Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

Christmas Day guidance in Scotland 'will not change'

Christmas Day guidance in Scotland 'will not change'

Scots will not face fresh restrictions on Christmas Day gatherings, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

People have been advised to reduce their contacts as much as possible in the coming days, but have not been asked to cancel Christmas plans.

And Ms Sturgeon said guidance for individuals would not change despite ongoing concerns about Covid-19.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also ruled out immediate changes to regulations for people in England.

However, he said data would be "under review hour-by-hour", and that the UK government would not hesitate to "take further action" to protect public health.

Concerns about the faster-spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19 - now the dominant strain of the virus in Scotland - have raised speculation about new restrictions on people and businesses in the days running up to Christmas.

Scotland recorded more than 6,700 new infections on Monday, with the percentage of tests coming back positive at its highest level since January, at 15.2%.

Meanwhile, the UK as a whole reported 91,743 Covid cases, the second-highest daily total since mass testing began.

Asked if people could plan their Christmas Day celebrations on the basis of advice already given, Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland: "Yes."

The first minister said she wanted "people to have clarity about what we are expecting of them", and that they should "listen carefully to advice".

The government has asked people to reduce their contact with other households as much as possible and to stay home "as much as is feasible" on the days around Christmas, but that they can go ahead with their main family celebrations.

Ms Sturgeon also said people attending Christmas gatherings should take a Covid-19 test beforehand, practice good hygiene, and move to reduce their contacts again following the weekend.

The Scottish cabinet will meet on Tuesday morning, before Ms Sturgeon updates MSPs on the latest data and plans in the afternoon.

The Scottish government has already enacted some new guidelines for hospitality businesses and shops, and Ms Sturgeon said ministers would be looking at whether anything else could be done on that front.

She said: "Cabinet tomorrow will look at the data and we will consider - we haven't taken any decisions - whether there are any other steps we need to take, both to slow down the spread of infection and to take account of the fact that because of the rising number of infections we are seeing quite high staff absences across the economy and in public services.

"All of this has to be balanced and we will come to balanced decisions tomorrow.

And if we are deciding to do anything else - as I say I am not changing the advice for individuals around Christmas - I will set that out to parliament tomorrow."

Ms Sturgeon was speaking moments after Mr Johnson confirmed no immediate changes will be made to rules in England.

Speaking after a two-hour cabinet meeting, the prime minister said there were still "some things that we need to be clearer about before we decide to go further".

He said ministers were "looking at all kinds of things" and would "rule nothing out" in terms of future action.

Mr Johnson added: "Unfortunately I must say to people that we will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public, to protect public health, to protect our NHS."


Nicola Sturgeon says she wants "people to have clarity about what we are expecting of them" ahead of Christmas Day


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
×