Nicola Sturgeon demands urgent Covid talks with Boris over rampant new variant

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The First Ministers of Scotland and Wales have written to the Prime Minister saying a “four nations approach” is necessary in order to stop the new Omicron variant from taking hold in Britain.

They say they believe the current measures outlined by the UK Government do not go far enough.

In a joint letter, they said: “The emergence of Omicron poses a potential threat to the UK. It is clear that the strain is already here and that it appears highly transmissible.

“We need to work collectively – and effectively – as Four Nations to take all reasonable steps to control the ingress of the virus to

the country and then to limit its spread.

“We are clear that a Four Nations approach to issues such as border restrictions is the most effective approach.

“This requires that a meeting of the COBRA Committee be held as soon as possible.”

They added: “We believe the reinstatement of a requirement for a ‘day 8’ PCR test for travellers arriving into the UK – alongside the ‘day 2’ requirement already announced, and thereby requiring isolation for that whole period – is now necessary.

“Public health advice is unequivocal that this is the best and safest way to protect against the importation of this variant to the fullest extent possible.”

The SNP and Welsh Labour leaders are also demanding more financial support for businesses impacted should further restrictions be required.

More to follow…

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