Nicola Sturgeon orders Scotland into strict lockdown from midnight as Covid infections soar

percentage of doses being wasted and why some GP surgeries were still waiting for supplies. But the SNP leader said today the programme was "gathering pace" and the number of vaccinations being given had risen by 50% in the last week.The Scottish Government had earlier rejected claims that it was sitting on 400,000 shots of the vaccine instead of rushing them out to patients.John Swinney said that while the doses had been allocated, they had not yet been delivered in full.

Covid-19. The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned the situation is "extremely serious" and action must be taken to halt the rapidly spreading new strain.

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a tightening of lockdown restrictions as the number of Covid-19 cases in Scotland continue to rise.Under the changes click and collect services will be limited to only essential purchases, while restrictions were also applied on takeaways meaning that residents will only be able to collect orders from outdoors to limit social interaction.Essential click and collect

Our Scottish Future - which was set up by the former Labour prime minister - found that only  around 32% of cases north of the Border are being picked up by tests.

Covid-19 is higher than at the height of the pandemic last spring.

Nicola Sturgeon "acted in an honourable way" after former colleague Alex Salmond reportedly claimed she breached the ministerial code by misleading the Scottish Parliament. Former first minister Mr Salmond's submissions to an inquiry into sexual assault claims against him have been obtained by national newspapers, in which he claims Ms Sturgeon's evidence over when she knew about the allegations was "simply untrue".

lockdown travel restrictions apply to Trump as much as anyone else, adding a golf trip is not an "essential purpose".The outgoing US president is refusing to accept defeat to Joe Biden, fuelling global speculation about what he will do on inauguration day on January 20.Sturgeon, at her first coronavirus briefing of the year, was asked if she knew whether Trump was planning to visit one of his golf resorts."I hope and expect the travel plan he immediately has is it exit the White house - beyond

Get the stories that matter to you sent straight to your inbox with our daily newsletter.Scotland is being plunged back into a tougher lockdown to deal with soaring levels of COVID-19 infection.First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the harsher measures in an emergency statement at the Scottish Parliament, telling the public to "stay at home".She said: "The Cabinet met this morning to assess the up-to-date COVID situation - which is extremely serious - and discuss what further action is

In a series of tweets today, Ms Sturgeon said: "The rapid increase in Covid cases, driven by the new variant, is of very serious concern. The steep increases & severe NHS pressure being experienced in other parts of the UK is a sign of what may lie ahead.

Nicola Sturgeon has made another personal plea to Scots to stay away from loved ones to help stem the spread of coronavirus. The First Minister urged families to forsake the first-foot tradition as cases are "worryingly high".There were 2,539 new cases of the deadly virus reported in Scotland in the last 24 hours.Sturgeon tweeted: ":Today’s case numbers are worryingly high again."The new variant is accelerating spread.

First Minister tweeted just after the Brexit transition period formally ended at 11pm on December 31. Scotland's trading and travel relationships with EU countries will now be governed by the agreement announced by the UK Government on Christmas Eve.

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link.“Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance, and encourage compliance, but we will not hesitate to continue to use our enforcement powers as a last resort."Please follow the Scottish Government's advice, which is to celebrate Hogmanay and the New Year with your own household only, in your own home."

The SNP leader issued twitter rebuttal in response Tories labelling her “no-deal Nicola” online because of the SNP decision not to back the Tory Brexit deal.

immediately attacked the settlement, saying “there is no deal that will ever make up for what Brexit takes away from us.”On a historic Christmas Eve that will set Scotland and the UK on a different political course from the rest of Europe, Johnson boasted that his “jumbo-sized Canada-style deal” was what the country needs.Johnson said the agreement resolves the European question which has “bedevilled” British politics for generations.But as Sturgeon made plain the end of the Britain’s four

Boris Johnson said the deal would "benefit every party of the UK".The Prime Minister declared it would boost the fishing industry as well as the financial sector - two key employers north of the Border.European diplomats will meet on Christmas morning to review the deal on behalf of the EU's 27 member states, while MPs are likely to vote on the agreement on December 30.But the First Minister took a less than enthusiastic view.Sturgeon tweeted: “Before the spin starts, it’s worth remembering that

First Minister said there were "no excuses" for the breach and admitted she had been in the wrong.