Nicola Sturgeon has announced a change to the current working from home guidance put in place to combat the spread of Covid-19 in Scotland.
With data showing Omicron was now “in reverse” in Scotland, the first minister says the government has decided to further relax the restrictions.
Rather than advising home working whenever possible, employers will be able to move to a “hybrid” model from Monday (January 31).
The announcement came in an update from Ms Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament, where she said the situation had “significantly improved” from before Christmas, when temporary restrictions were put in place to stem the spread of the Omicron variant.
“This progress is real and I am very hopeful it can be sustained,” Ms Sturgeon said, but she warned that Scots should still exercise caution.
Employers can move to hybrid working model
Announcing the new home working guidance – as seen in our video above – Ms Sturgeon said: “From Monday January 31, employers should consider implementing hybrid working, with workers spending some time in the office and some time at home.”
But she says the government does not expect to see a wholesale return to the office from next week, warning: “A mass return at this stage is likely to set progress back.”
It comes as the latest Scottish Government figures show a further 8,022 new cases of coronavirus in Scotland.
This includes 77 new cases in Dundee and 233 in Fife. In Angus, the case tally has risen by 44 while Perth and Kinross has recorded 69 new infections.
Across Scotland there have been a further 23 deaths among people who have recently tested positive, taking the death toll under this measure to 10,222.
The government also says that 1,392 people in hospital have tested positive for coronavirus, while 23 people with the virus are being treated in intensive care units across the country.
Coronavirus in Scotland – track the spread with these charts