NHS told routine services can be paused for two months as fears grow over new covid strain

Police were called to break up a protest outside a Scots home - just hours after tougher measures came in to force to stop the spread of Covid-19. Yesterday, entering businesses to purchase takeaway food and drinks was scrapped, as was non-essential click-and-collect services and drinking alcohol in public outdoors.

Scottish Government for at least nine months but ministers insist it is safe for nurses to use in hospital settings while dealing with Covid patients.However, with the more transmissible new strain of the virus now dominant in Scotland, nurses are again raising concerns – and this time they have the backing of medical experts who agree their PPE is far from adequate.Doctors’ union the BMA and the GMB union have both called for “urgent improvements in PPE”.And an open letter signed by 1500

Jeane Freeman outlined the timetable as she confirmed another 2,160 positive infections and 61 deaths in a single day. Freeman said tests will be offered for home carers without symptoms from Monday next week, ahead of an earlier March timescale.

coronavirus. No one will be allowed to enter the country from Scotland via air or sea until 6pm on February 2 under the new restrictions.But there are exceptions to Spanish nationals and those who are a legal resident in Spain.

Tilda Swinton has declared she is “queer”. Swinton – who is currently in a relationship with painter Sandro Kopp and shares twins Honor and Xavier, 23, with artist John Byrne, 81 – spoke of “finding her circus” and said her experience with identity is to do with “sensibility”.

Covid-19 vaccine has been hit by an outbreak of the virus.Experts have warned it showed that the shot was not enough to bring the pandemic to an end on its own.Groups representing families said they knew of other homes where residents had been treated but later developed symptoms.Abercorn Care Home in Hamilton received the Pfizer vaccine on December 14.That vaccine, the first in the UK to be given a safety licence, is most effective after two doses, the pharma firm says.Annie Innes, 90, who

mutated variant will not be as easy to control. The strain was only detected in south-east England last month but is now responsible for half of all new cases in Scotland.

Rutherglen MP Margaret Ferrier has been arrested for alleged culpable and reckless conduct.

First Minister has summoned an emergency cabinet meeting this Monday morning and will recall MSPs to hear a statement on the covid crisis in the afternoon.The cabinet is certain to consider keeping schools closed for the rest of January and the possible return of restrictions that are closer to the stay-at-home lockdown in March.Schools re-open this week for children of key workers and vulnerable children.

fast-spreading form of coronavirus, first detected earlier this month.In a statement at Holyrood, she said: "This new strain appears to be fast becoming the dominant one circulating in Scotland - and that is obviously a cause for real concern, given that it is thought to be significantly more transmissible."As I indicated before Christmas, the severity of this challenge means we can't rule out the need for restrictions that are even tighter than those in the current level 4."Sturgeon spoke after

Ayrshire region has the highest coronavirus case rate per 100,000 population in Scotland. The latest data from the festive period shows that East Ayrshire has the worst infection rate in the country over the past seven days.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.Experts are calling on Scots to wear face masks even when outside to try to limit the highly infectious new strain of coronavirus.Professor Mike Griffin, President of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh, stated that the extra precaution is needed to help stop the NHS becoming 'overwhelmed'.He added that it 'would be crazy' not to do everything in our power to try to reduce infections during the winter.Mr

Covid  have been recorded in Scotland in the last 24 hours.

severe lockdown restrictions for some time' amid fears over the mutant coronavirus strain. National Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch said it will be 'well into next year' before Scots will return to any form of normality.

Jason Leitch warned restrictions would be like in March when the UK ground to a halt for weeks. It follows alarm at strain of Covid-19 which appears to spread more quickly and has already ripped through south-east England.

First Minister said the strain is spreading much faster and the Scottish Government will need to look at whether level 4 restrictions are sufficient.Governments across the UK scaled back plans to loosen the restrictions during Christmas due to the new covid variant.In Scotland, Sturgeon announced level 4, which is effectively lockdown, would be imposed from Boxing Day onwards for three weeks.This includes the near total shutdown of hospitality.Speaking at Holyrood, she referred to data which

new strain, which is causing concern due to its infectiousness, is much more widespread currently in London and the south east of England.However, it is also present in Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon has announced sweeping preventative measures to stop it spreading further.Dr Smith told the daily media briefing he had been in contact with Public Health Scotland, adding: “They were able to tell me that the current figure for Scotland is 18 cases who meet this case definition.