• The Omicron variant has now replaced Delta as the dominant form of the virus in Scotland, responsible for 51% of the cases recorded across the country on Friday.

• The "tsunami" of cases the first minister warned about last week was now beginning to happen, she told the briefing.
• Ms Sturgeon said the recent increase in cases was expected to "continue and accelerate", adding: "As of now the scale and the immediacy of the challenge it presents is of profound concern."
• She urged the public to stay at home as much as possible in the lead up to Christmas, and reiterated that if you are having a gathering to keep it to no more than three households at a time.
• Good news though - more than half of Scotland's population over the age of 18 has now had a booster jab.

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

Back at the first minister's briefing, The Daily Telegraph presses the first minister on what types of “higher risk settings” might be affected by any future Covid restrictions.

Ms Sturgeon cites settings that are “indoors, [have] poorer ventilation" or where people are "coming together in small crowded places, often with alcohol involved.”

She adds, “I don’t want to be restricting or closing down anywhere but I can’t magic away this virus.”

On the BBC programme, Scottish Labour's Jackie Baillie says cases are rising "exponentially" across the population, and urges everyone to get their booster.

She says that because of the lag in time between getting a booster and being fully protected, there are other things we need to do now - perhaps not going out, or taking a lateral flow if you do need to go out.

If you go out now, you could catch Covid and have to isolate over Christmas. Or pass the virus on to someone else, she says.

She adds that many people will end up catching Covid and having to isolate, which will have an impact on the smooth running of the country.

On the BBC Scotland coronavirus update programme Tory MSP Dr Sandesh Gulhane says it's "absolutely critical" people get boosted.

He says everyone should prioritise what matters to them the most.

Dr Gulhane adds that government funding needs to find its way to businesses before Christmas, and he supports Ms Sturgeon's calls for more funding from the UK government to support businesses.

He says it is "absolutely imperative" for the Scottish and UK governments to work together.

Image source, Getty Images

Bauer Radio asks why it is being left to concert promoters to take the decisions on whether events in the coming days should go ahead or not.

Ms Sturgeon says, "I can’t say to a concert, 'cancel' because I can’t then ensure the financial support is there to compensate it.

"If I could do that I could give clearer advice to events and businesses."

The first minister says the "UK government needs to get its finger out, it needs to step up and provide this support."

Sky News asks if the UK government does provide further financial assistance to businesses then will more Covid restrictions be more likely in Scotland?

Ms Sturgeon says that's not necessarily the case.

She says, "I will continue to take decisions which I think are appropriate, and I will be able to take decisions that I think are appropriate without worrying about not being able to compensate businesses.”

STV's Gordon Chree asks if rising cases have already been "priced in" to the current advice about Christmas. If we see an increase in cases next week, could Christmas still be cancelled?

The first minister answers that nothing - including a lockdown - is inevitable. She says we can drive cases down through behaviour, and we shouldn't be fatalistic.

She stresses testing, vaccines, hygiene, ventilation and limiting contacts to help stay safe.

Dr Smith says cases announced today are people who were infected 5-7 days ago. There could be an eight-fold increase in the numbers of people infected today, due to the virus' exponential growth.

A further 4,336 new cases of Covid were reported in Scotland on Friday, of which 51% showed the so-called S-Gene dropout that is typical of the Omicron variant.

Read more - Omicron now dominant virus variant in Scotland

Image source, SNS

David Wallace Lockhart, of BBC Scotland, asks Ms Sturgeon it is wise for two big football matches in Glasgow go ahead this weekend.

The first minister says, "My advice to people right now is please limit your social interactions, wherever your social interactions may be.

"Had we the financial support mechanism in place that we had earlier in the pandemic I would be able, perhaps, to give more straightforward advice to events to say don’t let these events go ahead right now, I can’t do that when I can’t compensate people.

"All I can do right now is ask people to modify their own behaviour."

The first minister asks:

• Firstly, get vaccinated - the most important thing any of us can do right now.
• Stay at home as much as possible.
• And test regularly. If you are mixing with other people please test yourself just before you go. If you're going out at night, don't rely on a test you did that morning - do another just before you go.

