London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 18, 2025

Covid: Omicron now dominant virus variant in Scotland

Covid: Omicron now dominant virus variant in Scotland

The Omicron variant is now thought to have replaced Delta as the dominant form of the virus in Scotland.

The heavily-mutated Covid variant is likely to have been responsible for 51% of the cases recorded across the country on Friday.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it suggested that the "tsunami" of cases she warned about last week was now beginning to happen.

New restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the variant are now in force.

People have been urged to stay at home as much as possible in the lead up to Christmas, and to meet with no more than three households at a time.

And shops and hospitality outlets have to introduce measures to reduce crowding and queueing, erect screens and barriers and enforce the wearing of face masks.

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.

There are now four people in hospital with confirmed cases of the new variant - two more than previously.

Ms Sturgeon said: "Cases have already increased by more than 40% in the past week, and we should expect to see that continue and indeed accelerate in the period ahead.

"The tsunami I warned about a week ago is now starting to hit us."

New guidance to businesses aimesd at limiting the spread of the virus came into force at midnight


The first minister said the emergence of Omicron had been the "cruellest of blows" ahead of Christmas.

She stressed that the country now had much more effective protection against the virus than it did a year ago, with booster doses of the vaccine appearing to be very effective in reducing the risk of serious illness from Omicron.

But 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."

The first minister also said people should "think very carefully" about every interaction with other people due to the "not insignificant" risk of catching Covid.

She said that anyone who tested positive now would be isolating over Christmas, and that people planning to do something with other people should make a judgement about "whether it is worth it to you to run the risk of not being with your family on Christmas Day".

Sunday's League Cup Final will be played in front of a capacity crowd at Hampden Park


Several bands have cancelled gigs in recent days despite large-scale events still being allowed under the new regulations.

Sunday's League Cup Final between Hibernian and Celtic at Hampden Park in Glasgow will still go ahead, with Deputy First Minister John Swinney saying on Wednesday that people should still attend large events as long as they are fully vaccinated and have a negative lateral flow test.

The Scottish government has previously said it will make £100m available to businesses affected by the new guidance that came into force at midnight - although some industry leaders have criticised a lack of clarity over when the money will actually be distributed.

Ms Sturgeon said that £66m of this will go to the hospitality sector, £8m to the food and drink supply chain affected by hospitality cancellations, £20m to the cultural sector, £3m to the wedding sector and £3m to the worst affected parts of tourism.

She added: "We are working with councils, enterprise agencies and others to ensure businesses get this money as soon as possible", and repeated her call for the UK government to provide more funds.


The first minister warned in a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday that further restrictions on "high risk" sectors may become unavoidable.

She has urged him to either re-establish the furlough scheme or give the devolved administrations the means to set up similar initiatives of their own.

The two leaders had talks on Friday on the issue of funding, with a Scottish government spokesman saying the discussions were "constructive" but "inconclusive".

He added: "The prime minister agreed that there needed to be swift engagement with the Treasury on the immediate action needed, and committed to further talks over the weekend.

"The first minister also made clear that the devolved administrations require clarity that additional funding support would be available - and also on how it can be triggered by any or all of the UK administrations - in the event of further protective measures being necessary to tackle the virus in the period ahead."

Further talks will be held over the weekend.

Treasury sources have played down the prospect of a new fund - saying they wanted to concentrate on getting money allocated out to businesses who need it.

The Treasury has already provided £220m of immediate funding to Scotland, but Scottish ministers say that this had been brought forward from next year and had already been budgeted for.

A Treasury spokesman said it was closely monitoring the impact of the virus on the economy - particularly the hospitality sector.

He added: "Our £400bn Covid support package will continue to help businesses well into spring next year and of course we will continue to respond proportionately to the changing path of the virus.

"To keep safeguarding our economic recovery and the lives and livelihoods of the British people our priority is now to make sure everyone has the opportunity to 'Get Boosted Now'.

"We will continue to work with the Scottish government in the weeks and months ahead in the face of this serious health crisis."


Nicola Sturgeon urges people to stay home as much as they can as the Omicron "tsunami" hits


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
×