 That concludes topical questions. The next item of business is a statement by Nicola Sturgeon on Covid-19 update. The First Minister will take questions at the end of her statement, and so there should be no interventions or interruptions. I call on Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Today I'll set out the latest assessment of the Covid data and its impacts, and I will give brief updates on some key issues, the on-going consideration of guidance for schools and early-year settings surveillance of the BA2 subtype of Omicron and the progress and current focus of vaccination efforts. I'll conclude then with a reminder that there are still some basic steps we can and should continue to take, even in an improving situation, to curb transmission and thereby reduce pressure on the NHS economy and wider society. I'll start with a brief account of today's statistics, 6,630 positive cases were reported yesterday through PCR and lateral flow tests. 950 people are in hospital with Covid, which is eight fewer than yesterday. 31 people are in intensive care, five fewer than yesterday. That includes 13 patients who have been in ICU for more than 28 days. Sadly, a further 14 deaths have been reported, which takes the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 10,447. Once again, my condolences go to everyone morning, a loved one. Over the past fortnight, case numbers have remained broadly stable. Last week, I reported that cases had risen slightly by around 2 per cent in the preceding seven days. By contrast, over the past week, the most recent week, reported case numbers have declined again from an average of 7,400 a day to just over 7,000 a day, which is a fall of 5 per cent. While that continues a positive overall trend, it is important to note that it masks some significant variations between different age groups. Amongst the under-15s, which remember as the age cohort in which cases have been rising in recent weeks, even as they declined overall, but in the most recent week there was a fall of more than a quarter amongst the under-15s. Cases also fell by 6 per cent in the 25 to 44-year-old age group and by more than 10 per cent in those aged 75 and over. However, in other age groups, recorded cases have increased over the past week, and the biggest increase of more than 50 per cent was seen in the 15 to 24-year-old cohort. As I have noted in recent weeks, it was always likely that we would see some uptick in recorded cases as a result of the return to work in school after Christmas and, more recently, the lifting of protective measures that had played a part in stemming transmission. We should not be overly surprised by the increase in some age groups. Not at this stage should we be unduly concerned. However, we will continue to monitor those trends and any associated impacts from them. In addition to the daily data, we also continue to pay close attention to the findings of the ONS weekly survey. Although it is not as up-to-date as the daily data, it does offer reliable information. The most recent report suggests that, in the week to 29 January, around one in 30 people in Scotland had Covid. While that is an improvement on the earlier part of January and the lowest level of infection of all four United Kingdom nations, it also represents something of a plateau compared to the week before and is broadly in line with what the more recent daily data has been indicating. The decline and the subsequent plateauing in recorded cases in recent weeks is now being reflected in a slight easing of the direct Covid pressure on our hospitals. In the week to 27 January, 682 patients with Covid were admitted to hospital. In the following week, that fell to 550. Hospital occupancy, the number in hospital with Covid at any given time, has also fallen. Around mid-January, more than 1,500 people were in hospital with Covid. This time last week, that had fallen to just under 1,200 and today it is back below 1,000 at 950. The number of people with Covid in intensive care has also reduced from a recent peak of 70 in January to 42 last Tuesday and 31 today. Indeed, the number in intensive care is now at its lowest level since early July of last year. We are also now thankfully starting to see a decline in the number of deaths of people with Covid. Those are all positive trends that we hope to see continue in the weeks ahead. Finally, on data, I just want to take the opportunity now to flag an imminent change to the rhythm of our reporting. This coming weekend will be the last, at least for now, that we report data for new cases, vaccinations and hospitalisations on Saturdays and Sundays. In future, figures for Saturday and Sunday will be published on Mondays. That reflects the move that we hope into a calmer phase of the pandemic and so less of an urgent requirement for immediate data over weekends. However, we will be able to move back to weekend reporting should that become necessary at any stage in the future. The situation now remains much more positive than it was at the turn of the year. That is evident from all of the data. That, of course, is thanks to a combination of vaccinations, targeted protective measures and the responsible reaction of the public. Of course, the situation is much more positive now than we feared it might be at this stage. It seems reasonable, therefore, based on the data to conclude that we are now through the worst of this wave of Omicron. That has enabled the removal of virtually all of the additional measures that were introduced in December and a return to normality in much of our everyday lives. In particular, the updated guidance on home working has