 Felly, can I remind members of the Covid-related measures that are in place and that face covering should be warned when moving around the chamber and across the Holyrood campus? The first item of business is a statement by Nicholas 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 Nicholas Sturgeon, First Minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I will set out the Cabinet's decision on the timescale for converting the legal requirement to where face coverings in certain indoor settings into guidance. Firstly, and to set the context for that decision, I'll give a brief update on the current Covid situation. The most recent ONS Covid infection survey for the week ending 20 March indicated that one in 11 people in Scotland had Covid. That is the highest level of infection so far recorded by this weekly survey and it does reflect the impact of the highly infectious B2 subvariant of the virus. The daily case numbers also show a very high, though perhaps stabilising level of infection today. 9,610 new cases identified through a PCR or a lateral flow test will be reported. Again, though, it's important to set these figures in some context. Two weeks ago, there were on average just over 12,400 new cases being reported each day. One week ago, the average case number was still high at around 12,000 a day, but over the past week it has fallen to 10,200 a day, which is a 15 per cent reduction in the past seven days. The reduction is fairly consistent across all age groups. That gives us grounds for optimism that this latest wave of infection may now have peaked. Of course, the daily numbers on their own need to be treated with a degree of caution, but the result of wastewater sampling, which is an important strand of our ongoing surveillance, also gives some cause for optimism. It's not yet indicating a fall in the level of infection, but it suggests that the situation has stabilised since mid-March. We will therefore continue to assess the data closely, including the results of the latest ONS survey, which are due later this week. However, we are hopeful that this wave has peaked or is now peaking. Indeed, that is being observed already in Northern Ireland, which, unlike England and Wales, appears to have been ahead of Scotland in the transmission of BA2. Although the BA2 variant is highly infectious—indeed, more so than the original Omicron variant—it is important to stress that vaccination continues to provide strong protection against serious illness, which underlines the importance of getting all the doses of vaccines that we are offered. The programme of additional boosters for certain groups started three weeks ago in older people's care homes, and from last week appointments have been offered to everyone aged 75 and over. People with suppressed immune systems will have appointments for additional boosters scheduled during spring and summer, starting from 18 April, and appointment letters will be issued by post. Anyone who is unsure about eligibility for an additional booster should, of course, contact their doctor for advice. In addition, the vaccination programme for 5 to 11-year-olds is under way. Children in that age group with specific medical conditions and those who are household contacts of someone who is immunosuppressed are already being vaccinated in line with JCVI advice. Vaccination of the wider 5 to 11-year-old age group started on 19 March, and that will continue over coming weeks. Older children are being given appointments first, but families are being invited to get vaccinated together whenever that is possible. Obviously, with case rates being as high as they have been recently, some young people who are invited for a vaccine will recently have had Covid, so I want to briefly summarise the guidelines for those circumstances. Those aged 5 to 17 who have specific medical conditions or who are household contacts of someone who is immunosuppressed should wait four weeks after first testing positive or from the onset of symptoms before being vaccinated and four weeks is also the recommended gap for adults who get the virus. All others aged 5 to 17 should wait 12 weeks after having the virus before being vaccinated. Parents or carers of children who have been unable to be vaccinated due to having Covid should call the helpline on 0800 030 8013 to reschedule appointments when that is necessary. The advice to everyone remains as important as ever. Please do take the opportunity to get vaccinated as soon as you are able and make sure that you get all the doses of the vaccine that you are eligible for. That remains the most important thing that any of us can do to protect ourselves and others. Of course, it is never too late to get vaccinated. Despite the effectiveness of vaccination, the high level of infection has put the national health service under even more severe strain in recent weeks. We are seeing the impact of that in all parts of the NHS, not least in our accident and emergency services. The number of people in hospital with Covid reported today—2,344—is, I am pleased to say, 39 fewer than the number yesterday, but yesterday's figure was the highest it had been since the start of the pandemic. Today's number is still exceptionally high and it is significantly above the previous peak of hospital cases, which was 2,053 back in January 2021. More positively—again, this is evidence of the power of vaccination—the number of patients in intensive care with Covid remains relatively low, 26 on today's figures, which is a fall of 15 in the past two