 That concludes topical questions. My apologies to those members we were unable to reach. 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. Today I will give a further update on the levels of and trends in Covid infections. I'll also confirm that when Cabinet reviewed Covid protections this morning, as we're required to do every three weeks, our decision was to keep the remaining baseline measures in place for now. I'll then give brief updates on guidance for schools and early year settings on the BA2 sub variant of Omicron, which is currently under investigation and also on vaccination. I'll conclude with a reminder of the basic steps it is still important to take to help curb transmission and reduce pressure on the NHS economy and wider society. First though, today's statistics, 7,565 positive cases were reported yesterday through PCR and lateral flow tests. 1,177 people are in hospital with Covid, 30 fewer than yesterday, 42 people are in intensive care, three fewer than yesterday, and this includes 13 patients who have been in ICU for more than 28 days. Sadly, a further 30 deaths have been reported, taking the total number of deaths under this daily definition to 10,341. Again, my condolences are with everyone morning a loved one. The most recent data does continue, though, to give us grounds for optimism. The situation that we are in now is certainly much less severe than we had thought it might be. That said, case numbers do remain high and the significant fall in the first three weeks of January has now levelled off somewhat. Last week, I reported that the number of new cases had fallen by just over a quarter in the previous seven days. This week, cases have risen, albeit very slightly, from more than 7,200 new cases a day to just under 7,400, an increase of 2 per cent. The picture across different age groups is mixed. The biggest increase in the past week of 7 per cent was in the under-15s. That, though, is significantly lower than the 41 per cent rise in that age group recorded in the previous week. That may well indicate that the impact of the return to school after the Christmas break is beginning to tail off. Cases also increased last week by 5 per cent among 25 to 44-year-olds, which is likely to reflect infections among children now feeding through into that age group, many of whom are parents or carers. Case numbers are still falling in all other age groups, although they are falling more slowly now than was the case seven days ago. The weekly survey data from the Office for National Statistics, though not as up-to-date as the daily case numbers, is another important measure of infection levels. It shows that, in the week to 22 January, the percentage of people in Scotland infected with the virus declined to around 1 in 30 from around 1 in 20 in the previous week, and the figures are consistent with the trends in the daily data for that period in January. There is a further point about the daily data that I want to highlight today. Right now, someone who is reinfected with Covid does not count as a new case in the statistical reports. For example, if you received a positive PCR result yesterday, you will not be included as one of the new cases reported today if you had also tested positive on a previous occasion. As of yesterday, reinfections have been reported by the UK Government in the daily figures for England. That means that, for a short period, the daily case numbers for England will not be directly comparable with those for Scotland. However, that will be temporary, as Public Health Scotland is also planning to report on reinfections. I can confirm that initial data will be included in the PHS weekly report tomorrow, and data on reinfections will be included in daily case figures from later this month. The data on reinfections obviously becomes more important as the pandemic progresses and more people get Covid for a second time. That said, it is important to stress that, as things stand, the current daily figures do capture the significant majority of people who test positive each day. To return to the most recent data, though the declining cases in the first three weeks of January is now being reflected in a fall in the number of people being admitted to hospital, in the week 2, 21 January, 768 patients with Covid were admitted. In the following week, that was down to 602. Hospital occupancy has also fallen. This time, last week, 1,394 patients with Covid were in hospital. Today, that stands at 1,177. The number of people with Covid in intensive care has reduced to from 49 this time last week to 42 today. Those improving trends are a result of booster vaccination, the proportionate measures introduced in December and the willingness of the public to adapt behaviour to STEM transmission. That has enabled us over the past two weeks to remove virtually all of the additional measures introduced in December. Most recently, as of yesterday, guidance on home working was updated to enable a partial return to the office with hybrid working where appropriate. From the end of next week, 11 February, the requirements for overseas travel will also be eased. Fully vaccinated travellers will no longer need to take a test on their arrival into Scotland. That return to much greater normality is, of course, very welcome for individuals, households and businesses across the country. However, common sense, coupled with the very strong desire that all of us feel not to go backwards, demand continued caution. The NHS remains under very acute pressure. As I reported a moment ago, the number of people in hospital with Covid is falling, but it is still double what it was just before Christmas. As I also reported earlier, the recent falling cases is now levelling off and, of course, as often happens, when protective measures that have helped STEM transmission are lifted, cases may start to rise again, exacerbating the already significant pressure on the NHS. That is why Cabinet took the decision this morning to retain, for at least a further three weeks, the current baseline measures. Those are the Covid certification scheme and the following requirements to collect customer contact details in settings such as hospitality, to wear face coverings in many indoor public places and on public transport, and for businesses and service providers to have regard to guidance and take all reasonably practical steps to minimise the incidence and spread of infection on their premises. We will also continue to ask the public to take lateral flow tests before mixing with people from other households. Complying with those basic protective measures will help, I hope, STEM infections and, therefore, relieve pressure on the NHS while allowing all of us to get back to living much more