• Restrictions on large outdoor events in Scotland, including football matches and concerts, are to be lifted from next Monday.
• First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that the limit of 500 people would be removed - meaning fans will be back in stadiums when the Scottish Premiership's winter break ends, and for Scotland's Six Nations rugby matches at Murrayfield next month.

• But event organisers will now have to check the vaccine certification of at least 50% of attendees, rather than the current 20%, or at least 1,000 people - whichever figure is higher.
• And from Monday, the definition of "fully vaccinated" for the purpose of vaccine passports will include having a booster if the second dose was more than four months ago.
• The first minister also said the vaccine passport scheme could be extended to more venues.

• Restrictions on indoor events and venues will remain in place until at least 24 January
• For now, the requirement to wear face coverings, work from home, and meet in groups of up to three households will remain.
• Ms Sturgeon also said the latest data gave "some hope that cases may be at or close to the peak".

That's all for our live coverage of the first minister's statement today. Join us again next time.

Would the Six Nations rugby have gone south?published at 15:42 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2022

15:42 GMT 11 January 2022

Chris McLaughlin
BBC Scotland Sports News Correspondent

This is clearly the news that major sporting bodies and fans were hoping for. There were genuine fears, from within football at least, that the first minister would push the date back once again.

It now appears that the increase in Covid passport checks outside stadia has allowed her to throw the doors back open, but with a sense of continued caution.

The Scottish government say the decision is based purely on the science but there’s no doubt that the move is timely, from a political perspective. With the Six Nations fast approaching, could the first minister really have watched on if Scotland’s home games had been moved south for the sake of attendance?

It was certainly being discussed. As talk now turns to how we learn to live with Covid, this latest sporting sigh of relief will be accompanied by the hope that fans are be back for good.

Image source, Reuters

Nicola Sturgeon says Boris Johnson should quit over the latest revelations about parties in Downing Street during lockdown.

The first minister says “serial breaches of guidance that people were following through painful sacrifices” means the office of prime minister would be "greatly enhanced by Boris Johnson's departure from it".

The first minister was responding to a question from Green MSP Gillian Mackay who described the No 10 revelations as “absolutely sickening”.

Problems still lie ahead for the NHSpublished at 15:33 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2022

15:33 GMT 11 January 2022

Lisa Summers
BBC Scotland Health Correspondent

The first minister says restrictions have made the difference, alongside boosters and public behaviour, to ensure the NHS was protected from a surge of cases all at once, but she does acknowledge it is difficult to prove a direct link.

Nicola Sturgeon also says there are signs things are improving, paving the way to ease more measures. So where does that leave us?

Eventually, the expectation is that Covid will be a concern for scientists and the NHS with far less impact on our daily lives. The hope is it will become a more manageable disease.

But in the short-term, the data on positive cases is becoming less reliable with the move to relying on lateral flow tests to record positive cases. That will make it more challenging for modellers to make projections and to monitor for new variants.

And right now, Covid continues to have a significant impact on the health service. The numbers of patients in hospital is up 40% on this time last week, and staff absences are high.

Even if vaccines and treatments mean beds can be freed up more quickly and far fewer end up in intensive care, it still means the health service has very little capacity to do anything other than the most urgent or emergency care. This all stores up a different set of future problems for the NHS.

Image source, Getty Images

SNP MSP Joe FitzPatrick asks the first minister about calls to cut the self-isolation period to five days and whether the Scottish government is considering this.

Ms Sturgeon replies that as with all areas related to Covid, decisions will be kept under review by clinicians.

She notes that the decision has just recently been made to move from 10 days' self-isolation to seven (provided you feel well and don't have a fever, and that you return negative lateral flow tests on day six and day seven).

This was not an insignificant decision, or one that came without risk, she adds.

She says in the period ahead, the impact of the move from 10 to seven days will be monitored before any decision is made about reducing self-isolation further.

Alex Cole-Hamilton picks up on the first minister’s comments about “living with Covid” by asking what is happening with support for those suffering from the long-term impact of the virus.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader points out more than 100,000 people in Scotland are thought to have Long Covid.

Nicola Sturgeon says the Scottish government’s Long Covid action plan is being implemented and adds it is “wrong and an over-simplification” to focus only on specialist clinics as a way of supporting people in this situation.

Mr Sarwar also asks whether Holyrood will be given a vote on the new Covid framework before it comes into force.

He adds that any deviations from the framework must also come before parliament for consent.

Ms Sturgeon replies that parliament will be asked to vote on the revised framework.

But she says the virus "doesn't wait til parliament considers things. Sometimes, governments have to make decisions quickly in the interest of public health and safety."

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar asks the first minister to confirm whether the new strategic framework for dealing with Covid will provide "clearly set-out trigger points for future restrictions".

For example, these would include infection rates, hospitalisations and staff absences.

He also asks about key triggers on what financial support restrictions will trigger.

Mr Sarwar says this will be important for businesses to allow them to plan, as well as for people to make their own decisions about protecting themselves.

Ms Sturgeon responds that the government wants to give as much clarity and predictability as possible on the triggers for more restrictions.

"We are dealing with an infectious, unpredictable, mutating virus.

"Any government that gets itself stuck in fixed triggers or fixed ways of thinking about things is not serving the health of the country well and we will not do that," she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Douglas Ross questions the Scottish government’s plans to increase the number of vaccine passport spot-checks at bigger sporting events.

