As of Monday, January 17, restrictions that have been in place are beginning to ease.

Large scale events in Scotland have been limited since December 26, following an increasing spread of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus.

On January 11, Nicola Sturgeon announced a loosening of restrictions including the limit of people at large scale events.

There will be no longer be any limits on how many people can attend sporting matches or other outdoor events. Previously this was limited to 500 people.

Furthermore, in order to be ‘fully vaccinated’ for COVID certification, it must include having a booster dose if the second dose was more than four months ago.

When is Nicola Sturgeon’s next Covid update?

The next Covid update is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, January 18 at around 2pm. The First Minister is expected to discuss possible changes to hospitality and indoor socialising.

What restrictions could change this week?

On Tuesday, January 11, Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that restrictions on outdoor events would no longer be limited from Monday, January 17.

Speaking on indoor socialising and hospitality, she said she hoped to lift restrictions in these sectors also. However, she warned this was under review and will be confirmed in this week’s update.

The restrictions in particular she said in her last statement are: attendances at live public events, the requirement for distancing between groups in public indoor places, and the requirement for table service in hospitality venues serving alcohol on the premises.

As cases have been slowly decreasing across Scotland, tomorrow’s update may announce a further easing of restrictions, beginning on January 24.

In her last statement, Sturgeon cautiously said we may have “turned a corner”.

“The situation just now is undoubtedly serious but perhaps less so than it might have been, and there are also some signs that we may be starting to turn a corner,” she said.

She added: “It is reasonable and right to be hopeful on the strength of the latest data. However, for the period immediately ahead, it is also prudent to remain careful and cautious.”

More information on restrictions being eased is likely to be confirmed in tomorrow’s Covid update.

How to watch Nicola Sturgeon’s next Covid update

The First Minister’s Covid update will be streamed on the Scottish Parliament Tv section of the website which can be found here.

It will also be live streamed on the social media accounts run by the Scottish Parliament, including Facebook and Twitter.

Furthermore, the update is likely to be broadcast on major news channels.