When will clubs re-open in Scotland? everything we know so far

The COVID restrictions in Scotland are to ease on January 24 which will see nightclubs re-open after being closed for three weeks.

The decision was made after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that Scotland has "turned the corner on the Omicron wave".

Meeting up with more than three households has also been scrapped alongside social distancing and table service in hospitality that will also end.

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Face coverings on public transport and indoor public places will continue and Sturgeon has advised that people should aim to keep gatherings “small” and work from home should continue where possible.

Talks will be held with businesses about "a return to a more hybrid approach from the start of February".

According to the BBC 20,268 positive cases have been reported over the past three days, compared to 36,526 over the same three days last week. As well as this, the percentage of tests recording positive results has dropped from almost 30% in early January to under 20% now.

The first minister said that Scotland is "once again entering a calmer phase of the pandemic” but says there is still "significant pressure" on health services.

She said: "Although we can be increasingly optimistic at this stage, we must all still play our part in helping further slow the spread of the virus."

Likewise, the COVID certification scheme will not be extended in the country, a policy that has been in place since October.

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Nicola Sturgeon had originally discussed extending the scheme but decided against the extension during talks with her cabinet earlier today.

“Given that cases are now falling quite rapidly, and the current wave is receding, we decided that we will not at this stage extend the Covid certification scheme to other premises," she said.

“We will, of course, reconsider this should circumstances - and therefore the balance of judgment - change in any significant way.

“If cases were to start to rise very sharply again, extension of certification may well be a more proportionate alternative to other, more restrictive measures.

[Via: BBC]

Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter