• Scotland's first minister has warned that the country is facing a "tsunami" of Omicron cases, with the variant likely to replace Delta as the dominant form of the virus within days.
• The 110 cases that have been recorded in the country are only the "tip of the iceberg", and a new wave of the pandemic is about to begin, Nicola Sturgeon says.
• People have been urged to cancel work Christmas parties.
• The first minister revealed that ScotRail has had to cancel 60 train services today due to staff shortages as a result of Covid, while many staff at an accident and emergency unit in Lanarkshire are also having to isolate after attending a social event and becoming infected.
• The first minister also revealed new self-isolation guidance. From tomorrow, all household contacts of any Covid cases should isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination status and even if they initially get a negative PCR test.
• Non-household contacts can leave isolation if they have had a negative PCR test and have had two vaccine doses.
• Ms Sturgeon was speaking as the Scottish government published modelling which said infections could rise as high as 25,000 a day by 20 December in the worst-case scenario.
• The most likely range of the worst-case scenario will see cases hit a little over 15,000 a day, while in the best-case scenario, cases will peak at just over 1,250.
• The STUC calls for clearer guidance on home working and the return of furlough.

That's all from our live page today. Join us again next time.

Image source, Getty Images

The STUC reacts to Nicola Sturgeon's calls for home working.

The trade union organisation says workers are being placed in an "invidious position".

They are calling for the Scottish government to lift the burden of Covid safety from workers’ shoulders and legislate imminently if they won’t.

They are also asking the UK government to reinstate furlough now.

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer says it is "all fine and well" for the first minister to appeal to workers to work from home if they can, but says she needs to be more direct.

Ms Foyer adds that often employers refuse such requests and many workers are now worried about asking.

The first minister ends by saying the government has shared today's information in an "unvarnished way" to try to give context to decisions which may have to be made in the future.

She says they also want to underline that none of us are powerless to make a difference.

She urges people to get vaccinated, test, wash hands, wear face coverings and increase ventilation.

Image source, PA Media

Asked about schools, and if isolation rules will see schools closed "by the back door", the first minister says schools must be kept open at all costs.

She says that if there are cases in schools, isolating groups of children is about keeping schools open.

If children end up sick and off school, this will lead to the closure of schools by the back door.

She says the government has to try to reduce the need for further mitigations and that they cannot let the disease run.

The Scottish Sun's reporter asks if there is any further evidence on how Omicron was seeded in Scotland.

Dr Smith says he can speculate that the first case probably came from a Southern African country.

He says the first cases were from testing after an event on or around 20 November and that the variant was in the country at that point.

He says the exact source is completely unknown. And that Omicron's transmissibility means it had spread right across the world so it was inevitable that it arrived here.

He says travel restrictions will reduce the speed of the spread.

The Daily Mail question asks about planning social gatherings at home and asks if restrictions could be introduced on the numbers involved in household mixing.

The first minister hopes that current advice will help to drive the situation in a better direction.

She says we need to take things a day at a time and is asking people to do all the things she is asking to minimise the need for restrictions down the line.

On the BBC Scotland programme, Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie says transmissibility of Omicron is clearly "much greater".

She warns there is the potential for the NHS to be overwhelmed "very quickly indeed".

Ms Baillie says that in the face of a serious public health crisis, the Scottish and UK governments should work together to make sure support is in place for businesses.

She adds that the FM gave a "stark warning" today and was "laying the groundwork for further restrictions to come".

She says she suspects the government will look at numbers mixing in households.

Image source, Getty Images

The Press Association asks about the impact of Omicron on hospital admissions.

Bed-blocking issues in Edinburgh are mentioned.

Dr Gregor Smith says he is keeping a close eye on this and that with the size of wave he sees shaping up he has no doubt we will see a rise in hospital admissions.

He says discussions are ongoing on how to respond to this and how to improve resilience within the system to cope with that. This may result in changes to services.

Prof Leitch says there are two issues - the number of patients expected to come in the expected "tsunami" plus the numbers of health staff who may have to isolate.

Bauer media asks about support from Westminster for the hospitality sector who are now faced with Christmas cancellations.

He asks that if that support comes, how likely is the FM to bring back restrictions.

The first minister says that re-introducing restrictions will be a "last resort".

She says that because the Scottish government has no borrowing powers, she has to rely on the UK Treasury to activate that.

She adds that there will be a four-nations discussion this afternoon and expects other nations to make the point about financial support.

On the BBC Scotland programme, Tory MSP Sandesh Gulhane says he is very concerned about the variant.

"Our best form of defence is to ensure we're all vaccinated," he says.

