Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Oct 03, 2025

Scotland expands vaccine rollout after six Omicron cases found

Scotland expands vaccine rollout after six Omicron cases found

The Covid booster programme is to be expanded and speeded up after six cases of the new Omicron variant of Covid were identified in Scotland.

The Scottish government said it had already started work on implementing the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Boosters will be offered to over-18s, and the wait after a second dose is being cut from six to three months.

Children aged 12 to 15 will also now be invited for a second jab.

Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Gregor Smith, welcomed the advice from the JCVI, which said it wanted to help stop a potential wave driven by the new variant.

Dr Smith said: "Scotland has already started work on its implementation, including the recommendation that boosters can now be given to all adults no less than three months after a second dose.

"Urgent talks with health boards and vaccination partners are under way and further information on the delivery of this advice will follow as soon as possible."

The JCVI said those aged 12 to 15 should be invited for a second jab three months after their first.

It has also recommended that severely immunosuppressed people should be offered a fourth dose of the vaccine.

The advice came as it emerged 11 Omicron cases have now been detected across the UK.

Four have been identified in Lanarkshire and two in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Those affected are isolating but none are in hospital.

Contact tracing is taking place and all close contacts of suspected Omicron cases will be advised to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said additional testing would be introduced in areas where cases of the new variant are identified.


She said there was no evidence that community transmission was sustained or widespread at this stage - but that even limited community transmission underlined the importance of complying with the steps to tackle the spread of the virus.

Ms Sturgeon told a media briefing on Monday: "At this stage we are asking people to significantly step up and increase compliance with all existing precautions.

"Face coverings; hygiene like washing hands and surfaces; vaccination; and of course testing yourself with LFDs and testing before you mix with people from other households."

She added: "As of today, I am asking employers to maximise the potential of home working."


Asked about whether the new variant could affect Christmas, the first minister said: "I'm not asking anybody today to put plans on hold.

"Right now what I'm asking people to do is to up the level of compliance with all of the protections that are still in place. These are protections, not restrictions."

Omicron was first reported in South Africa, but cases have been detected in countries across the world, including Australia, Germany, Israel and Hong Kong.

Ms Sturgeon said there was no evidence of any link to the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow, or the Scotland rugby team's match with South Africa at Murrayfield earlier this month.

Scotland's CMO Dr Smith said it was currently believed that the first confirmed case in Scotland had tested positive on 23 November.


No new Covid protections were announced by the first minister but clearly the Scottish government is keeping that under review.

And Nicola Sturgeon has made clear that she favours stricter rules - UK wide - for international arrivals.

There is already a quarantine requirement for those coming to the UK from a range of countries in southern Africa that have been added to the "red list".

PCR tests within 48 hours for all international arrivals are also being brought in across the four nations.

Ms Sturgeon and her counterpart in Wales, Mark Drakeford, have now written to the prime minister suggesting an eight-day self-isolation period for all those arriving in the UK from abroad.

This is being suggested as an additional precaution as scientists try to work out how dangerous, or otherwise, the Omicron variant is.

The first ministers are also seeking assurances that the Treasury would support any new Covid measures, should they be required.

But Nicola Sturgeon stressed that she hopes a return to restrictions will not be necessary.

Ten countries in southern Africa have been added to the travel "red list" in response. All overseas travellers arriving into the UK from 04:00 on Tuesday will need to take a PCR test.

Ms Sturgeon said it was important to "prepare for the worst and act on a precautionary basis".

She added: "But that does not mean we are not hoping for something considerably short of the worst.

"We are still hoping for the best and that our developing understanding of this variant will reduce rather than increase our concern.

"I very much hope that additional protections can be avoided and while we will act on a precautionary basis we will seek to act at all times in a proportionate manner."


Ms Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford also want to see tougher travel restrictions for people arriving in the UK.

They wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson proposing that people should self-isolate for eight days, with tests on day two and day eight.

However, that was ruled out by the prime minister's spokesman, who said such a move would have a detrimental effect on the travel industry.

Ms Sturgeon and Mr Drakeford also called for urgent talks with Mr Johnson, and for a Cobra committee meeting to take place "as soon as possible".

But Downing Street said that no Cobra meeting was scheduled.


The UK government has tightened the rules on the wearing of face coverings in England, bringing them closer into line with those in Scotland - where there is also some use of vaccine passports for large events, and more stringent advice on home working.

The new travel restrictions were announced on Saturday as the World Health Organization designated Omicron a "variant of concern."

Early evidence suggests the new Omicron variant has a higher reinfection risk.

The first UK cases - picked up from analysis of recent positive Covid tests from all around the country - were confirmed on Saturday in Essex and Nottingham.

Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), told BBC Breakfast it was "almost inevitable" that there would be many more cases.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×