Most of Scotland's remaining Covid-19 restrictions will be eased from Monday, the Scottish government announced on Tuesday (January 18th) after a "
significant drop
" in the number of new cases.
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“
The rise in cases driven by Omicron peaked in the first week of January and we are now on the downward slope of this wave of cases
,” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament.
She announced the end of the remaining restrictions, while calling on the population to be careful.
Nightclubs are reopening, teleworking is still recommended
From Monday, nightclubs will be able to reopen and the gauges in performance halls will be lifted. Until now, only three households could meet indoors, a limit which will also be lifted. Nicola Sturgeon however stressed that “
despite the improvement in the situation, the level of Covid contamination in the population is still high. So, to minimize the risk of catching the virus, it would be wise for all of us to remain cautious in our social interactions at this stage.
Working from home will continue to be recommended where possible and masks will remain mandatory in indoor public places and on public transport.
In the UK, each nation decides its health policy.
The Welsh Government too last week announced a phased exit from virus restrictions after Wales hit the peak of the Omicron wave and cases continue to decline.
British Health Minister Sajid Javid said he was “
cautiously optimistic
” on Tuesday that Covid-related restrictions – including teleworking and the health passport in some places – could be “
significantly reduced
” in England the following day.
next week.
Sajid Javid told MPs it was likely the peak in the number of hospitalizations had already been reached.
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More than 152,000 people have died in the UK within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19.
The latest data available on Monday showed the number of new weekly cases was down 41.7% from the previous week.