weeks. Nevertheless, the volume of people in hospital with Covid is causing very significant pressure for a health service that has been dealing with the pandemic for more than two years now. That means that we cannot be complacent and shouldn't be complacent. For the period up until Easter, we are continuing to ask everyone to take a lateral flow test twice a week, to take a test daily for seven days if you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive and to take a test before visiting someone who is vulnerable. If you have symptoms, you should continue to get a PCR test either at a testing site or by post. If you test positive, you should isolate and follow the advice from test and protect. Using the approach that was set out a few weeks ago in the revised strategic framework and based on the Government's clinical advice, our assessment is that the virus at this stage continues to present a medium threat. However, we remain optimistic that it will move to being a low threat during the course of the spring. We have already largely moved away from reliance on legally imposed protective measures and are now relying instead on vaccines, treatments and sensible public health behaviours and adaptations. Indeed, nine days ago we lifted all bar 1 of the remaining Covid legal requirements. However, we did at that point retain in law the requirement to wear face coverings on public transport and in certain indoor settings. I said two weeks ago that we would review that requirement before the Easter recess, which we have now done. We have taken account of the very high level of infection and the pressure on the NHS and also the fact that face coverings provide an important layer of protection against transmission of the virus from one person to another. However, we are also mindful that the data may now be indicating a peaking of this wave of infection, which should hopefully become more pronounced over the next couple of weeks. We have therefore concluded that the subject is always to the state of the pandemic that the legal requirement to wear face coverings will be replaced with guidance on the following phased basis. From next Monday 4 April it will no longer be a legal requirement to wear a face covering in places of worship or while attending a marriage ceremony, a civil partnership registration or a funeral service or commemorative event. The wider legal requirements that are applied to shops, certain other indoor settings and public transport will be converted to guidance two weeks later on 18 April. We will of course continue to encourage the wearing of face coverings in certain indoor places, especially where significant numbers of people are present. This phased approach strikes, I think, a sensible balance between our desire to remove this one remaining legal measure and the common sense need for continued caution, not least for the sake of the NHS, while this wave of infection does subside. I recognise that face coverings are an inconvenience. However, given all the sacrifices of the past two years and in view of the current pressure on the NHS, I believe that the vast majority of people will accept that, for a further two weeks, this is a proportionate precautionary measure while we pass the peak of this latest wave. It also provides some additional protection to those who are more at most at risk from the virus. Presiding Officer, in conclusion, I want to take this opportunity again today to thank the public for the patience and the responsibility that continues to be demonstrated by the overwhelming majority of people across the country. Life has returned to normal for most of us, but Covid has not gone away. Indeed, there will be very few of us in recent weeks who have been untouched by this virus, either ourselves or within our families or networks of colleagues. That, in itself, is a sign of how infectious the virus continues to be. So, while the level of infection remains as high as it is, I would ask people to continue please to take sensible basic steps in order to protect yourselves and others. The First Minister will now take questions on the issues raised in her statement. I intend to allow around 20 minutes for questions, after which we will move on to the next item of business. I would be grateful if members who wish to ask a question were to press their request-to-speak buttons now. I call on Douglas Ross. This week, the number of people in Scotland waiting four hours at accident and emergency reached the worst level since records began. More people are waiting longer for cancer treatment than at any point since 2008. People with critical conditions and others with potentially terminal illnesses are not getting the treatment that they need and deserve quickly enough. The pandemic has made things worse, but the First Minister cannot get away with just blaming Covid. Can she set out the specific actions that her Government will take now to address those failings and ensure that people in Scotland get the treatment that they need when they need it? Turning to Covid, case rates here are now far higher than anywhere in the United Kingdom. The First Minister's strategy is clearly failing. Because of her failing strategy, she is keeping restrictions in place here in Scotland weeks after they have been removed elsewhere. Countries across the UK and Europe have already removed restrictions and are living with Covid, but today the First Minister has signalled that face masks will continue for several more weeks. We believe that anyone who wants to keep wearing