She asks everyone to look out for each other and stick at it.

And she concludes by suggesting we all get in touch with someone who might be feeling down or lonely just now.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister asks: "Stay at home much more than you normally would, and stay at home as much as you can."

She says if what matters most to you is spending time with your loved ones on Christmas day, you shouldn't go out before then and risking catching Covid.

The reality is, she says, mixing with others just now "is a real and increasing risk".

She highlights that this new strain is much more infectious than previous strains.

"If someone in your group, or even just someone in the same venue as you has it, your chances of catching it are much higher than with the Delta variant," Ms Sturgeon adds.

After Christmas, minimising your contacts will help reduce the January surge she says.

Image source, Getty Images

The progress made in the booster vaccine programme is hailed by Ms Sturgeon.

She says more than half of the population over the age of 18 has now had a booster jab.

The drive will keep going to get "as many people as possible by the times the bells strike on Hogmanay," adds the first minister.

Ms Sturgeon stresses, "it's never too late to get vaccinated".

Nicola Sturgeon says she will use a call with Boris Johnson later to press for more financial support for Scotland's businesses.

The first minister says a return to the type of state aid that was in place earlier in the pandemic is what is needed.

She says, “With businesses already bleeding, every 24 hours counts - there is no time to waste.”

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon acknowledges that the hospitality and culture sectors are being severely impacted by her advice to stay at home and limit contacts.

Of the £100m support for business she has previously announced, £66m of this will go to hospitality, £8m will go to the food and drink supply chain, £3m will go to weddings, £20m will go to the culture sector and £3m to the worst affected tourism businesses.

She says she knows this money won't fully compensate affected businesses. She is to speak to Boris Johnson about getting more support for businesses.

The first minister continues that the scale and immediacy of the challenge concerns her.

She says even if Omicron turns out to be milder for many people, it will still cause serious illness, hospitalisation and death for some.

Even if the number of people falling seriously ill is a smaller percentage of cases than with Delta, "a smaller percentage of a much bigger number of infections will result in a massive number of cases needing hospital care".

If we don't act now the NHS could be overwhelmed, she adds.

The first minister confirms that Omicron is now the dominant strain in Scotland and says this presents a challenge because it spreads faster than Delta.

It could have an R-number which is possibly above four, she adds.

She says this risks driving a much steeper increase in cases - in the past week, cases have increased by more than 40% which is expected to continue and accelerate.

"The tsunami I warned about a week ago is now starting to hit us," the first minister warns.

The latest available data for Covid-19 in Scotland shows that as of 12:00 today:

• 4,336 new cases of Covid-19 reported
• 10.1% positivity rate
• 522 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed Covid-19, 10 fewer than yesterday
• 33 people in intensive care, down one
• 7 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive

Nicola Sturgeon says that due to the high volume of tests being processed the true number of cases might not be reflected in these figures.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she will provide an update on Omicron's spread, and reinforce the "important requests" she is making of everyone to stay at home as much as is feasible and limit their contacts.

Omicron has replaced Delta as the dominant strain in Scotland, the first minister confirms.

Humza Yousaf says expanding the booster jab rollout over the coming weeks will be "extremely challenging".

The health secretary was speaking after he got his own booster vaccination at the Arbroath Community Centre.

"It would be amiss for me not to acknowledge and commend the enormous national effort which is ongoing - the like of which has never been seen in peacetime," Mr Yousaf adds.

“With demand for boosters being high I’d like to reassure everyone we have plenty of supplies and we are working hard with health boards to maximise vaccination capacity."

Image source, Getty Images

Today is the first day of new legal restrictions on businesses to help control the spread of Covid-19.

The changes mean firms are legally required to take measures to minimise transmission amid concerns about the Omicron variant.

This means shops and hospitality outlets have to put in measures to reduce crowding and queueing such as erecting screens and barriers.

The wearing of face masks also has to be enforced.

Read more.