to show official proof of covid vaccinations after experiencing a reduction in footfall. 9 november – deputy first minister john swinney suggests the covid pass scheme may be extended to the hospitality and leisure sectors in order to prevent a return to lockdown in the event of another wave of covid. 12 november – the ministry of defence approves the extension of military help for nhs lanarkshire and nhs borders until december. the help from the mod had been scheduled to expire on 10 november. 16 november – first minister nicola sturgeon says scotland's vaccine passport scheme could be extended to include cinemas, theatres and some hospitality venues from 6 december, with a final decision to be made on 23 november. deputy first minister john swinney says scotland can expect a "normal christmas". 17 november – pubs and restaurants fear an "avalanche of cancellations" if the covid passport scheme is extended before christmas. 19 november – a document prepared by the scottish government warns that scotland is facing a choice between extending its vaccine passport scheme and lockdown-style restrictions in order to "suppress the virus further". 21 november – scottish conservative leader douglas ross urges the scottish government to provide evidence that vaccine passports help to stem the spread of covid. 23 november – first minister nicola sturgeon announces that scotland's vaccine passport scheme will not be extended to cover cinemas, theatres and other hospitality venues following a slight fall in the number of cases, while from 6 december people will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination to enter venues already covered by the scheme, and provide a negative lateral flow test instead. 25 november – data produced by the world health organization indicates the scotland's vaccine programme prevented more than 27,000 covid-related deaths. 26 november – first minister nicola sturgeon says it is not time to "press the panic button" over the new omicron covid variant discovered in southern africa, but that further investigation is needed. 27 november – health secretary humza yousaf says that people in scotland should act as though the omicron covid variant is already present after two cases are discovered in england. 28 november – first minister nicola sturgeon suggests travel restrictions may need to tightened in the coming days because of omicron variant covid. public health expert professor linda bauld suggests the gap between second vaccines and booster vaccines may be shortened in order to tackle the omicron covid variant. 29 november – first minister nicola sturgeon urges people to "test much more" as it is confirmed six of the 11 cases of omicron variant covid were found in scotland. 30 november – first minister nicola sturgeon confirms that all nine cases of the omicron covid variant found in scotland are linked to a single event on 20 november. all nine people tested positive on 23 november and have been self-isolating since then. december 2021 1 december – the scottish government apologises after some people over the age of 40 reported being turned away for their booster vaccines, and says updated guidelines have been issued to all of scotland's health boards. 2 december – technical problems that led to some people being turned away for the covid booster vaccinations in scotland have been resolved, first minister nicola sturgeon confirms. 3 december – a total of 25 omicron variant covid cases have been reported in scotland, with six linked to a steps concert held at glasgow hydro on 22 november. 4 december – gps warn that new covid rules that require patients to be assessed for respiratory and non-respiratory treatment pathways will leave less time for face-to-face appointments. the rules are scheduled to come into force on 13 december. 5 december – a further 18 cases of omicron variant covid are detected in scotland, bringing the total to 48. 6 december – new rules come into force requiring people to provide a negative covid test before entering clubs, concerts or large events. deputy first minister advises scotland's population to take a lateral flow test every time they leave home. a primary school in renfrewshire is forced to close for a week following a suspected case of omicron variant covid. 7 december – first minister nicola sturgeon announces plans to review covid rules on a daily basis amid concerns about the rise in numbers of cases of the omicron variant; a total of 99 have now been identified in scotland. 8 december – the stereophonics have postponed their december concerts at cardiff's principality stadium amid concerns over the omicron variant. 9 december – public health scotland urges people to cancel christmas parties, claiming a number of omicron cases are linked to christmas parties. 10 december – first minister nicola sturgeon says scotland faces a "tsunami" of omicron cases with it likely to become the dominant variant of covid within days. sturgeon announces changes to self-isolation rules from the following day, requiring anyone living with someone who tests positive for covid to self-isolate for ten days, while other contacts can stop self-isolating once they have received a negative pcr test or if they have had two vaccine doses. the hospitality industry reports "non-stop cancellations" following public health scotland's advice to people to cancel their christmas parties. 