Thread by @theSNP

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Good afternoon. I’m joined by the Chief Medical Officer, and we will give you an update on the spread of Omicron in Scotland."

NS: "We will also reinforce the important request we are making of everyone just now - to limit the number of contacts you are having in the run-up to Christmas, and indeed, to stay at home as much as is feasible."

NS: "First, let me run through today’s statistics.

4,336 positive cases were reported yesterday, which is a positivity rate of 10.1%."

NS: "Public Health Scotland have made us aware that due to a larger volume of tests being processed, the turnaround time for results has been slightly affected."

NS: "This means that the number of tests being reported on today - and therefore possibly the number of positive cases - might be slightly lower than expected."

NS: "Let me also repeat my plea to everyone - if you have symptoms or a positive LFD, please do get a PCR test.

522 people are in hospital with Covid – 10 fewer than yesterday."

NS: "33 people are in intensive care, which is 1 fewer than yesterday.

Remember, though, that there is always a lag between rising cases and rising numbers in hospital."

NS: "Sadly, a further 7 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours, and that takes the total number of deaths registered under this daily definition to 9,771."

NS: "Again, I want to convey my condolences to everyone who has been bereaved."

NS: "In relation to the Omicron variant specifically, as of 5pm yesterday, there were 696 confirmed cases in Scotland.

However these are cases confirmed through genome sequencing. This measure very significantly underestimates the true volume of Omicron cases."

NS: "As I have set out before, an earlier indicator of whether or not a case is Omicron - and a better measure of the overall volume of cases - is the absence in PCR tests of a specific genetic characteristic known as the S gene."

NS: "Around 95% of all tests in Scotland are analysed in a way that allows us to see if the S Gene is present or not.

And this has revealed that Omicron cases have been rising exponentially - indeed, faster than anything experienced previously in the pandemic."

NS: "As you've heard me say, cases have been doubling every 2 to 3 days.

Last Friday, I reported that the S Gene indicator was telling us then that 15.5% of all cases were likely to be the Omicron variant."

NS: "Today, it is 51.4%

That does mean Omicron has now replaced Delta as the dominant Covid strain circulating in Scotland."

NS: "That presents a challenge, because we know Omicron is significantly more transmissible than Delta. It has an R number that is possibly above four, and therefore the more cases that are Omicron, the more it risks driving a much steeper increase in cases overall."

NS: "Indeed, 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.

NS: "However - and this is a key point - we should not be fatalistic about this. We are not powerless in the face of it - and I will return later to what we can all do to slow down the spread of Omicron."

NS: "And slow it down we must - because right now the scale and immediacy of the challenge it presents is of profound concern."

NS: "Even if it did turn out to be generally a little less severe for most people - and let me stress we still don’t know that to be true - for some people it will still cause serious illness and hospitalisation. Tragically, more people will die."

NS: "And even if the number of people falling seriously ill is a smaller percentage of cases than with Delta, the basic fact of arithmetic is inescapable - a smaller percentage of a much bigger number of infections will result in a massive number of cases needing hospital care."

NS: "Total hospital admissions in Scotland in the week up to 13th December were slightly higher than in the week previous - so we are already starting to see an increase as a result of the relatively moderate rise in cases seen in previous weeks."

NS: "In London, where the number of Omicron cases is currently the highest in the UK, hospital admissions are now rising quite sharply.

If we don’t act now, what we have feared all along but so far avoided - the overwhelming of the NHS - could happen."

NS: "But it is important to understand that this isn’t simply an issue for the health service.

The numbers of people becoming infected even mildly - and having to isolate - is already putting a significant strain on the economy and critical services."

NS: "As people become infected, we lose drivers for trains, teachers for classrooms, nurses for hospital wards, and workers for businesses across the country.

So there really isn’t a choice to be made between slowing the spread of Omicron and protecting the economy."

NS: "We will only protect the economy if we slow the spread of the virus and reduce the number of people getting infected with it."

NS: "That said, I am acutely aware that the steps we are asking people to take - particularly that advice to limit social contacts - is having a severe economic impact."