a face mask should keep doing so, particularly if that will help vulnerable friends and relatives. However, it should be down to individual choice, as it is in other parts of the United Kingdom. We should leave it up to people and businesses to decide what is best for them based on public health advice. Nicola Sturgeon has to start trusting the people of Scotland. That just is not an inconvenience, it is really holding some people back. Retaining face masks in schools and businesses is damaging for young people's education and limiting Scotland's economy. Her statement did not mention schools. When face masks are lifted on 18 April, will that include removing them entirely from schools, not just classrooms? Now that we have heard the third date that face masks will no longer be mandated in law, the First Minister has previously said that the legal restriction would be lifted on 21 March, then early April and now on 18 April, will the First Minister guarantee that there will be no further delays? It seems to me that it has always done completely inconsistent to, rightly and understandably, express concern about the pressure on our national health service and express concern about the high levels of infection on the one hand, but on the other hand bemoan the very limited protective measures that are still in place to help to guide us through this. In terms of the pressure on the national health service, it is very significant right now in all parts of the national health service, particularly in our accident and emergency departments. We have set out in recent weeks the range of different steps backed by significant investment that we are taking to support the national health service through the pandemic, but also into recovery. That is about investment, it is about continuing to increase the number of staff working in our national health service, but it is also about reforming the way care is delivered so that people get timely access to care in the places that they need it. The most immediate and the most important thing that we need to do to relieve pressure on our national health service is to get Covid cases down. We think that that is now happening and that is why I have set out the statement that I have done today. It is not the case to say that legal measures are not in place in any other part of the UK. I was speaking to the First Minister of Wales just yesterday who have different legal protections in place than we have, but still have some legal protections in place. It is important that we take a cautious approach through this. I think that most people—I do think that all of the evidence that I have seen on public opinion would suggest that Douglas Ross is just seriously out of step with the vast majority of people on this. People understand that face coverings, particularly in public places, where people do not always have a choice about being. People have to go to shops and therefore if we all wear face coverings in shops right now, we help to protect each other. For a couple of weeks more, while we see this wave of infection peak and start to fall, I think that that is a sensible thing to do. I think that the vast majority of people agree with that. Although no-one wants to be doing that for longer than necessary, I think that most people accept that it is a sensible precautionary measure to take. Lastly, on schools, we would expect the remaining requirement schools to lift in line with the requirement for the general population. I thank the First Minister for an advance copy of her statement. The levels of Covid do remain concerning, not least due to the impact on the NHS. Although life is returning to near normality for many, that is not the case for those who are immunocompromised and the 180,000 people who were on the shielding list. Where is the detail about testing for them and their family carers beyond April and what about access to antivirals? When will the First Minister set out plans to ensure that they and their carers are afforded assurance about what will happen to them in the future? On the subject of testing, can the First Minister advise whether testing in schools will end? I understand that the advice being considered will be for pupils to stay off if they have any symptoms without knowing whether it is a cold or Covid. Pupils and staff absence is already high and that will cause disruption to their education at a time when the exams are starting. Given that very little has been done to improve ventilation in classrooms, will the First Minister reconsider and make sure that asymptomatic testing continues in schools for at least the next two months? I welcome the next stage of the vaccination programme, but we really should have learned the lessons from before and not be sending my 80-year-old constituents from Helensbury to Danoone a 100-mile round-trip on two ferries to get their booster. Hundreds of people have been sent these letters, giving them appointments many, many miles away from home and told them that even if they were to get an appointment locally, they might need to wait until the end of May, beginning of June. That is a problem with the national vaccination scheduling service. Can the First Minister ensure that it is fixed? On the issue of vaccination in Argyll and Bute, we have and Argyll and Bute have apologised to those affected by what was an error. My officials met with Argyll and Bute health and social care partnership and NHS Highland to ensure that the problem was rectified as soon as it was identified and everyone affected