supported a partial return to the office in recent days with hybrid working where appropriate. Those changes have all been very positive for individuals and for businesses, and they mean that we are on a good track at this stage. To stay on this track, though continued care and caution remains necessary and prudent, while much more stable than it was, the virus is still widespread. One in 30 remains at this stage a high level of infection. Although the number of needing hospital care is reducing, it is still in the hundreds each week, and pressure on the NHS remains significant. Continuing to take some basic precautions will help us to keep the virus under control, while of course enjoying the return to normal life. That is why some baseline protective measures such as Covid certification and the requirement to wear face coverings in certain settings will remain in force for now. It is also why we continue to recommend that we all take lateral flow tests before mixing with people from other households. As well as reducing our own individual risk of getting Covid and therefore helping to stem transmission overall, those basic measures will also provide some reassurance for those who are at the highest risk of serious illness if they get Covid. It is important—I am sure that we will all agree with that point—that everyone gets to benefit from a return to greater normality. Collective behaviours that could force those at highest risk into effective isolation for the rest of us to get back to enjoying normal life would not be acceptable. People in the higher risk category already carry a lot of responsibility for protecting their own health and rely on the advice of GPs and other clinicians to reduce risks of infection. As we enter the next phase of the pandemic, regular communication from the Scottish Government and Chief Medical Officer will seek to support that. However, we all have a part to play in making the environments in which we work and socialise as safe as possible for everyone, and complying with basic protective measures helps to do that. Employers, of course, have a particular responsibility to consider the needs of people on the high risk list in their plans for hybrid working. We have added some specific workplace guidance for people at highest risk on mygov.scot, so anyone on the high risk list who is worried about a return to the workplace is encouraged to check that advice and discuss it with their employer. Finally, I am pleased to say that there has been already good take-up of the distance-aware scheme that was launched two weeks ago. The scheme provides badges and lanyards that can be worn by anyone who wants or needs additional space and consideration when they are out and about in public places. Those are available as the stores and in libraries for anyone who would feel safer with a bit more space around them. Of course, if you see someone wearing one of those distance-aware badges or lanyards, please respect that and give them the space and consideration that they are asking for. There are three further issues that I want to briefly cover today. Firstly, as I indicated last week, the advisory subgroup on education is meeting this afternoon. It will consider again based on the up-to-date data whether secondary school children should continue to wear face coverings in the classroom. The Scottish Government will consider carefully any further advice that the subgroup provides and confirm any decisions as quickly as possible and in advance of the return to school after the February break. Secondly, we continue to monitor the BA2 subtype of Omicron. Last week, I indicated that there were 26 cases of this subtype confirmed in Scotland through genomic sequencing. I can report today that the number of confirmed cases has now risen to 103. Not all tests are or can be genomically sequenced, so we know that this will be a significant underestimate of actual prevalence. Indeed, in the past week, there has been a further increase in the number of PCR test results showing positive for the estgene and a corresponding fall in the number that do not have the estgene. That is likely to reflect an increase in BA2 cases, which, like delta, are estgene positive. Of course, in cases of the main Omicron variant, the estgene is absent. Encouragingly, there remains no evidence at this stage that the disease caused by this subtype is any more severe than that caused by the main Omicron variant, nor does it appear to be any more capable of evading the immunity confirmed by either vaccination or prior infection. However, there is evidence from more than one country now of a growth advantage for BA2 compared with the main Omicron variant, which may mean that it is more transmissible. All in all, however, there are no grounds at this stage for any significant concern about the subtype and no reason to change our approach and response to it. We will, though, continue to monitor it carefully. The final issue that I want to address today is vaccination. We are continuing to offer and encourage vaccination for any 5 to 11-year-old who has an underlying health condition, putting them at higher risk should they get Covid and also for any 5 to 11-year-old who is a household contact of someone who is immune suppressed. All parents and carers of children in these categories have been contacted about vaccination. I would strongly encourage anyone who has been contacted and whose child has not yet been vaccinated to book an appointment. Case rates in younger age groups, while now falling, as I indicated earlier, are still relatively high, so vaccination is an important way of providing better