NS: "This is particularly hard on sectors like hospitality and culture, which have been badly affected by previous waves of Covid - and these sectors were hoping, until recently, for a much better Christmas period ahead."

NS: "So what has happened in the past three weeks has been a cruel blow to everybody, but it has really hit these sectors very hard all over again.

This is why we, in the Scottish Government, have found £100 million to help businesses in these sectors."

NS: "I can confirm today that £66 million of this will go to the hospitality sector, and £8 million will go to the food and drink supply chain affected by hospitality cancellations – that includes wholesalers."

NS: "£20 million will go to the culture sector, £3 million to the wedding sector, and £3 million to the worst affected parts of the tourism sector, including international inbound operators."

NS: "We are working with councils, enterprise agencies and others to ensure businesses get this money as soon as possible. Those who have previously received support will be contacted directly."

NS: "And further details of the funding – and how it will be paid – are available on the Find Business Support website.

The support we’re providing is significant – but I know it won’t fully compensate these sectors for the impact they're suffering right now."

NS: "That is why I wrote to the Prime Minister yesterday, asking the UK Government to provide the funding that is needed.

In my view, business now needs the type and scale of financial support that was available earlier in the pandemic."

NS: "And the reality is that can only come from the UK Government - because it has borrowing powers that the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments simply do not have."

NS: "I will press this point with the Prime Minister when I speak to him later today.

I had hoped that I would already have spoken to him by now..."

NS: "..because we must all realise that with a virus doubling every couple of days, and businesses already bleeding, every 24 hours counts.

There is no time to waste."

NS: "So I hope it will be a positive conversation later - and it will give businesses the assurance of support they so badly need.

However, to return to the point I was making earlier, the best way long-term to support business sustainably, is get the virus back under control."

NS: "In that, our first and most important line of defence is vaccination.

It seems very likely that Omicron is better than previous variants at evading, to a certain extent, the immunity conferred by one or two doses of vaccine."

NS: "But it seems that boosters are still very effective in reducing the risk of falling seriously ill from Omicron. So getting a booster is an essential way of protecting yourself and others, and helping relieve and reduce the burden on the NHS."

NS: "The booster programme has picked up speed in the last week.

Yesterday saw the highest number of vaccinations we have ever delivered in a single day.

67,016 first, second, and third jags were delivered in total.

Of those, 63,327 were booster and third jags."

NS: "To illustrate just how must faster the booster programme is now running - on 25 November, the day we first learned about Omicron, 32,577 boosters were delivered.

Yesterday, it was 63,327 - that's an almost doubling of the daily rate."

NS: "And most of that acceleration has happened in the past week - in total, in just the last 4 days, more than 220,000 booster and third jags have been delivered."

NS: "I am so deeply grateful to everyone working so hard in vaccination teams across the country and to everyone coming forward to get their jags.

More than half of our over 18 population has now received a booster."

NS: "But we want as many as possible to get boosted by the time the bells strike on Hogmanay.

Online booking is open to everyone over 18s, and there is also additional walk-in capacity in many centres.

So please, if you haven’t had your booster yet, get it."

NS: "If you already have an appointment, but it isn’t until January, you can reschedule to bring it forward.

And if you haven’t had a first or second jag yet, please get that. It is never too late to get vaccinated."

NS: "That’s an important point for anyone who has not yet been vaccinated – but it’s one I want to emphasise today for pregnant women."

NS: "The JCVI yesterday added pregnant women to the list of priority groups for vaccination - underlining the fact that vaccination is the best protection for any woman who is pregnant, and their baby."

NS: "The continued roll-out of boosters is essential, but there's a key point I need to emphasise again.

No matter how fast we do it, in the immediate term it won't be fast enough on its own to outrun Omicron."

NS: "Not least because the immune protection from a booster jag doesn’t kick in straight away. It takes around a week."

NS: "So, given that Omicron is doubling every two or three days, that means - potentially - we have seven more doubling cycles between now and the end of the year."

NS: "And given that case numbers are already high, this could take them much higher than anything we have seen before - and that would pose the most severe challenges yet for the NHS and the economy.

So the serious message for all of us is this."