will be contacted as soon as possible with a new appointment for the correct local vaccination clinic to follow. Obviously errors like that in a large-scale programme when they happen are deeply regrettable, but that does not take away from the massive success of this vaccination programme, which is the only thing right now that is preventing all of us having to live with much greater restrictions because it is helping to protect against serious illness. On the wider questions on those with compromised or suppressed immune systems, of course they are being offered additional boosters. That is the first line of protection and I set out the broad timescale for that in my statement. We will also, after the population wide testing programme ceases in its current form, testing will be used to ensure that those who would benefit from antiviral treatment—that is still being offered on a fairly restricted basis—will expand as more antiviral treatments become available, but testing will be used to ensure that those who would benefit and are eligible for antivirals get speedy access to that treatment, and we will continue to ensure that we communicate with those in particular groups about the on-going provision of testing. Some of the detail of this, of course, has already been set out in the testing strategy that was published, I think, two weeks ago right now. In terms of schools, we will continue to develop the school's guidance. It is not testing, of course, that is causing some young people to be absent. It is high levels of infection, and it is important that we get infection levels down so that we reduce the impact of the virus on schools as we want to reduce it in broader society as well. We continue, as we have done all along, to take a balanced approach to the measures that are in place in schools. We will continue to ensure targeted access to testing on the basis that is set out in the testing strategy. Of course, if necessary, we will go beyond that as far as we can, given the constraints on funding that I have set out previously in this chamber. Alex Cole-Hamilton Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I, too, share Jackie Baillie's concerns about the paucity of detail around the removal of access to universal LFTs for free. A fortnight ago, I wrote to the First Minister regarding the cost of lateral flow tests after the first of May. Scottish Government has moved in lockstep with the UK Government on testing, and that means an end to free lateral flow tests in almost all circumstances. They are already selling online. Thousands of people rely on LFTs to protect their loved ones from Covid, to protect people who they know are immunosuppressed and who spend months shielding. They understandably want to give them comfort and confidence. Those people will be worried about the new cost of caring. It is nothing short of a visit your grand tax. Will the First Minister guarantee that all carers, NHS staff, care home staff and visitors have access to free Covid tests? Will she commit to creating a scheme to ensure that free LFTs are available for those anxious to protect vulnerable loved ones? The Scottish Government is not in the same position on testing as the UK Government, as any cursory look at the position of the UK Government in testing right now would testify to. We are still supporting testing in ways that is not currently the case in the UK. We will continue to support appropriate and targeted use of testing for the purposes that are set out in the testing strategy. Crucially, where we are advising people to take tests, we will not expect anyone to pay for those tests. We will continue to ensure that access is free of charge to testing. Of course, we will continue to have discussions with those who are caring for people and those visiting loved ones in particular settings to make sure that there is appropriate access to testing as we move beyond the population-wide approach that we have taken for the period up until now. Given the relentless pressures on NHS Lanarkshire acute care, will local hospitals currently operate in beyond 100 per cent capacity? Can I ask the First Minister what more the Scottish Government can do to ensure that the public is aware of the right place to access non-critical care services and that such provision is available? We continue to work with the health service in a range of ways to support them through what is an exceptionally challenging period. We are also taking steps to ensure that the public is aware of the right place to access non-critical care needs and what provision is available. A number of public awareness campaigns have been run, including the general practice access campaign, the right care right place campaign, the NHS 24 winter campaign and the receptionist campaign, which aired in March on television and radio, focusing on the role of the receptionist as a navigator of care. We will continue as part of the broader efforts to reform how people access care in a way that is better for them to ensure that this information is available while the NHS continues to navigate through this incredibly difficult period. Thank you, Presiding Officer. First Minister, I saw a woman in her 20s who subsequently died from ovarian cancer because she was too worried to present with her symptoms due to GPs being overwhelmed. We know that none of the health boards have met the 62-day standard for treating suspected cancer patients, and Macmillan cancer have said that the cancer care system was struggling pre-pandemic and is now