protection for children who might be at higher risk. A new marketing campaign is also being launched today to stress again the importance of vaccination, including booster vaccines. Invitations to scheduled appointments have been going out to all 18 to 59-year-olds who are eligible for a booster but have not yet received it. If you are one of those people, please go along to your scheduled appointment or rearrange it for a more convenient time, and you can do that through the NHS-informed website or by phoning the vaccination hotline. It is beyond any doubt that getting the booster significantly reduces your chance of falling seriously ill from Covid. It is not an exaggeration to say that it could be the difference between life and death for someone who contracts the virus, so please go and get your booster if you are eligible. It is the most important thing that any of us can do to protect ourselves from Covid and to help protect the NHS. The on-going use of vaccination in our efforts against Covid will be a key part of an updated strategic framework, which will set out in greater detail our approach to managing Covid more sustainably and less restrictively in the remaining phases of the pandemic and then, as the virus hopefully becomes endemic. We continue to engage with a range of interests on the contents of this updated framework. However, I can confirm today that we intend to publish it on 22 February, immediately following the February recess. Parliament will subsequently get an opportunity to debate and vote on it. For the moment, however, I want to end today by reflecting again our increased optimism about the period ahead. However, after almost two years of this ordeal, I know that getting back to normal for short periods followed by further disruption to our lives is not what any of us want. A return to normal that is sustained is what we want and are striving for, and that is what the updated strategic framework will be aiming to support. However, we can all help to keep things on a more even keel now by taking all of the reasonably straightforward precautions that we continue to advise. First, a reminder to please get fully vaccinated as soon as you can if you haven't already done so. Second, continue to take some care when socialising and, in particular, take a lateral flow test before meeting other people socially. Finally, please take the other precautions that we know are making a difference. Talk to your employer about a return to hybrid working and follow the guidance and precautions that they adopt to make workplaces safer, where face coverings on public transport and shops and when moving about in hospitality keep windows open if possible when meeting indoors and follow all of the advice on hygiene. All of those measures will help us to protect each other while we return to more normal lives and keep all of us at hope on the right track, so please stick with them. I am happy now to move to questions. The First Minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 30 minutes for questions after which we will move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if members wished to ask a question. Please press the request-to-speak button now or place an R in the chat function. I call Sandesh Gulhani. Let me start by urging everyone who can to come forward to get their Covid vaccine booster. It is the single most important thing that you can do to tackle Covid. Turning to the First Minister's statement, for the second week in a row, this Covid update has contained very little new information. The biggest update is that the Government will finally publish its new strategic framework. But not until after the February break, more than six weeks after it was promised, today we have published our own blueprint for starting to move beyond Covid. Our policy paper, Back to Normality, contains a series of recommendations for protecting public services and accelerating Scotland's recovery from the pandemic. We believe that it is time to move on from blanket legal restrictions to an approach that emphasises personal responsibility. We must get Scotland back as close to normal for as many people as possible. The mandate for face masks in classrooms is continuing to hamper young people's education. Pupils are wearing their masks for seven hours a day, while adults can sit in a pub freely without a face covering. Does the First Minister not appreciate what the Government is putting kids through by keeping this rule in place? Another crucial part of our policy paper and an issue of personal concern to me is more support for the tens of thousands of Scots affected by the debilitating condition of long Covid. It is five months since the Scottish Government published its long Covid strategy, but we still do not have a network of long Covid clinics for patients to access. Can the First Minister tell me when patients will be able to access this service? Finally, the test and protect system was incredibly useful in the early stages of the pandemic. It is far less effective since Omicron emerged. Meanwhile, front-line NHS services are in desperate need of more resources. Waiting times are growing longer, all the time, and fewer operations are going ahead. Will the First Minister consider moving resources from test and protect to front-line health services in Scotland's NHS? In relation to the various points raised, I certainly believe from the feedback that I get on the back of statements like this. People out there really want to know what the latest trends in infection are and the advice that they are being given to try to keep themselves safe and protected. We will continue to