New restrictions on events and hospitality after Christmas
The First Minister has announced that large events will be limited and subject to 1m social distancing and no more than 3 households will be allowed in one group in hospitality from Boxing Day.
Last updated 21st Dec 2021
The First Minister has announced new restrictions to help slow the spread of the Omicron variant in Scotland.
Nicola Sturgeon has announced we should stay at home from 27th December and for the first week in January. She has also asked that we refrain from socialising over Hogmanay. However, this is advice and will not be law as it was earlier in the pandemic.
The First Minister stressed she wasn't asking anyone to change their plans for Christmas Day.
New restrictions from Boxing Day
From 26th December (inclusive) for a period of three weeks there will also be a limit on the size of public events. This will apply to all public events but not private events like weddings.
Indoor standing events will be restricted to 100, indoor seating events will be limited to 200 people and outdoor events will be limited to 500 seated or standing.
One metre physical distancing will be in place at events that do go ahead.
Bars, restaurants and pubs will also have to resume table service only for the sale of alcohol with no more than 3 households in one group allowed to gather indoors with one metre social distancing in place between groups.
The First Minister said: "This will of course make sports matches, including football, effectively spectator-free over this three-week period.
"And it will also mean that large-scale Hogmanay celebrations, including that planned here in our capital city, will not proceed.
"I know how disappointing this will be for those looking forward to these events, and for the organisers of them."
'More normal' Christmas
This year's Christmas will be "more normal" than last year's despite the newly announced restrictions, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
She told MSPs: "Just a few days before Christmas, I am again urging people to stay at home as much as possible, to slow down a highly infectious new variant.
"But, although it may not feel like it, we are in a much stronger position than last year.
"We have had far fewer restrictions in place for much of this year than was the case last year.
"Christmas Day will be more normal.
"Most importantly, a rapidly increasing number of adults is now protected by three doses of vaccine."
Plea to limit Hogmanay socialising
The First Minister has also recommended that indoor adult contact sports are put on hold for a period of three weeks from 27th December.
She told MSPs: "Difficult though it is, please follow this advice over New Year - minimise Hogmanay socialising as much as you can.
"If we all follow the advice to minimise the contact we have outside our own households, we will help limit the spread of infections.
"This is the bedrock of our plan for the immediate period ahead.
"From 27 December, again for a three-week period - we intend to introduce some further protections in hospitality settings and other indoor public places to reduce transmission risk in what are, through no fault of those who run such venues, higher-risk environments.
"I can confirm that a requirement for table service-only will be reintroduced for venues serving alcohol for consumption on the premises.
"And we will also ask indoor hospitality and leisure venues to ensure one-metre distance, not within, but between groups of people who are attending together."
Omicron is the dominant strain in Scotland
Omicron is now firmly established as the dominant strain of coronavirus in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has also said.
Updating MSPs, the First Minister said 62.9% of cases showed the S-gene dropout.
It comes as Scotland has recorded nine new coronavirus-related deaths and 5,242 positive tests in the last 24 hours.
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 - is 9,790.
The latest Scottish Government figures released on Tuesday showed the daily positivity rate stood at 14.9%, down from 15.2% on Monday.