The number of Omicron Covid cases in Tayside and Fife has spiked as one of the UK’s top doctors warns of a “staggering” level of infections to come.
NHS Fife reported 13 new cases of Omicron on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases of the new coronavirus variant identified there to 15.
Meanwhile, NHS Tayside has nine new cases, bringing the total number of Omicron cases identified across Dundee, Angus and Perth and Kinross to 14.
Health experts have predicted the variant, which is feared to be more transmissible, will soon become dominant in Scotland.
A total of 5,115 new cases of coronavirus were identified in Scotland on December 15, with Omicron accounting for 265, or 5.14%, of these cases.
This is an increase on the 3.53% of the 3,117 cases linked to the variant yesterday.
The government also reports 544 people were receiving treatment for coronavirus in hospital, while 38 are in intensive care.
Data also showed a further 22 new deaths among people who tested positive for the virus recently, including two in Fife and two in Dundee.
No deaths in the last 24 hours were reported in Angus or Perth and Kinross.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged Scots to “act now”, warning that Omicron could clame more lives if its spread is not controlled.
She introduced new guidance earlier this week, urging Scots to limit the number of other households they meet, but stopped short of reintroducing any legal restrictions.
In a personal plea that aired on TV, Ms Sturgeon said there could be up to 15,000 Omicron infections per day if the virus is allowed to spiral out of control.
Her comments have been echoed by Dr Jenny Harries, the head of the UK Health Security Agency.
Dr Harries told MPs in the House of Commons that the country would record “quite staggering” numbers of infections because of the new variant in the coming days.
“The real potential risk here – and I would underline that because we are still learning a lot about the variant – is in relation to its severity, clinical severity, and therefore whether those cases turn into severe disease, hospitalisations and deaths.
“We’re still at too early a stage for that, in fact the world probably is still at too early a stage to be clear,” she said.
Omicron Covid variant is "probably the most significant threat since the start of the pandemic"
UK Health Security Agency Chief Executive Dr Jenny Harries says the growth rate – the doubling time – was now under two days "in most regions of the UK"https://t.co/6ZZ9SxTNgS pic.twitter.com/XqiRycwyR8
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) December 15, 2021
Senior ministers from all four nations of the UK are due to meet on Wednesday to discuss the response to Omicron.
Communities Secretary Michael Gove will chair a Cobra meeting with the devolved administrations.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also due to host a Covid press conference at 5pm where he is expected to set out the latest data and emphasise the need for people to take up the offer a booster vaccine dose.
Coronavirus in Scotland – track the spread with these charts
