Over the busy Easter weekend, a major public health expert has asked people to continue following Covid-19 recommendations.
Prof Linda Bauld told the BBC that infection levels remained quite high due to the BA.2 Omicron variant.
She added that public health advice on the virus would remain in effect for “months to come,” despite the fact that the rule requiring face masks became guidance on Monday.
Commuters across the UK have already been disrupted by traffic congestion and rail disruption over the long weekend.
Family reunions, increased church attendance, and events such as the Musselburgh races are all projected to increase social interaction in Scotland.
Additionally, crowds will have assembled at Hampden for the Scottish Cup semi-finals, which will feature Hearts versus Hibs on Saturday and Celtic versus Rangers on Sunday.
For the third week in a row, the Office for National Statistics sample revealed a modest decline in the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in Scotland.
Despite the encouraging statistics, Prof Bauld noted that infection levels remained high due to the highly transmissible BA.2 strain.
She told BBC Breakfast: “Reinfections are becoming more prevalent – they account for approximately 11% of illnesses in Scotland.
“So if you’re in indoor places with others you don’t normally live with, of course people may pick it up.
“They’re unlikely to become severely unwell but I think in time when we’ve lifted basically all the protective measures and it’s down to people’s decisions, we still just need to be aware of that.”
On Thursday, Public Health Scotland announced 4,196 further cases of Covid-19 and 40 confirmed deaths.
Fewer people are becoming critically ill, with only 20 Covid-positive patients requiring intensive care on Friday, despite the fact that over 2,000 Covid-positive patients are being hospitalized across Scotland.
On Monday, Scotland’s legal need to wear face masks in a variety of indoor contexts became guidance.
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