NICOLA STURGEON was today questioned over this weekend's football fixtures amid a rise in Omicron Covid cases.
The First Minister was quizzed on football fans heading to Ibrox for Rangers' clash with Dundee United and also those travelling to Hampden for Hibs vs Celtic.
Ms Sturgeon urged Scots to "limit social interactions" and "modify their behaviour" but didn't indicate any restrictions on football stadia ahead of the weekend.
Some 50,000 are expected to be inside Ibrox and also Hampden for the matches, but Ms Sturgeon offered her "toughest message imaginable" over Covid cases which could see Scots self-isolating over Christmas.
Asked about football fans heading to matches, with particular focus on large venues at Ibrox and the Premier Sports Cup final at Hampden, Ms Sturgeon said:"My advice to people, and I'm going to try to be as clear as I can, is please limit your social interactions - wherever your social interactions would normally be. Limit them as much as you can right now.
"I'm asking people, and I'm not doing this lightly after two years of this, I'm asking people in the run up to Christmas to stay at home as much as they can and much more than people would normally be doing at this time of year.
"Now, had we the financial support mechanisms in place that were in place earlier in the pandemic I would be more able, perhaps to give straight forward advice to events; to say don't have these events go ahead right now.
"I can't do that when i can't compensate people and that's why I'm saying we need to get these financial mechanisms in place so that across the UK we can take the steps that we think are necessary.
"All I can do right now is ask people to modify their own behaviour but that also has an impact on businesses which is why we still need the financial support in place.
"So my message to everybody is think very carefully about every interaction you're having. Every time, right now, we go anywhere we are at not insignificant risk of getting Covid.
"We are a week and a day away from Christmas Day, any of us that get Covid right now will be isolating over Christmas Day. So what I'm saying to you is if you're planning to go somewhere you have to make that judgement and think about whether it's worth it to you to run the risk of not being with your family on Christmas Day.
"That is the toughest message imaginable but that is what we are dealing with and that is the advice I am giving people."
Cheif Medical Officer Professor Gregor Smith also urged football fans to take lateral flow tests before attending matches.
He went on to plead that anyone with Covid symptoms don't attend any events over the "impact you can have on others".
He explained: "People who decide to go to the football as you've described, whether they're vaccinated or not, I would encourage them very, very strongly to make sure they're taking lateral flow tests before they go.
"And please if you're symptomatic at all, don't go to the football. Don't risk spreading it to others. Don't risk spreading it amongst the coaches or cars that you're going to be in going to the game.
"Just think about the impact you can have on others and how you can safeguard it."
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