He adds that we need to do better in Scotland, to get more jabs into arms. He calls for mass vaccination centres to be re-opened.

Asked about the impact on hospitality businesses of cancelling Christmas parties, he acknowledges that businesses will be struggling.

He says if there are additional measures brought in which affect businesses then he would expect the UK government to provide more financial support.

Back at the briefing, a question from Global asks about casualties of the pandemic from other harms including suicide or missing health screening or medical appointments.

The reporter says people are "terrified" of a return to Covid rules.

The FM is asked what she would say to put people's minds at ease right now.

Ms Sturgeon says she cannot describe the despondency she feels at this.

She says two weeks ago she announced that the vaccination certification scheme would not be extended because cases looked like they were on a downwards trend.

She says she felt a sense of optimism she had not felt for a long time. But then within 48 hours it all changed with the emergence of Omicron.

Image source, Getty Images

On the BBC Scotland coronavirus programme, NHS Grampian's Jillian Evans says people must "absolutely" change their behaviour to slow the spread of the virus.

Ms Evans stresses the importance of daily testing now, adding that the smallest encounter could create a transmission event.

She says it's crucial that the spread is slowed while people get their boosters. Anyone who is yet to be vaccinated must come forward, she adds.

ITV Border asks how people can celebrate Christmas safely this year.

Ms Sturgeon says we should be mindful of which contacts are necessary.

She says people we come into contact with may be infected with the Omicron variant.

She adds that we should test every time we leave the house to meet other people.

Dr Gregor Smith says that getting into the habit of testing regularly safeguards those we are meeting and ensures we do not pass the virus on.

A question comes from STV asking what changed to prompt Public Health Scotland (PHE) to issue guidance on Christmas parties.

The FM says that in the days to come, advice will change quickly and information may come from different agencies as data and information is assessed daily and hourly.

She says the doubling rate of two days is unprecedented and that they have to act very quickly.

She asks the public to "bear with us" on the changes to come.

BBC Scotland's Aileen Clarke asks the first minister to provide a clear definition of a Christmas party.

Ms Sturgeon says she is focusing on work events as they are resulting in rapid spread of this infection which pose a big risk to workplaces.

She says the bigger the event, the more those risks are very real.

"My advice would be to consider deferring work Christmas events," she says.

"If they are small events that you wish to go ahead with... make sure you and everybody else in the group is testing beforehand," she adds.

The FM urges the public to use their good sense when deciding whether to meet up.

Image source, Getty Images

While the first minister has been speaking, the Scottish government has put out an evidence paper, external looking at the impact of the new Omicron strain of the coronavirus.

It says Omicron is spreading at a rate that threatens a rapid and large surge of Covid-19 cases. Case numbers are higher for females for all age groups except the under 20s and over 70s.

The paper says it is likely that a proportion of these infections will result in hospitalisation.

It concludes by saying the rapid rise in Omicron infections could put significant additional pressure on hospitals and other health and care services, close to the point in the winter when they are already likely to be at peak pressure.

Ms Sturgeon ends by saying this is not a briefing she wanted to deliver as we approach Christmas.

She says the only way through this challenging period is by doing it together.

She adds that even with Omicron, we know the things we can do to reduce the risk.

She says that by sticking to mitigations we will be in the best position possible heading into Christmas and the New Year.

Ms Sturgeon says we face "a situation that has no easy options".

She says any measures will cause social and economic harms but she says early intervention is the best way of acting proportionately.

She adds that she cannot rule out further measures.

Ms Sturgeon ends with a plea to abide by all the basic protections and reminds us to get vaccinated, to test ourselves regularly and when we are meeting other people.

She reminds us to wear face coverings where required, ventilate rooms and stick to hand hygiene rules.

She reiterates her call to work from home.

She describes what she has set out today as "grim".

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon refers to Public Health Scotland's advice that work Christmas parties should be deferred, adding: "There is a significant risk with Omicron."

She says we are "already seeing the realities" of the situation with parties or events with lots of people in attendance becoming super-spreader events.

There is a risk to individual health and to workplaces she adds, referring back to the 60 ScotRail cancellations today and the Lanarkshire A&E department outbreaks she referred to earlier.

Ms Sturgeon outlines new rules around self-isolating.

She says given that Omicron is becoming dominant, the rules must change.

From tomorrow, the advice is that all household contacts of any confirmed Covid case should isolate for 10 days regardless of vaccination status - even if they initially get a negative PCR test.

Ms Sturgeon says this is essential to ease transmission.

However, some exemptions will be made for critical services.

Non-household contacts should isolate pending a PCR result. If it is negative, they can leave isolation at this point as long as they are double vaccinated.