FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon is “hopeful” that Scots will be able to have a normal Christmas, despite fears over the discovery of cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland.
Sturgeon was asked if people should make contingency plans for the festive period in case of the reimposing of restrictions if the number of cases of the variant spike.
Currently, six cases of the Omicron variant have been found in Scotland, four in Lanarkshire and two in Greater Glasgow.
The First Minister said that she was not asking anyone to change their plans with Christmas only three weeks away and said she “fervently hopes” Scots will be able to have a normal day of celebration on December 25.
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However, she sounded caution that she can’t be “100%” sure that this would be the case.
She added that if the government advice changes she will swiftly communicate it to the public.
Not much is known about the new variant, with the First Minister stating during an emergency briefing on the pandemic that there is currently no evidence to suggest the illness is more or less severe.
However, the First Minister (pictured below) still urged caution and said that people will likely make their own contingency plans.
She said: “Individuals, human beings, will factor in contingencies to all sorts of plans they make and I'm sure there will be many thinking about you know if X happens, what would I do instead of what I'm planning to do?
“I can't make that decision for every individual across the country as my family would tell me I'm not always that good at making these kinds of decisions for my own family so I'm not going to try and do it for everybody else.
“What I am going to try to do is tell you as much as we know about what we're learning about this variant, and to tell you as and when and if, because it is an if just now, that changes. Any of the advice that we are giving is so that the decisions people are making can be made in the most informed way possible.
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“I think that's the only way really to proceed, right now.
"I still hope, really fervently hope to be having a normal Christmas with my family.
“Can I see that? In 100% sense? No, but that's what I hope.
“And that's what I think we should all be hopeful of as we learn more about this variant.”
Sturgeon, alongside Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford, wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanding that devolved nations don’t “again” find themselves handicapped in their response to Covid by a lack of financial support.
The two leaders said that economic levers which are outwith their control had previously been "switched on as required for England", while Wales and Scotland lost out.
However, Downing Street quickly rejected the request for a “tougher four-nations approach” within hours of them being called for.
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