Nicola Sturgeon has revealed the remaining additional Covid restrictions, that were introduced last month, will be lifted next week.

Outdoor events were able to take place with full crowds again from yesterday and the additional restrictions on indoor events and on the hospitality trade will be removed from Monday, January 24.

The First Minister said that cases are again falling 

She said: "The rise in cases peaked in the first week of January and we are now on the downward slope."

She added: "The latest data gives us confidence we have turned a corner."

Sturgeon said the data for the past 13 days shows a significant fall in number of new positive cases.

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of last week there were 36,000 new positive cases.

This week, for the same days, it was down to 20,268 new cases.

She said hospital occupancy is higher than seven days ago but the increase is smaller than in the previous seven days.

Admissions to hospital are now falling, from 1040 in the first week in January  down to 960 last week.

But the First Minister said: "Throwing all caution to the wind would be a mistake.

"It is possible case numbers tick up again in the next couple of weeks.

"So, it makes sense to lift measures on a phased basis."

 

Decisions

The remaining measures that were brough in at the end of December, the attendance limits on indoor events,  the one metre distancing in public places, table service in pubs and the closure of nightclubs will be removed from next Monday.

Adult indoor contact sports can resume and the guidance asking people to stick to three household limits will end.

However, she added: "To minimise risk of getting virus, we should remain cautious.

"If we continue to keep gatherings as small as circumstances allow, we will reduce the chances of getting infected."

Sturgeon said the government would continue to ask people to work from home with a return to a more hybrid approach from beginning of February.

The Covid certification scheme will continue for events but it will not be extended to other hospitality premises.

Sturgeon said: "Extending could create additional costs to business."

But she added: "If cases were to rise sharply, extending certification may be an alternative to other measures."

Nightclubs still need vaccine certification for entry.

Statistics

There were 7752 new positive cases from PCR and LFD tests.

There were 1546 people  in hospital, down by 21 and there were 59 patients in ICU with 17 for more than 28 days, up by 1. There were 31 new deaths registered.