London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

Yousaf: 'Act as if new Covid variant already here'

Yousaf: 'Act as if new Covid variant already here'

Scotland's health secretary has said people should act as if the new Covid variant Omicron is "already here" after two cases were detected in England.

The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed cases in Chelmsford, Essex, and in Nottingham.

Humza Yousaf said it was a "stark reminder that we must not drop our guard".

He said the Scottish government would do "everything we can to minimise the risk of spreading infection".

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that "we all have a part to play in beating this new threat".

UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said earlier the cases were linked to travel in southern Africa and they and their households were self-isolating while more tests and contact tracing took place.

Following a meeting with Mr Javid and the other devolved administrations, Mr Yousaf said Scotland had agreed to align with new UK travel restrictions.

Fully vaccinated arrivals will need to take a PCR test within two days and to self-isolate until a negative result is received.


Scotland "reserves the right to go further if necessary", Mr Yousaf said.

"No cases have yet been detected in Scotland, but the fact this new variant is on our doorstep is clearly a worry and we should act as though it is already here," he said.

Four more African countries - Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi - will be added to Scotland's red list of high risk countries from 04:00 on Sunday.

The new Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on Wednesday and has also been identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.

It has been described as highly mutated, and there is preliminary evidence it increases the chances of reinfection, although a fuller understanding of its risks could take several weeks.

Countries around the world are introducing travel bans and restrictions on southern African countries in an effort to contain Omicron's spread.

All people arriving in Scotland who have visited a red list country in the previous 10 days must now go into managed quarantine and take two PCR tests during their isolation.

All contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status.

"We're concerned, of course we are," Mr Yousaf told BBC Scotland. "But we shouldn't panic. It's right to take precautionary measures.

"If there's one thing for certain we know about the virus is you have to act quickly, decisively, in the face of a new variant, so that's what we're doing, but we're working with other global partners to learn as much as we possibly can.

"We are accelerating our booster campaign because we know just how effective the vaccine is against the dominant strain [Delta]."

'Redouble our efforts'


Mr Yousaf said people in Scotland had "been amazing in doing everything possible to get cases down, to protect ourselves, each other and the NHS, and in taking up the offer of a vaccine".

He said: "We must now redouble our efforts to follow the basic rules that have served us well so far in the pandemic - wear a face covering on public transport and in all indoor settings for food and retail; open windows especially if you have people visiting at home; keep washing your hands regularly and thoroughly.

"Work from home where possible, take regular lateral flow tests and behave sensibly. If you have symptoms, self-isolate and take a test."

He also urged people to get vaccinated and for those over 40 to book a booster jab six months after their second dose.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news briefing the UK government would make masks mandatory in shops and on public transport in England.

There will be no change to rules on face coverings in Scotland, where masks have continued to be required in indoor public settings.


Humza Yousaf: It's right to take precautionary measures to combat the new coronavirus variant


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
×