Nicola Sturgeon has asked everyone in Scotland to work from home if possible after six cases of the Omicron variant were identified.
The First Minister urged Scots to ‘increase compliance’ with the Covid rules, but stressed there is no evidence yet of a widespread outbreak.
Four people who tested positive for the strain were in Lanarkshire, and the other two were in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area.
Health officials are now scrambling to establish where the clusters originated and find any individuals who’ve come into contact with those infected.
It comes amid growing fears around the new strain, which experts fear may be more infectious and potentially resistant to vaccines.
Scientists are desperately gathering data before being able to confirm if those suspicions are true, as governments around the world enforce precautionary restrictions.
Three cases of the variant had already been identified in the UK, with various other countries also reporting cases.
Experts have warned case numbers are likely to grow significantly, suggesting the strain is more widely seeded than official counts.
Scotland’s Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: ‘This will be a worrying time for the six people now identified as having the new variant. All will receive expert help and support and Public Health Scotland will undertake enhanced contact tracing in all cases.
‘This will help establish the origin of the virus and any further individuals they have come into contact with in recent weeks.’
He added: ‘There is still much to learn about the Omicron variant.
‘Questions remain about its severity, transmissibility and response to treatments or vaccines and scientists are working at pace to provide additional information.
‘Until more is known we must be cautious and do everything we can to minimise the risk of spreading infection.’
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