The Tory MSP and MP says the move is “disappointing” and asks how feasible it is to check more than 30,000 Covid certificates at Murrayfield when Scotland open their Six Nations campaign next month.

Nicola Sturgeon says she has “every confidence” in both the rugby and football authorities to be able to cope with the increase in the number of spot-checks they now need to carry out.

Douglas Ross says the public deserve credit for the way the country has dealt with the Omicron threat.

The Scottish Conservatives leader says the “outlook is more positive now not because of government restrictions but because of people’s good sense”.

He adds, “the people of Scotland got this right, not the government.”

Nicola Sturgeon says “we are in a more positive place” but there “remains significant uncertainties” and this justifies her cautious approach.

Ms Sturgeon says she wants to speak about how we can learn to live with Covid.

She says plans are being drawn up for how we might adapt in the medium and longer term to mitigate harm without the need for restrictions.

A revised framework is being prepared and the Scottish government will consult with parliament, business organisations and other partners across society.

The new framework will be published within the next few weeks, Ms Sturgeon adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon says there are still too many eligible people not yet fully vaccinated.

She says someone not fully vaccinated is at least four times more likely to require hospital treatment than someone who has had a booster or third dose.

The FM urges everyone to get their booster jab.

There is plenty of capacity in vaccination centres, she says, and you will always be welcomed.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon warns “difficult choices” such as pausing or reducing some services to protect social care services may need to be taken in the coming weeks.

The first minister says this is being driven by the “significant impact” of staff absences as a result of the Omicron wave.

Ms Sturgeon also announces an additional £5m to improve ventilation in schools and nurseries.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister continues that the Cabinet will review the data again when it meets a week today.

She says she hopes at this meeting it will be decided to lift more restrictions - including on indoor live events, table service in hospitality and distancing in indoor public places - from 24 January.

She says as these measures are lifted it will be necessary to consider whether the use of vaccine passports may have to be extended.

The requirements for face coverings and working from home will remain in place for now, she says.

For at least the immediate period ahead, the advice to limit contact with people in other households, and in particular to limit the number of households in any indoor gathering to a maximum of three, will also remain in place.

How can I get a Covid passport?published at 14:45 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2022

14:45 GMT 11 January 2022

Question from Ann in Haddington

You can get a Covid passport a few ways.

You can download the NHS Scotland Covid Status app, external onto your mobile device, for example onto your smartphone (if you have one).

Or, you can download or request a copy of your vaccination status online, external or by phoning the COVID Status Helpline on 0808 196 8565.

• Where to get the NHS Scotland Covid status app, external

Image source, Getty Images

The number of people in hospital with Covid has continued to increase over the past week, the FM says.

But there are signs the rate of increase is slowing.

Two weeks ago, the number increased from 594 to 1,147 this time last week– an increase of 553.

Since then, it has risen further to 1,479 - an increase of 332.

Ms Sturgeon also says numbers of Covid patients in ICU have increased more rapidly than in the previous two weeks. But, she notes, this could be down to the lag between people becoming hospitalised, and them requiring intensive care.

There are still uncertainties, though, and we do not know what impact the return to work and school after Christmas will have on infection levels, she says.

The definition of being fully vaccinated for the purpose of using vaccine passports is to change, Nicola Sturgeon announces.

From Monday, being “fully vaccinated” for Covid certification will include having a booster if the second dose was more than four months ago.

The NHS Scotland Covid status app will be updated from Thursday so that its QR code includes evidence of booster vaccination.

It will also be possible to order updated paper and PDF copies of vaccination status, which are now valid for three months.

It will still be possible to gain admission to events and venues by providing proof of a recent negative lateral flow test, instead of a vaccine passport.

Image source, Getty Images

The attendance limit of 500 people at large-scale outdoor events will be lifted from 17 January, Nicola Sturgeon confirms.

This means top-flight football fixtures scheduled for early next week will be allowed to have full crowds as well as the forthcoming Six Nations rugby matches.

One change for those attending these events is that the Covid certification scheme is to be expanded.

Organisers of large events of 1,000 or more people will be required to check the certification status of at least 50% of attendees (up from the 20% previously required) or at least 1,000 people - whichever figure is higher.

Image source, Getty Images

Last week, it was announced that people without symptoms who test positive on a lateral flow test will no longer need to have their result confimed by a PCR test.

Ms Sturgeon says this change means the current daily numbers are capturing fewer positive cases than before.

This will lead to changes in how case numbers are reported by Public Health Scotland.

From Thursday, the number will be combined - to include those who test positive either with a PCR or lateral flow test.

This will mean a time lag in reporting case numbers initially, she adds.

But the new way of reporting should allow the trend in cases to be reported more accurately than it is now.

She concludes by urging everyone to make sure they report their lateral flow results - whether positive or negative.

• Report a Covid-19 rapid lateral flow test result , external

Does the three-households rule still apply to private gatherings?published at 14:33 Greenwich Mean Time 11 January 2022

14:33 GMT 11 January 2022

Question from Donald in Edinburgh

Yes, the guidance is still to limit mixing to three households.

Before Christmas, the first minister made what she called a "request" to the public to "reduce as far as possible - to a minimum - the contacts that we have with people from other households".

She said mixing between households was not going to be banned or restricted in law, as happened before. Instead, she said her government would be issuing "strong guidance" to "cut down as far as possible the number of people from outside our own households with whom we interact".

Ms Sturgeon did ask those who were going to socialise - either at home or in indoor public places - to limit each gathering to a maximum of three households, and for everyone to do a lateral flow test beforehand.