communicate regularly and as clearly as possible with the public across the country. Of course, in the past few weeks, we have been lifting and have now lifted virtually all of the measures that were introduced in December in the face of the Omicron variant, and we will continue to take responsible steps to return the country to normal as far as possible. On the issue of face masks, as I said, the advisory subgroup is meeting this afternoon. I think that it is really important, particularly when we are discussing the safety of children, that we take expert advice, and that is what we will do up until now. The expert advice has been to continue with the position on face coverings given the risk and given until this week the rising level of infections among young people of school age. There is a difference. I think that most people understand the difference between adults in pubs and children in schools. The former, of course, is voluntary. The latter is not. Adults have higher vaccination levels than young people, because we started vaccinating young people later than adults. That is why it is right, I think, and has been right to take a different approach there. On long Covid, we are already taking action to ensure that people are supported in the most appropriate way possible. The £10 million long Covid support fund is targeted at the areas where additional resource is needed. We continue to implement 16 different commitments in that plan. Long Covid clinics are one model that boards will consider, but there is no one single approach that is likely to fit all the areas and circumstances, which is why we support a range of approaches and will continue to do so. Finally, in relation to the strategic framework, I think that it is right and proper, particularly as we have now lifted most of the measures that were in place, that we think very carefully about the medium-to-long-term approach that we take. That is a time, I think, where we need to think quite fundamentally about the approaches that are right for the future, but it is also important that we think carefully about that. There is a temptation, and I understand it, to say that because Covid is now more under control, that we should lift all of the basic protections. In actual fact, it is some of those basic protections that has helped us to get it under control and will help us to keep it under control. That is true of test and protect. Of course, there are decisions to be taken about it for the longer term, but right now contact tracing and the universal testing offer is a key way in which we are helping to keep infection under control and, crucially, to help to give additional assurance to those who are most vulnerable. If I am contacted by test and protect to be told that I have been a close contact of a positive case, that will help me to behave in a way that breaks transmission chains generally, but it will also mean that I can behave in a way that does not put those who are most vulnerable at highest risk. Those are important interventions right now, and we will consider their future very carefully. Of course, we will look carefully at the proposals published by the Conservatives, as we will at those published by Labour, but we will take responsible and proportionate actions to support the country through that, and back to normal in a safe and sustainable way. Anna Sarwar Can I start by sending my condolences to all those who have lost a loved one? Presiding Officer, nowhere has there been greater failings during this pandemic than in our care homes, but yet again no mention of care homes in the First Minister's statement. From the transfer of positive and untested patients to the lack of PPE, the Government allowed care homes to become the epicentre of the pandemic with tragic consequences. A third of all deaths in this pandemic have been in our care homes. Then, for months, despite restrictions starting to ease, care homes remained locked down. We know the harm and trauma caused by keeping care home residents cruelly cut off from their loved ones, but even now families are being locked out. Residents testing positive are still required to isolate for 10 days and homes with outbreaks much closer to 14 days, with only name visitors allowed. Heartbroken relatives have said that that leads to rolling lockdowns, which can last for weeks. The campaign group Care Home Relatives Scotland has been pleading repeatedly with the First Minister, and I have been reading on him on a daily basis the heartbreaking personal stories that he has been sharing. They have been pleading with the First Minister to make it easier for them to see their loved ones. The Government promised to implement Anne's law, the proposals and give family caregivers a statutory right of access to care homes. Three months on from the consultation closing, relatives still say that there is too little sign of progress. What will the First Minister do to guarantee access for families right now, and when will her Government finally deliver Anne's law so that residents are never cut off from their loved ones again? First, there are a few people that have borne a bigger impact from the virus than those in care homes and the relatives of those in care homes. I think for anybody who has not been in the position of having a loved one in a care home during the past two years, it is very difficult to understand just how anxious and distressing a time it is being, so I want to recognise that very readily. At all stages—obviously, the situation in care homes at all stages of the pandemic will be one of the key areas of focus for the public inquiry that we will shortly get