failing to cope despite the herculean efforts of NHS staff. So, my question is, what is the Government doing now, and I stress now, to help save the lives of those who are facing delays for cancer treatment as we know early diagnosis and timely treatment lead to better outcomes? The money that you have already announced has not solved this problem. Cancer care has continued rightly to be a priority throughout the pandemic, and it continues to be. The 31-day cancer treatment target has been met consistently, the 62-day target. There is a real focus on ensuring that that is met. Of course, median waiting times for access to treatment are very short, but we recognise the importance of doing more around early detection of cancer, which is why the detect cancer early campaign has the investment and the support that it does. The new early diagnostic centres that I have spoken about previously in the chamber are also being developed. That is a really important area of care, and I would want to end that answer with a very strong message to anybody who has symptoms indicative of cancer or anybody who has symptoms causing a concern that they might have cancer to seek medical attention urgently and to contact their GP cancer. It is and will continue to be a clinical priority in the national health service. I have to confess that the 2,300 people in hospital do concern me quite a lot and concerns quite a lot of other people. Is the First Minister confident that those numbers are going to reduce without us having further restrictions in place? The number in hospital is obviously a concern to me and to the health secretary to the Government, which is why it is important that we continue to exercise a degree of caution. What we know from the journey of this infection, any infection, but what we also know from experience through Covid is that, as we start to see case numbers come down, as we are hopefully now beginning to see with this latest wave of infection, we will start to see the pressure on hospitals ease as well. Obviously, we are keen to see that happen as quickly as possible. There is some early indication in the hospital admission figures that we are starting to see that slight easing of pressure, but we want to see that intensify in the days and weeks to come. It is the case that vaccination is providing significant protection against serious illness. The hospital numbers that we are seeing right now, although they are putting a severe pressure on the health service, would be much, much higher but for vaccination. Because of vaccination, the numbers needing intensive care are lower than they have been at previous stages of the pandemic. I am not complacent. None of us should be complacent about the pressure on our national health service, but we know that if we see case numbers fall and if the wave has peaked, we will start to see that become more pronounced in the days ahead than we will start to see some days after that, the pressure on our NHS ease as well. Hello Kane, to be followed by Audrey Nicholl. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Our hospitals are under immense pressure and any waiting times are shocking. Care at home and residential care services are also under immense pressure and schools are having to temporarily close in some parts of the country. Staffing shortages already high are being exacerbated by Covid-related absences. As a consequence, people who need support are often falling through the gaps and staff are struggling to keep things going. These are older people who need care and young people who are preparing for exams. What urgent additional support will the First Minister provide to support services in desperate need? Can she also clarify the Government's plans for self-isolation and testing as we move forward into the spring and summer period? The education secretary has previously set out support for young people studying for exams. We continue to engage with COSLA in terms of support that local authorities are providing for social care services. The future approach to testing and self-isolation has been set out in the testing strategy. We will continue to advise people right now who test positive and, after that, who have symptoms of Covid to isolate. I think that that is the responsible thing for all of us to do. One of the biggest challenges, even after vaccination given the protection against serious illness of case rates as high as they are right now, are the staff absences that are caused across key and critical services. The way to ease that is to get case numbers down, which is why we continue to take the cautious approach that we are and why we are optimistic that we are starting to see that corner being turned so that that pressure, along with the other pressures on the NHS, will ease in the days ahead. Audrey Nicholl, to be called by Gillian Mackay. People who are vaccinated are less likely to develop long Covid even if they catch the virus, a rapid review by the UK Health Security Agency suggests. Will the First Minister therefore encourage anyone who has not yet had the vaccine to come forward and do so? Yes, I would strongly give that encouragement. The study referred to underlines the benefits of receiving a full course of Covid vaccination. It is the best way of protecting ourselves from serious symptoms when we get infected and it might also help to reduce any longer term impact. We know that vaccination has been the most effective tool that we have had against the virus and that is going to continue to be the case. If you