NS: "Yes, we must speed up vaccination - and we are doing that.

But at the same time, we must also act to slow down the virus.

That is why we have put a new duty on businesses - backed by guidance - to take reasonable steps to reduce transmission in their premises."

NS: "That includes, for example, physical distancing and measures to control the flow of customers in supermarkets, and support for home working."

NS: "And it is also why I am asking all of us to now reduce as much as possible the number of social contacts we have with people outside our own household.

If we do meet up with people, we should make sure that there are no more than three households in the group."

NS: "And we should absolutely make sure we're taking lateral flow tests before we go.

But that’s a safety net. My fundamental ask of everyone just now us this.

In the run up to Christmas, stay at home much more than you normally would, and as much as you can."

NS: "If what matters most to you is spending time with loved ones on Christmas Day, and I think that matters most to many of us, don’t risk that by going out before then and catching Covid."

NS: "The reality is, if you are mixing with others just now, getting this virus is a real and increasing risk.

Covid - in this new Omicron form - is circulating widely just now. And it is very, very infectious - much more than previous strains."

NS: "If someone in your group - or even in the same venue as you - has it, your chances of catching it are much higher than with the Delta variant."

NS: "So please, stay at home as much as possible just now, and prioritise the events and occasions that matter most to you for Christmas.

Then after Christmas, if we all go back to limiting our contacts for a period, we can hopefully minimise any January surge in cases."

NS: "I know all of this is awful. It's particularly awful for businesses right now.

I think many of us are finding it even harder this Christmas than last year. I know that's the way I'm feeling right now."

NS: "Just 3 weeks ago, I really thought we had turned a corner and had a genuine prospect of a much more normal run up to Christmas."

NS: "The emergence of Omicron really has been the cruellest of blows.

So it’s understandable that we are all feeling sad, upset, frustrated and even angry about this."

NS: "Believe me, I’m not immune from these feelings.

But we should also - however difficult it is - try to hold on to hope as well."

NS: "It might not feel like it, but we are in a much better position than last year because of vaccination."

NS: "Every booster put into someone’s arm just now is another brick in this wall of protection that I do believe will increasingly defend us against Omicron as we go into the new year."

NS: "And second, although learning this has been a long, hard and very wearying lesson - we do know what to do to slow this virus down.

And what we need to do is as follows.

Firstly, get vaccinated. That really is the most important thing we can do."

NS: "Second, test regularly.

I’m asking you to stay at home as much as possible, but if you are mixing with other people, please test before you go."

NS: "And just before you go. If you're going out at night, don't rely on a test from the morning. Make sure you test yourself just before you go."

NS: "If we do that we significantly reduce the risk that we're inadvertently passing the virus on to others."

NS: "Lateral flow tests are easy to take, and easy to get hold of. You can order them online so they get mailed to you, or you can collect them from local pharmacies and testing centres."

NS: "You can go on the website, put in your postcode, and it'll tell you where the nearest collection point is.

So please make sure you do that."

NS: "And finally, stay at home as much as possible, but when we do mix, please comply with all existing protections.

NS: "Face coverings on public transport, in shops, and when moving about in hospitality settings.

Keep windows open if meeting people indoors.

Follow all advice on hygiene.

And work from home as far as possible."

NS: "There's no point in me sugar-coating this.

We face a really difficult period ahead, again.

But if we do all these things - limit our social contacts, get vaccinated, look out for each other - we will get through it."

NS: "I’m really grateful - again - for the way in which the country is responding.

We can already see that people are listening to and following advice."

NS: "And given how hard it is - so much harder now than before - it underlines, I think, the sense of responsibility and solidarity we feel for each other.

I hope very much we will see the rewards of this in the period ahead, if some of our worst fears don't materialise."

NS: "But we do need to stick at it.

So let’s look out for each other and be kind to each other.

This would be a good time to drop a line to or ring up someone who might be feeling especially down or alone.

Doing that might also cheer us up as well."

NS: "The most important thing we’ve learned, I think, over the past couple of years is how much we need each other.

So this is a time to pull together again and support each other in every way we possibly can."