First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the Scottish Government will be making no changes to Christmas Covid-19 guidance amid concerns about the Omicron variant.
People have been asked to limit gatherings to three households to reduce the spread.
Pleas have been made to cut contact with others as much as possible in the run-up to the weekend.
Christmas Day plans should remain
However, Ms Sturgeon has stressed Scots can make Christmas Day plans based on the current Omicron and Covid-19 guidance.
In a statement, she said: “The cabinet will discuss tomorrow and I will set out in parliament if there are any additional or wider steps necessary, but I want to be clear to individuals that the advice I gave out last week is the advice that will take us through Christmas.”
1/ @scotgov 🎄 advice:
➡️Cut contacts as much as poss in run up to Xmas Day – helps slow spread & also reduce risk of you catching virus & having to isolate at Xmas
➡️Keep Xmas/Boxing Day dinners as small as family circumstances allow, test in advance, wash hands, open windows https://t.co/j5zL1XMqs0— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) December 20, 2021
The First Minister added: “My clear message to individuals is to reiterate the message I gave last week and that is, in the run up to Christmas, please reduce your contacts, stay at home as much as is feasible right now.
“For Christmas Day and Boxing Day, we’re not asking people to cancel plans but think about keeping them as small as your family circumstances allow and make sure everyone is testing before going, and following rules around hygiene and ventilation.
“Then after Christmas, for a period, limit your contacts again, so we can suppress infection as much as we possibly can, as we speed up the vaccination program.”
Record Covid positivity rate
It comes as Scotland has recorded its highest test positivity rate since January this year, with 6,734 new coronavirus cases counted in the last 24 hours.
In Monday’s figures, the test positivity rate stood at 15.2%, up from 13.9% on Sunday.
The case numbers are also the highest daily figure recorded since September this year.
The latest data, released by the Scottish Government, shows no new deaths have been recorded since the day before, but officials said registry offices were generally closed at weekends, which can affect the number recorded.
It means the Covid-19 death toll in Scotland under the daily measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – remains 9,781.
3,839,679 people in Scotland have been tested for #coronavirus
The total confirmed as positive has risen by 6,734* to 806,695
The number of deaths of people who tested positive remains at 9,781
Latest update ➡️ https://t.co/bZPbrCoQux
Health advice ➡️ https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu pic.twitter.com/vJB9Oapf5O— Scottish Government (@scotgov) December 20, 2021
There were 516 people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19 on Sunday, up 12 on the day before, and a total of 38 people were in intensive care, the same figure as the day before.
So far, 4,372,129 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination, 3,993,642 have received their second dose, and 2,561,480 have received a third dose or booster.