11 december – deputy first minister john swinney says the scottish government is "wrestling with the challenge" of the omicron variant and that fresh restrictions may be required in the coming days. 13 december – following boris johnson's announcement of the extension of the booster programme, scotland's booster programme is extended to over-30s in scotland, with those aged 18–29 scheduled to become eligible within the coming days. first minister nicola sturgeon confirms schools in scotland will not close early for christmas. 14 december – first minister nicola sturgeon urges people to limit their gatherings to three households in the run up to christmas. a large rave that would have closed edinburgh's largest vaccination centre for a week has been cancelled. 15 december – the scottish hospitality sector estimates it has taken a "£1bn hit" because of cancelled events in the run up to christmas. health figures indicate 55,000 boosters were administered on 14 december, bringing the total number to 2,254,406. deputy first minister john swinney warns that further restrictions may be required before christmas. 16 december – in a letter to prime minister boris johnson, first minister nicola sturgeon warns further restrictions on what she terms "high risk" sectors are unavoidable. the scottish government issues new guidelines for hospitality and retail businesses advising the return of social distancing and one-way systems for shops and supermarkets; the guidelines are effective from 12.01am the following day. sturgeon announces that mass vaccination centres are to open at hampden park stadium in glasgow and the edinburgh international conference centre. sturgeon tells the scottish parliament the omicron variant will become the dominant strain of covid in scotland by the following day. deacon blue and amy macdonald both announce the cancellation of concerts in scotland amid concerns about omicron. 17 december – the omicron variant is believed to have replaced the delta variant as the most dominant variant in scotland. the entertainment industry in scotland warns that music venues are in danger of closing because of cancelled bookings if they do not receive financial help. 19 december – the scottish government is to receive an extra £220m from the treasury to help with dealing with covid. health officials have suggested tougher curbs may be introduced around the new year. a total of 64,081 boosters have been administered in the latest available daily figures, the largest so far. 20 december – first minister nicola sturgeon says guidelines for christmas day will not change. national clinical director professor jason leitch says modelling suggests omicron variant cases of covid will peak in late january or early february. scotrail cancels 118 of its train services, citing covid among staff members as a reason for doing so. 21 december – new measures are announced for scotland effective from boxing day (26 december) that limit the number of spectators at outdoor sporting events to 500, and indoor events such as concerts to 200 if seated and 100 if standing. pubs and restaurants must also offer table service only. edinburgh's hogmanay street party is also cancelled. 22 december – new covid rules in scotland have led to a raft of cancelled events, bbc news reports. the scottish premiership brings forward its winter break from 4 january to 27 december. opposition parties are calling on the scottish government to follow england by reducing the period of self-isolation required following a positive covid test from ten to seven days. 23 december – people are being urged to treat common illnesses at home rather than calling scotland's nhs helpline, nhs24, as it faces staff shortages due to covid absences. scottish conservative leader douglas ross criticises first minister nicola sturgeon for being "too cautious" over self-isolation rules, which have led to problems with under staffing in the hospitality sector. 24 december – national clinical director professor jason leitch urges people to enjoy christmas, but to be "cautious". the number of daily covid cases in scotland hits its highest point since august, with 7,076 new cases reported. 26 december – fresh restrictions are brought in as an attempt to halt the spread of the omicron variant, including the cancellation of all large events. 27 december – one metre physical distancing measures are reintroduced for the hospitality and leisure sectors, while hospitality must provide a table service only. nightclubs must also close for a period of at least three weeks. vaccination centres reopen in a bid to get 80% of the population to receive their booster vaccine before the new year. 28 december – as a further 9,360 cases are reported for scotland, first minister nicola sturgeon warns the situation could get worse. 29 december – a further 15,849 covid cases are reported for scotland, the highest daily figure so far. scots are warned not to travel to england as a way of circumventing scotland's tighter covid rules that have seen new year celebrations cancelled north of the border. around 100 scotrail services are cancelled with the company currently short of 300 staff who are self-isolating. 30 december – the scottish branch of the doctors trade union, the british medical association, says it backs a "cautious" approach as the scottish government considers whether to reduce the period required for self-isolation following exe a positive covid test from ten to seven days. 31 december – the latest figures from the scottish government show more than three quarters of adults in scotland have received their booster vaccine. dr kenneth donaldson, chief executive of nhs dumfries and galloway issues a "cry for help" over staff shortages related to absences due to self-isolation.