PUBLIC Health Scotland (PHS) has issued a call for Scots to cancel their Christmas parties amid rising Covid-19 outbreaks caused by the Omicron variant.
The agency said festive parties are being linked to outbreaks of the new coronavirus strand, which could be more transmissible than previous variants.
A senior figure at PHS said while people will be disappointed to postpone Christmas parties after lockdown, it will help keep everyone's families and loved ones safe.
Dr Nick Phin, medical director of PHS explains: “There is much that we still need to learn about Omicron, but early evidence suggests that this new Covid variant is much more transmissible.
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"The impact of this transmissibility has been seen in recent weeks, with a number of Omicron outbreaks linked to parties.
“We still need to learn more about the severity of disease caused by Omicron and the effectiveness of vaccines, but there are important things that we can do to help protect ourselves and our families now.
"To help minimise the further spread of Covid-19, and Omicron in particular, I would strongly urge people to defer their Christmas parties to another time.
“I appreciate that everyone is keen to celebrate this festive season, particularly after the pressures of the last twenty months, but by postponing some plans we can all do our bit to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”
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PHS has also issued a reminder of the other measures Scots can all take to continue to keep safe over the festive period, including:
• Getting vaccinated, including the booster dose
• Getting tested at least twice weekly using lateral flow tests and taking a test each time you are socialising with people out with your household
• Reducing the number of people you meet with, meeting outdoors or if indoors ensure ventilation is good
• And keeping up other public health measures such as washing your hands, cleaning surfaces, maintaining social distancing and wearing a face covering in public spaces
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