have not come forward for your first, second, third dose yet, it is not too late. Please make sure that you contact the helpline or get in touch with your doctor in order to get the vaccination as quickly as possible. It is not too late to be vaccinated, so please do not feel embarrassed about coming forward now. You could be giving yourself and your loved ones vital protection. For some, face coverings are an inconvenience. However, for some, they are the difference between going about their lives safely and contracting a serious illness. Face coverings reduce risk and they provide an extra layer of protection to people who are vulnerable to the virus, many of whom will be concerned about the decision to convert the legal requirement into guidance. Has the Scottish Government consulted with disabled people's organisations about the impact that this decision will have on people who are clinically vulnerable? We will continue to engage with a range of groups in the population about all of those decisions. It is the case, and I have laid that out in the chamber many times before, that, with any legal restriction, we have to be sure that we are acting lawfully. That means that we must make an assessment about the proportionality of keeping any measure in law, and that applies to the face covering measure, as it did previously to all others. Those are decisions that we have to balance carefully. Gillian Mackay is right in terms of the broad balance of public opinion on face coverings. I have to say that I get many more contacts from people worried about the requirement to wear a face covering no longer being in law than I get from people who are annoyed about having to wear face coverings. I accept that nobody wants to have to do anything like this if it is not necessary, but I think that the vast majority of people recognise that wearing a face covering, if it helps to provide some protection to others, particularly those who are most clinically vulnerable to the virus, is something that, particularly after all of the sacrifice and the heartache of the past couple of years, has been asked to do that for a couple more weeks. I think that it is something that the vast majority of people accept whether or not they like it. I think that those decisions have to be taken carefully, and we will seek to do that as far as we possibly can. Christine Grahame, to be followed by Murdo Fraser. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I follow much on the same strain. Does the First Minister agree with me that Douglas Ross should remember that we wear face coverings not just for ourselves but mainly to protect the stranger next to us on the bus? In the supermarket, we may be undergoing, for example, cancer treatment. Is immune deficient? You do not know that, and they need us to wear our mask so that they can at least go out and shop. Before your response, I want to point out that members are encouraged to ask questions raised by the First Minister in her statement. We are very tight for time. I think that we should all remember the wall of abuse that is coming from that section of the chamber. We might have disagreements here, but we are dealing with a pandemic of an infectious virus and perhaps we could try to deal with those issues in a more civilised way than some right now are demonstrating in this chamber. Christine Grahame is right that the wearing of a face covering is about giving other people protection. When you are in a supermarket, you do not know who might be close by who is more clinically vulnerable to this virus. While infection levels are as high as they are right now, we hope that they will reduce in the days and weeks to come. However, while they are as high as they are right now, if wearing a face covering in a supermarket, for example, might be reducing the risk of passing the virus to somebody who, if they did get it, would be at risk of becoming seriously unwell, I think that that is a price that most of us are willing to pay at this stage of the pandemic. Given everything that the First Minister has just said, why was she not wearing a face mask yesterday? I abided by the rules in place there. I wore a face covering on the train to London, on the train back from London. I abided by the rules, and I know that that is something that perhaps the Conservatives struggle to understand, but I abided by the rules. With news reports suggesting that the Met Police is about to issue fines to at least 20 officials who breach Covid restrictions by attending parties held at Downing Street, is the First Minister concerned that those events in Westminster potentially undermine public health messaging here in Scotland? Again, I appreciate that the issue touches on Covid. It may be the view of the member that that is the case. However, those are questions to do with issues raised in the First Minister's statement. First Minister, very briefly. I do believe that it is important to continue to take balanced judgments. I hope that we are getting to a point where all of this is behind us, but right now, while levels of infection are as high, my job, my duty is to take decisions that are right for the people of Scotland. That is what I am going to continue to do. No doubt that that will meet a wall of criticism whatever I do from the Conservative benches, but my job, my duty is to do right by the people of Scotland, and that is what I will always seek to do. Thank you. That concludes the First Minister's statement on Covid-19 update. There will be a brief pause before the next item.