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Nicola Sturgeon has announced that large-scale Hogmanay celebrations in Scotland will be cancelled this year as the country battles a surge in omicron cases. 

She added that live sports will be "effectively spectator-free" for three weeks from Boxing Day as the country introduces new restrictions on public events.

It comes as Boris Johnson confirmed that no further restrictions will be implemented in England before Christmas, despite over concerns over the omicron variant spreading.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament before Mr Johnson's announcement, the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that omicron is now firmly dominant in Scotland and accounts for almost two thirds of cases. 

Ms Sturgeon told MSPs that the variant now accounts for 62.9 per cent of cases, compared to 27.5 per cent this time last week.

She said omicron is "significantly more transmissible" than other variants and its R number is estimated to be "well above 3".

Read more here:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/covid-news-cases-christmas-restrictions-test-booster-vaccine/

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