under way, and that is right and proper. I can say as the person who has led the Government's response since the outset of this pandemic, we have sought to take the best decisions based on the best evidence we had at any given time to keep those in our care homes as safe as possible. It has often been a feature of the political scrutiny on the Government that, at an earlier stage, the criticism was that we did not act rigorously enough to protect those in care homes at later stages. It has sounded sometimes as if the criticism has been that we are acting too protectively and too rigorously. Inevitably, there will be balances that we have had to strike along the way to try to get that right. We want to get the situation in care homes back to complete normality as much as possible. In recent weeks, there have been changes made to isolation periods and to the testing requirements, bringing the situation more in line with the general population. We will continue to support change in order that people can visit normally their loved ones in care homes. Anzlaw, we have given a commitment to introduce that, but it is proper that we do that carefully. Consider all the responses to the consultation and set out the way forward on that fully and due course, but as soon as possible. It is clear from this afternoon's statement that we may be looking forward to a life beyond face masks in our schools. On the one hand, that is very welcome for wellbeing and cohesion in our classrooms. However, teaching unions have expressed some anxieties, not least because we learned last week of the significant problems of air quality in our classroom. We also learned this week that in Edinburgh schools alone, infection rates have quadrupled since Christmas. Schools are very much still on the front line of this pandemic. The teaching profession and health and safety bodies have said that the best way to remove CO2 and infections from our school is in the installation of HEPA air filters into every classroom in Scotland. Instead of her Government's baffling adventures in woodwork, does the First Minister recognise the importance of installing air-cleaning devices in each of our classrooms both to drive down infection and to improve attainment? Yes, I consider that where the judgment and assessment of those who are qualified to make those assessments is that HEPA filters or other air filtration systems are required, then those should be installed. That is why we have provided funding to local authorities to facilitate that and enable that to happen. It is not the case that that will be required in every learning space and indeed in some learning spaces, mechanical ventilation systems are also important. However, we have enabled through the additional funding local authorities to take the decisions that they consider appropriate, taking of course all health and safety advice along the way. I think that that is the right and proper way to support schools to be as safe as possible. It is the case that there are a range of measures that have been necessary and may continue to be necessary in the future, face coverings being one of those. We do not want any of those measures to be in place for as long as possible, but the safety of young people, certainly from the perspective of the Government, is the overriding priority as we make those decisions. Emma Harper, to be followed by Douglas Lumsden. First Minister, businesses are now able to allow staff to return to workplaces, such as offices, either full-time or with a hybrid approach. That can be hugely beneficial to health and wellbeing, but some have concerns about returning to a face-to-face work environment, and businesses have contacted me about the cost of having offices, Covid risk assessed and any associated changes. Can the First Minister outline what guidance the Scottish Government is offering businesses to ensure that workplaces are Covid safe? I think that it is a positive that a return to offices and other workplaces is more possible now. I think that hybrid working has a lot to commend it, but it is important that workplaces are safe environments. There are many people, although the majority of us are keen to get back to normality. There are some people, particularly those in the high-risk groups who are anxious about that and who are nervous about the risk that that might pose to them. That is particularly true in the workplace. As I said in my statement, it is incumbent on employers to make sure that they follow all of the guidance and take appropriate steps to make their workplaces as safe as possible. As I also indicated, safer workplaces guidance has been published online at gov.scot to help employers to make their workplaces safer. That is updated regularly in consultation with stakeholders. Of course, it enables employers to get advice that they can then discuss with their employers. That is a crucial period of building the confidence of people to get back to work, as well as back to normality in other ways. Employers have a particular responsibility to help us to do that. I received a followed message from a constituent with a child in fifth year at school. The impact of face masks on hearing-impaired pupils has been catastrophic and disproportionately affects them. Face masks not only take away their vital method of communication, lip-reading and facial expression, it also reduces sound and distorts normal speech, which is hearing people that we all take for granted. The whole impact of wearing face masks in schools for those pupils will not be felt for years to come when the life chances of hearing-impaired pupils will be less than their hearing