A RENFREWSHIRE primary school has been shut after a suspected outbreak of the Omicron coronavirus variant

Todholm Primary in Paisley told parents via email on Sunday that it would be closing.

Pupils from P1 and P2 classes are self-isolating, along with several staff members.

Explaining the closure, Renfrewshire Council said: "This is due to Covid-19 cases linked to the school confirmed as being, or with the potential to be, the new Omicron variant.

"Following identification of cases, a further risk assessment was carried out by public health and environmental health teams and all appropriate health and safety measures were found to be robust.

"We have apologised to parents for any disruption and will keep them updated."

The council says the school does not have enough staff members available to stay open, with pupils and staff contacted by NHS contact tracing teams.

In an email from the school, parents were asked to be vigilant for symptoms of Covid-19 and to isolate and book a PCR test as soon as possible if symptoms develop.

Pupils will be tought via remote learning from Monday, December 6 until Friday, December 10.

As of Sunday, Scotland had recorded 48 Omicron cases.

The new variant was first detected in South Africa but has since spread around the world.

It is believed to be more transmissible than the Delta variant, though it is not yet known definitively whether it causes more severe illness.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had warned she expects to see "perhaps significantly more" Omicron cases.