Summary

  • Nicola Sturgeon delivers her SNP conference speech after briefing Scotland on the new Covid-19 variant Omicron

  • She told her party's members in a virtual address that the pandemic posed "big and very real challenges ahead over the winter months"

  • At a briefing earlier, she said six Omicron cases had been identified in Scotland. Those who have tested positive are not in hospital and there is no indication the variant is widespread in Scotland

  • Scotland's Chief Medical Officer Gregor Smith adds that there is no evidence globally that anyone has died from the Omicron strain, but it is still "too early" to know for sure

  • The first minister calls for travel rules to be tightened and adds that she has written to the PM asking for tougher measures such as requiring arrivals to the UK to isolate for eight days

  • She says she is not asking the public at this time to put their Christmas holiday plans on hold

  • Ms Sturgeon asks the public to take lateral flow tests before they go shopping or socialise. She urges everyone: "Make sure we don't let our guard slip."

Live Reporting

BBC Scotland News

  1. Swinney: 'There is community transmission'

    shoppersGetty Images

    We are likely to hear Nicola Sturgeon discuss the impact of community transmission of the variant.

    Deputy First Minister John Swinney earlier told BBC's Good Morning Scotland: "On some of the cases, we are aware that there is no travel history involved.

    "So what that tells us is that there must be a degree of community transmission of this particular strain of the virus."

    This "opens up further challenges" for interrupting the spread of the virus, he said.

    If the variant proves to be "more transmissible than previous incarnations", Mr Swinney said the Scottish government may have to take measures to increase physical distancing.

    But the minister said it was too early to say whether Christmas plans would have to be reconsidered.

    "We are in a much stronger position because of the vaccination that we have within our society," he added.

    "Members of the public have taken part tremendously in the vaccination programme, so we do have very high levels of protection within the population.

    "It's what we need to do beyond that which is relevant for the next period ahead."

  2. Analysis

    'This variant did surprise us'

    James Gallagher
    Health and science correspondent, BBC News

    The variant has been named Omicron by the World Health Organization, following the pattern of Greek code-names like the Alpha and Delta variants.

    It is also incredibly heavily mutated.

    Prof Tulio de Oliveira, the director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation in South Africa, said there was an "unusual constellation of mutations" and that it was "very different" to other variants that have circulated.

    "This variant did surprise us, it has a big jump on evolution [and] many more mutations than we expected," he said.

    Prof de Oliveira said there were 50 mutations overall and more than 30 on the spike protein, which is the target of most vaccines and the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway into our body's cells.

    Zooming in even further to the receptor binding domain (that's the part of the virus that makes first contact with our body's cells), it has 10 mutations compared to just two for the Delta variant that swept the world.

    This level of mutation has most likely come from a single patient who was unable to beat the virus. A lot of mutation doesn't automatically mean: bad.

    It is important to know what those mutations are actually doing.

    Read more here.

  3. Omicron in Scotland: What we know so far

    omicromGetty Images

    The first minister's briefing comes as six cases of the new Covid Omicron variant have been identified in Scotland - four in NHS Lanarkshire's area and two in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

    It is believed there is community transmission of this strain as some of the cases have no travel history.

    Contact tracing is taking place to establish the origin of the virus and find anyone else they have come into contact with in recent weeks.

    Health Secretary Humza Yousaf says it is a "worrying time" for the six people with the new variant.

  4. Welcome

    Nicola Sturgeongetty images

    Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the first minister's special update on the new Omicron Covid variant.

    Nicola Sturgeon will give a briefing at 10:30 to share what is known so far about the variant which has now arrived in Scotland.

    We will bring you her statement, media questions, analysis and reaction to everything that happens.

    You can follow live coverage of the briefing with us here, or by clicking on one of the tabs above.