JOHN Swinney has confirmed that Scotland could bring in quarantine hotels imminently, in a bid to try and keep new Covid variants from entering the country. 

It’s understood the UK Government will make an announcement later today, with Boris Johnson due to host this evening’s Downing Street press conference.

Addressing MSPs, the deputy first minister said the Scottish Government would “initially go at least as far as any UK Government announcement in enhancing quarantine arrangements, including through the use of hotels.”  

Though he suggested that Scotland could, if necessary, bring in other tougher controls. 

At the moment, almost all arrivals to the UK need to have tested negative for Covid-19 at least 72 hours before they set off on their journey. 

The National:

They then still have to quarantine for up to 10 days.

The new quarantine system would mean anyone coming into the UK would need to isolate in a hotel for 10 days.

Currently, the rules means most foreign nationals from high-risk countries are already denied entry to the UK, so any new rules will mainly affect returning UK citizens and residents.

Though there are around 15,000 travellers are coming into the UK every day, at the moment.

Reports suggest travellers will be expected to pay £1000 towards their ten-day stay.

In other countries where the system operates, occupants are confined to their rooms, including for exercise.

Swinney told MSPs: “We have engaged with the UK Government for some time on improving border controls, and - while we have had some discussions on issues such as Quarantine Hotels - we have not yet been sighted on what the UK Government intends to announce or when it intends to announce it.  I understand that decision has been deferred to this evening. 

“Border controls will work best on a four nation basis.

“Otherwise – for example if Scotland establishes a supervised quarantine regime, and England does not - that could be problematic if unrestricted travel between Scotland and England resumes. 

The National:

“The Scottish Government believes that a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine is required. And so I can confirm that the Scottish Government will initially go at least as far as any UK Government announcement  in enhancing quarantine arrangements, including through the use of hotels.  

“However if these UK restrictions are at a minimal level, we will look at other controls we can announce - including additional supervised quarantine measures - that can further protect us from importation of the virus, and we will set those out next week.

“Any additional travel restrictions will of course create further difficulties for our aviation industry, and we believe that the UK Government should provide support which recognizes that. Any support for the aviation sector which the UK Government does provide, will be passed on to the sector in Scotland through consequential funding.”

Swinney also confirmed that the current lockdown restrictions in Scotland will continue until mid-February.

There were 87 further coronavirus deaths recorded yesterday, and 1,049 more cases.

The death toll under this measure - of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - is now 5,796.

Of the cases reported on Tuesday, the test positivity rate stood at 9% - up slightly from 8.6% on the previous day, when 752 new cases were recorded.

There were 2,010 people in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19 on January 26 - down six in 24 hours - with 149 in intensive care.

Swinney told MSPs the number both of new cases and people in hospital continued to be "deeply concerning", but added: "Recent figures should also provide us with cautious confidence that the lockdown restrictions are having an effect."

He said: "At the start of the year, in the seven days to Friday January 8, an average of 2,356 people in Scotland were testing positive for Covid every day. That's 302 new cases for every 100,000 people in the population.

"In the seven days to last Friday that number had fallen from 2,356 to 1,384. That's approximately 180 new cases for every 100,000 people.

"There now seems to be little doubt that the lockdown restrictions are reducing case numbers, rather than simply stabilising them, but case numbers remain far too high. In fact, they are still more than a third higher than they were just one week before Christmas.

"Of course, because we have had high infection rates for many weeks now, our NHS is under considerable strain."

While he said there was now "some evidence that hospital numbers may be starting to stabilise", he stressed they would take time to fall.

"At the moment, any relaxation of restrictions could cause them to increase further," he added.

"All of this means that although we are definitely seeing signs of improvement, the position in Scotland remains precarious."

As a result, the Deputy First Minister said the Scottish cabinet had decided not to make any changes to the current lockdown measures, with these to remain in place "until at least the middle of February", as previously announced.

Swinney also announced a further £30 million of support for students and colleges and universities - two thirds of which is going to students to combat hardship, including helping students pay rent for properties they cannot currently live in.

The remaining £10 million will help colleges and universities make up for lost revenue linked to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Public Health Scotland statistics indicate 437,900 people in the country had received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine by 8.30am on Tuesday, an increase of 22,498 from the previous day.

It added that 6,060 people have received the second dose, a rise of 522.

The figures show more than half - 51% - of people aged over 80 in the community have been given a first dose, along with 98% of frontline health and social care workers, 95% of residents in older adult care homes, and 83% of staff in these homes.