out of control.
