Nicola Sturgeon has said that a new mutation of the Delta variant in Scotland needs to be 'monitored'.
The First Minister was commenting on reports that the new variant is causing a 'growing number of infections'.
The latest data from the UK Government suggests that 6% of covid cases that have been genetically sequenced are of a new type of variant.
AY.4.2, which some are calling "Delta Plus", contains mutations that might give the virus survival advantages, reports the BBC.
Experts are currently of the opinion that it is unlikely to spread at an uncontrollable speed or escape current vaccines.
Commenting, Nicola Sturgeon said: "The need to monitor this was discussed by the Scottish Government Cabinet earlier.
"More generally, cases here - though lower than a few weeks ago - remain higher than we’d like.
"So please take care: wear masks, wash hands, ventilate indoor spaces & get vaccinated."
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "It's something we're keeping a very close eye on.
"As you would expect we're monitoring it closely and won't hesitate to take action if necessary."
Prof Francois Balloux, director of University College London's Genetics Institute, said: "It is potentially a marginally more infectious strain.
"It's nothing compared with what we saw with Alpha and Delta, which were something like 50 to 60 percent more transmissible. So we are talking about something quite subtle here and that is currently under investigation.
"It is likely to be up to 10 percent more transmissible.
"It's good that we are aware. It's excellent that we have the facilities and infrastructure in place to see anything that might be a bit suspicious.
"At this stage, I would say wait and see, don't panic. It might be slightly, subtly more transmissible but it is not something absolutely disastrous like we saw previously."
