A NUMBER of changes to Covid restrictions in Scotland come into effect from today (6 January 2022).

Anyone who test positive for Covid will be allowed to exit self-isolation after seven days if they have no fever and record two negative lateral flow tests.

The first of these tests must be taken on the sixth day after testing positive and then at least 24 hours later.

In addition, household contacts of people with the virus will now be allowed to take a lateral flow test every day for seven days rather than going into self-isolation.

This applies to everyone in the household under the age of 18 or anyone over that age who has had the first, second and booster Covid jabs.

If one of these tests is positive, self-isolation will then be required.

Anyone identified as a close contact who is over 18 and four months old and not fully vaccinated will still be asked to self-isolate for 10 days and take a PCR test.

Restrictions, such as the limit on large scale events and closure of nightclubs, remain in place until 17 January.

Also, people who do not have Covid symptoms but get a positive result using a lateral flow test no longer have to book a PCR test.

The announcement was made by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon who told MSPs taking part in special virtual session of Holyrood yesterday that the changes are “significant and not completely without risk”.

She said: “At this stage of the pandemic they strike an appropriate balance between the continued importance of self-isolation in breaking chains of transmission, and reducing the disruption self-isolation causes in the economy and critical services.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross responded: “I welcome the U-turn on self-isolation rules, which Scottish Conservatives have been calling for since day one. We said then the policy was not sustainable.

“Every other part of the United Kingdom made this change, but Scotland was left as an outlier. Why did the First Minister take so long to make this change?

“I also welcome the changes to testing rules, which are sensible and in line with the approach across the United Kingdom.”