peers and yet again they fall further behind and disadvantaged. Every single day that policy is in place, it takes away future hopes, dreams and friendships of hearing-impaired pupils. First Minister, what is your message to this parent? I understand the views of that parent. I could come here any week and read out messages that I receive that are of similar sentiments to the one that has just been read out. Equally, I could read out lots of messages that I receive from the other perspective from parents, pupils and teachers saying that please do not remove the requirement for face coverings prematurely, because we believe that that will put us at greater risk. The point that I am making is that there are understandably and hardly surprisingly different opinions here. Those opinions are particularly sincerely expressed when it is around children with hearing impairments or other learning disabilities. Of course, there have always been exemptions from the wearing of face coverings and, generally, there is a need to support children whose education has been disrupted because of the experience of the past two years. However, it is important that we do not take some sort of politically ideological approach to this. It is the case that we need to take careful decisions to listen to parents, to listen to teachers, to listen to young people, but to come to balanced views that recognise the risks and dangers of the virus and to recognise our responsibility to try to navigate a way through that keeps young people in particular as safe as possible. Those are serious responsibilities that the Government will continue to take extremely seriously. The launch of the distance-aware campaign will have been welcome for those who have been at higher risk of Covid or feel very anxious about going out in public. Can the First Minister outline what steps are being taken to publicise the campaign and to encourage shops and other venues to share the messaging so that consumers have the confidence to return to going about their daily lives? We are working with a range of organisations and businesses to promote the initiative amongst their staff and customers. There is a bespoke awareness-raising online toolkit, and posters have also been sent to stakeholders across Scotland. As I indicated in my opening remarks, early uptake has been good, which suggests that there are many people who want just that added bit of reassurance to give them the confidence to get back to normal, whether that is in workplace shopping or socialising. If that helps, that is a good thing, and we should all try to respect where we see people wearing those badges or lanyards. It is totally voluntary. People are not required to do it, and anybody can request those materials if they think that it would help. We are in a transition back to normality. I hope that it will be sustained and sustainable normality, but some people are more nervous about that than others, and some people remain at higher risk of Covid than others. If we all pull together, as we have done through the early stages of the pandemic, and support each other in this way, it makes that transition all the easier, but it is likely to make it more sustainable. The daily record reported that four children aged between 5 and 11 and clinically vulnerable were given Covid vaccine overdoses more than twice the approved amount in NHS Lanarkshire. They received adult doses rather than those designed for children. At least one of the children was very seriously ill for a whole week as a result. I have also since been contacted by a mother whose 11-year-old daughter was given the wrong vaccine dosage, this time in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Her daughter was desperately unwell for two weeks, but months later the symptoms returned and she ended up in hospital. Given the unfortunate side effects experienced by those children and to ensure confidence in the vaccination programme, which is so important, will the First Minister order an urgent review of the administration of vaccinations to children and at least ensure that the different doses for children and adults are colour coded to avoid future error? Of course, in the face of any incident like this, we will take any steps that we consider to be appropriate. This was a small number of children who were incorrectly administered with a higher than recommended dose of the Pfizer vaccine instead of the pediatric formula. NHS Lanarkshire has apologised for this error and has undertaken the appropriate monitoring that should always be carried out when someone is given more than the recommended dose of a vaccine. We have already been assured that the error was quickly identified, reported and actions were put in place to ensure that affected parents were fully informed of what had happened. There is guidance from the UK health security agency about the steps that should be taken. They should be reassured in this case that it is not harmful, but we nevertheless will ensure that there is proper review of this and any appropriate steps taken as a result. Bob Doris, to be followed by Gillian Mackay. Presiding Officer, can I draw Parliament's attention to the fact that a number of education authorities in England are advising that masks remain in place at least in school communal areas for the time being despite the change in England's national guidance? First Minister, this is because of a significant rise in new Covid outbreaks in English schools. Does the First Minister think that the Scottish Tories are impatient to remove protections in Scotland and follow the leader of Boris Johnson for reasons that I simply