Summary

  • The first minister gives a statement at Holyrood on the latest pandemic developments, including a focus on the Omicron variant

  • Nine cases have been confirmed in Scotland and all of them are linked to a single private event which took place on 20 November

  • There have been 2,569 new positive Covid-19 cases logged; there are 706 positive patients in hospital, 54 of those are in ICU, and there have been a further 10 deaths reported

  • Nicola Sturgeon told Holyrood about the "really good news" that cases in all age groups had fallen in the past week

  • She said the vaccine had played its part in keeping cases down and she urged all over 18 year olds to get jabbed

  • Opposition leaders questioned how ready the country's vaccination programme was. Ms Sturgeon said work was being done to increase staff and facilities

  • Lateral flow tests will be made available in shopping centres, supermarkets, garden centres, sports grounds and Christmas markets

Live Reporting

BBC Scotland News

  1. Omicron: How do you detect it?

    Covid testGetty Images

    You can expect to hear much more about the new Omicron variant of coronavirus during Nicola Sturgeon's statement and the questions that follow.

    As we have been reporting today, a total of 14 cases of the variant have now been detected in the UK with nine of them in Scotland.

    It was highlighted by scientists in South Africa as a potentially worrying new strain.

    So what exactly is Omicron and what tests are used to detect it?

    Read more here

  2. Latest vaccination figures

    As for Scotland's vaccination programme:

    • 4,346,736 people have now received their first dose
    • 3,949,736 are now double-jabbed
    • 1,687,792 have received a third dose or booster

  3. Tuesday's daily Covid stats

    Today's daily Covid stats have just been published:

    • 2,569 new cases of Covid-19 reported
    • 10 further deaths have been recorded following a positive test
    • 54 people were in intensive care with Covid-19 yesterday
    • 706 people were in hospital yesterday with Covid-19

  4. New cases 'not linked' to COP26 and South Africa rugby match

    COP26 delegatesReuters

    The Scottish government insists there is "nothing to link" the Scottish Omicron cases to either the COP26 conference or the Scotland v South Africa rugby match which both took place earlier this month.

    Heath Secretary Humza Yousaf told the BBC: "There's nothing that indicates these cases or this new variant has come via the rugby or COP26 but that work of course is still ongoing ."

    Contact tracing is taking place and all close contacts of suspected cases will be advised to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status.

    Read more

  5. Omicron spreads further in Scotland

    positive LFT testGetty Images

    Three new cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in Scotland.

    This takes the total here to nine.

    Five have been identified in the Lanarkshire health board area and four in Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

    A total of 14 Omicron cases have now been detected across the UK.

  6. Welcome

    Good afternoon and welcome to BBC Scotland's rolling coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in Scotland on Tuesday 30 November.

    Nicola Sturgeon will be giving a statement to Parliament from about 14:20.

    She will announce the daily Covid statistics before highlighting the latest developments on the Omicron variant of the virus.

    The first minister will then take questions from Opposition leaders.

    You can follow the statement here with us and watch on the BBC Scotland channel by clicking on the tab above.