Nicola Sturgeon has warned of “very difficult” decisions on covid as she reported a ten fold increase in the new Omicron variant.
The First Minister did not announce any new legal restrictions, but she said the possibility would be kept under “daily” review.
She said: "There is no doubt, unfortunately, that this is another serious moment in the course of the pandemic. " The Omicron variant is causing alarm among health experts who fear it will spread rapidly and put huge pressure on the NHS.
Questions have also been raised about the severity of the illness caused by the strain and whether the mutation evades vaccines.Sturgeon has so far avoided re-imposing domestic restrictions and has limited curbs on people coming to Scotland from abroad.