cannot comprehend, risks putting the safety of our young children and teachers at risk? I will leave other political parties to explain their own positions. I know that the Scottish Conservatives have tended to oppose every reasonable measure that we have advocated to help control the virus, and it is for them to explain that. However, we will continue to take the steps and take the decisions that we consider to be appropriate and responsible. That is the case generally, but it is particularly important that we do that when children are concerned. Nobody wants face coverings to be a requirement in schools for longer than necessary, but until this week, we have seen rising numbers of cases in the younger age groups of school-age children. Infection levels, although thankfully they are now falling, remain relatively high, and we see outbreaks in schools that are disruptive to education. We have to get the balance right here and take expert advice as we do it. That is why the meeting and the deliberations of the advisory subgroup this afternoon are so important in reaching the right decisions on all of this. I am aware of instances where children between the ages of 5 and 11 are unable to receive a Covid vaccine despite being in regular close contact with an immunosuppressed person because they are not classed as a household contact. I am sure that the First Minister will appreciate that childcare arrangements often mean that children are in prolonged contact with family members such as grandparents, although they may not live with them. What flexibility is there to allow children who are close but not household contacts of immunosuppressed people to be given the vaccine? I think that there should be an appropriately flexible approach taken to that. I will undertake to discuss the particular point with clinical advisers, and I will make the answer to this more widely available as well. The position that we take here should reflect the lived reality of children who may, through their own health conditions, be more vulnerable or through contact with people who have compromised immune systems in that sense, rather than any definitions that are overly rigid. That said, the advice on those matters does come from the JCVI, and it is important that we honour and respect that advice as well. I will discuss the particular point with clinical advisers and revert to Gillian Mackay as soon as possible. I very much welcome progress in overcoming Covid, but it is important that the public, particularly those over 65, are reminded of the importance of the flu vaccine. Can I therefore ask if you are over 65 and did not receive your flu vaccine along with a Covid vaccination, how do you now access that vaccination for flu? We did take the decision, and indeed I reported this decision to Parliament, to pause flu vaccinations to allow the immediate challenge of delivering booster vaccinations for Covid to be prioritised. Local health boards are now offering flu vaccinations again to the following high-risk groups who had not already received it, although the update was high when we took the decision to pause it. Those who can now access flu vaccination again are people aged over 65, people with an eligible health condition, pregnant women, front-line health and social care workers, adult unpaid carers and household contacts over 16 years of someone who is severely immunosuppressed. The flu season runs until the end of March, so it is essential that people get vaccinated and get the protection they need, and there is still time to do so. Further information on how to go about arranging a flu vaccination is available through NHS Inform. The coronavirus recovery reform bill makes permanent powers to close schools and businesses to enforce lockdowns and to release prisoners early. While we must account for the possibility of future variants, we cannot accept legally enforced restrictions as the new normal. Why does the First Minister not scrap this Orwellian piece of legislation? I think that we will be treated as ridiculous by people to describe anything in that way. It is not an emergency bill. It is a bill that will go through the full processes of scrutiny by this Parliament. In some respects, the Conservatives are at risk of misrepresenting some of the contents of that bill, but every single provision in it will be subject to full and proper scrutiny and decision through votes of this Parliament. The task is to get the right balance between the powers and the levers that any Government needs to respond quickly to public health emergencies and to not having any emergency powers on the statute book for longer than necessary. I am sure that everybody across this Parliament will rise to the challenge of getting that balance right. Marie McNair, to be followed by Paul Sweeney. Symptoms was associated with long Covid can have a significant impact on quality of life. Can the First Minister comment on the emerging impact and give an update on the care and support that is available to people with long Covid in Scotland? I covered some of that in response to an earlier question. Long Covid does have an impact on both physical and mental wellbeing, so it is important that we take a range of actions to give people the right support. As I said earlier on, we have already launched the long Covid support fund. That is £10 million of funding that supports the implementation of the 16 different commitments contained in our approach paper. We have also launched a long Covid information platform on NHS Inform that can help people manage symptoms but also signposts people to the information and advice that is available. NHS national services division is also establishing a strategic network that is bringing together clinical experts, NHS boards and people with lived experience to support the on-going development, resourcing and implementation of services for people who have long Covid. Paul Sweeney, to be followed by John Mason. 