Members of the RMT union at Network Rail have walked out.

The First Minister pushed back the date when Scots will no longer be required to wear face coverings in some public spaces.

The legal requirement to wear masks will be dropped from March 21 although the Scottish Government will continue to recommend they should be worn.

Giving her regular update to Holyrood, the First Minister said the situation was ‘much more positive’ that it had been at the start of the year.

The First Minister said employers were to be allowed to consider phased returns to offices from January 31.

The First Minister said recent figures ‘gives us confidence that we have turned the corner’.

The change applies to those who have no fever and test negative on day six and seven of isolation.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said 15,849 infections were recorded in the past 24 hours.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon briefed MSPs as Omicron cases continue to increase.

The First Minister said the variant is now the dominant strain of coronavirus.

Scotland’s First Minister announced the changed guidance in an update to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday.

More than 1,000 confirmed, probable and possible cases of the variant have so far been reported in Scotland.

Numbers of Omicron cases in Scotland have gone from nine to 99 in a week.

The First Minister was giving the weekly Covid-19 update in the Scottish Parliament.

Scotland’s First Minister warned that “many more” cases of the new coronavirus variant may emerge.

Four cases of the new variant were confirmed in Lanarkshire and two in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area.

Scotland’s First Minister said she is not currently asking people to change their plans for the festive period.

Scotland’s First Minister said an extension at this stage ‘would not be proportionate’.

Scotland’s First Minister addressed MSPs in the Scottish Parliament.

US politicians were out in force at the UN climate summit in Glasgow on Tuesday.