Scotland has confirmed its first cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, marking the second UK country to report infections after England saw three cases over the weekend. The Scottish government identified six infections, with two located in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area and four in Lanarkshire.
Notably, some of these cases were not linked to travel, suggesting that Omicron may already be circulating within the community in Britain. This development has prompted First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to announce an increase in targeted testing across various parts of the country.
Sturgeon urged residents to take lateral flow tests before engaging socially with other households and to work from home whenever possible. In a coordinated effort, she and her counterpart in Wales, Mark Drakeford, have reached out to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, advocating for stricter measures across the UK to contain the variant.
As part of the travel guidelines, Scotland is advocating for all arrivals to self-isolate for eight days, with tests required on the second and eighth days after their arrival. These recommendations come ahead of the UK's existing policies, which mandate a PCR test by the end of the second day and self-isolation until a negative result is obtained. However, further restrictions are expected to face significant opposition from the travel industry, which has been severely impacted by the pandemic.
Health Minister Edward Argar has indicated that Omicron cases are likely to rise in the UK. \"I'll be honest with you, I would expect that to rise. I don't know by what speed or what numbers, so what we're trying to do is slow it down, but we're clear we can't stop it,\" Argar told Sky News.
Starting Tuesday, England will implement tougher measures to curb community transmission of Omicron. Face masks will become mandatory again in shops and on public transport, although the government has resisted extending this requirement to hospitality venues like pubs, bars, and restaurants, citing the need for a balanced approach.
Additionally, face coverings will be required for schoolchildren in Year 7 and above in communal areas, and vaccine booster shots are set to be extended to individuals under 40. Amidst these developments, the World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom, emphasized the importance of equitable vaccine distribution, stating, \"No country can vaccinate its way out of the pandemic.\"
Reference(s):
First Omicron COVID-19 cases in Scotland are not all linked to travel
cgtn.com