29-year-old Callum Bulizig is an impatient at Gartnavel Royal hospital. Visits from family are crucial to Callum's care, however, despite changes to self-isolation periods from the general population from 6 January, Callum has been required to isolate for a full 10 days, and he has been required to do this no less than seven times in the last year. Each occasion, Callum's progress is destroyed. He experiences the kind of cognitive setback that was previously observed in care homes and has been rightly condemned as scandalous abuse of human rights. His family are desperate to help him, and whilst it was announced by the health secretary earlier today as welcome, does the First Minister agree that the self-evidently excessive and even cruel practice must be ended in mental health words and that long-term patients have a fundamental right to social and physical contact with their families? Yes, I do agree with that, but I also recognise, as I'm sure Paul Sweeney does, that there are some difficult decisions and difficult balances that healthcare professionals have to strike to keep people safe from the risks that the virus has posed. I hope that Paul Sweeney would accept—I'm sure that he would accept—that nobody is being cruel or seeking to be cruel in those decisions. They are difficult decisions that have a difficult impact on patients and their families, but I absolutely agree that the human rights and the wellbeing of patients, particularly long-term patients in our hospitals, is paramount. I'm happy to ask the health secretary to look into the particular constituency case that has been raised by Paul Sweeney and come back to him with any further reflections, having had the opportunity to do so. John Mason, to be followed by Jeremy Balfour. There have been suggestions that, at some point, we might need a fourth jag, or a second booster, either before the summer or maybe perhaps before next winter. I just wonder if the First Minister could update us in thinking about that. That is certainly something that cannot or should not be rolled out. It may even be probable that there will be further dosies of the vaccine required. Of course, the Covid vaccination becomes a regular vaccination programme, just like the flu vaccine already is, but it is for the JCVI to consider the emerging evidence about the virus. On the strength of that, I advise the four Governments across the UK how we can continue to use vaccination to prevent severe illness and hospitalisation. We will continue to be guided by the JCVI. We stand ready to consider any further recommendations that it makes, and to set out to Parliament how we will intend to implement them as and when they come. Jeremy Balfour, to be followed by Stephanie Callaghan. Almost two years into the pandemic, care centres for people with disabilities have still not been opened. Those centres used to be a lifeline for people with disabilities and their carers. A lot of charity-one-day services have been opened for almost a year with the proper protocols in place. Would the First Minister agree with me that those centres should be opened immediately? Will she have discussions with her council colleagues to make sure that that happens sooner or later? I want to see centres get back to normal as I want to see the economy and society generally get back to normal. There is no reason, subject to all the ongoing precautions that local authorities cannot open centres such as those. I would encourage them to look carefully at doing so. There have been previous phases where two-metre physical distancing made that practically difficult and has reduced now. Some of the wider precautions are no longer in place. I would encourage local authorities to get those services back to normal as quickly as possible for people who rely on them. Is the First Minister recognised in today's statement that this is a particularly anxious time for people who were previously shielding? I welcome the Scottish Government's focus on encouraging workplaces to adopt hybrid forms of working. Does the First Minister agree that it is now essential that employers engage constructively with employees and trade unions to introduce a safe and effective mix of flexible and hybrid working, particularly for people who feel more vulnerable? Yes, I agree with that. I have already addressed some comments to that effect today. Many employers already are and will be engaging closely with workers, organisations and trade unions in particular. I would encourage all employers to do that. There are obviously some particular issues that need to be taken into consideration for workers who are in the higher-risk groups, and it is important that any plans for hybrid working properly reflect that. As I said earlier, guidance is available on the Scottish Government website to assess employers and workers to reach the right decisions that allow people to get back to work, which I think that most people want to do to a greater or lesser extent, but to do that safely and to have their particular needs properly catered for. That concludes the First Minister's statement. Covid-19 updates will be a brief pause as people move seats. I will take the opportunity to remind members that Covid-related measures are in place and that face coverings should be worn when moving around the chamber and across the campus.