normally. There are three further issues that I want to touch on today. The first is to update Parliament briefly on the subtype of Omicron, known as BA2, which was recently designated as a variant under investigation. As members will recall, with the main Omicron variant, what is called the S gene is absent in PCR tests. However, in BA2 cases, the S gene shows up. In the past week, the proportion of PCR tests with an S gene drop-out, which indicates that the main Omicron variant has declined with a corresponding increase in the proportion of tests showing S gene positive results. That could be accounted for by delta cases, which also show positive S gene results. However, it may also indicate increasing transmission of the BA2 subvariant. Genomic sequencing is being used to investigate this further. So far, I can confirm that, in Scotland, 26 cases of BA2 have been confirmed through genomic sequencing, but we would expect this number to increase as more sequencing results are reported. Of course, given that not all tests are able to be genomically sequenced, it will be an underestimate of the presence of this subvariant here. It is important to stress at this stage that there is no evidence that BA2 causes more severe disease than the main Omicron variant, nor at this stage is there any evidence that BA2 has any greater ability to escape the immunity conferred by vaccines or previous infection. However, BA2 does appear to have the ability to outrun the main Omicron variant, which may indicate that it is more transmissible. Investigations into this are on-going both in the UK and in other countries such as Denmark, where the subvariant has been circulating for longer. At the moment, therefore, this BA2 subvariant is not a cause for any alarm, nor a cause to change our approach, but it does warrant further study. It is also a reminder that the course of this pandemic of any pandemic indeed does remain uncertain, so even as we get back to normal life, we must take care and remain vigilant. We must remember that, as this is a global pandemic, developments in other countries will impact on our ability to control the virus here, and that underlines the vital importance of extending the protection of vaccines to all countries as quickly as possible. I also want to report that the advisory subgroup on education met last week to review Covid measures in schools and early learning and childcare settings. I can confirm that, in light of its recommendations, revised guidance is being published today, which effectively returns schools and early year settings to the situation before the emergence of Omicron. The revised guidance eases requirements for bubbles or groupings within schools, and it is less restrictive in its advice on visitors to schools and on school trips. The subgroup also considered the issue of face coverings last week. It concluded that, although we may be close to the time when face coverings no longer need to be worn in classrooms—assuming, of course, that current trends continue—we have not yet reached that stage. No-one wants young people to have to wear face coverings in the classroom for a moment longer than necessary, but given the current uncertainty about infection trends in the immediate future and the relatively high levels of Covid in younger age groups, continued caution is prudent at this stage. The subgroup will consider the issue of face coverings again at its meeting on 8 February. At the final point, I want to cover relates to Covid and flu vaccination. In December, flu vaccination was paused for some groups to allow priority to be given to the delivery of Covid boosterjags. However, flu vaccinations have now resumed for higher-risk groups, for example the over-65s. Uptake in those groups was already high in December, but if you are in one of those groups and have not yet had your flu vaccine, the NHS informed website will provide details of how to arrange it in your local health board area. In terms of Covid, vaccination has now started for 5 to 11-year-olds at the highest clinical risk and also those 5 to 11-year-olds who are household contacts of someone who is immunosuppressed. Parents and carers of children in those groups will receive a letter or a phone call about vaccination soon. Indeed, some will have received that already. In addition, booster invitations are now being sent to all 18 to 59-year-olds who are eligible for the booster but have not yet had it. Approximately 580,000 people are in this category. Invitations to scheduled appointments are being sent in blue envelopes with the first appointments scheduled from Monday onwards. If you have not had a booster yet but are eligible for one, please look out for the blue envelope and go along to the scheduled appointment. If the appointment time you are given is not convenient, you can rearrange it to a more convenient time. For anyone who has had just two vaccinations, and this is an important point, protection against serious illness from Covid does wane significantly over time, so the booster is a vital, essential way in fact, of maintaining that protection. Please do get boosted. It is the best way to protect yourself from serious illness and also to protect the NHS. In conclusion, we can continue, in my view, to be optimistic as we look ahead to the spring. Case levels are likely to remain high for some time and they may increase further as a result of the recent easing of protections, but there are good grounds at this stage for confidence that we are again entering a calmer phase of the pandemic. Our revised strategic framework will be published following the February recess. It will set out in some detail our approach to managing Covid more sustainably in the remaining phases of the pandemic and then as the virus hopefully becomes endemic. Between now and then, we will continue to engage on its contents and of course Parliament will get the opportunity to debate and vote on the framework. For the moment though, I will close with the steps that we can all continue to take to protect ourselves and others while we do return to more normal lives. Firstly, to repeat, please do get fully vaccinated as soon as you can. Secondly, continue to take care when out and about socialising. In particular, take a lateral flow test every time before meeting other people socially. Remember to take the test as soon as possible before you go out rather than several hours before. Finally, please take the other precautions that we do know make a difference. Keep windows open if you are meeting indoors, wear a face covering on public transport, in shops and when moving about in hospitality. Talk to your employer about a return to hybrid working and follow the guidance and the precautions that they adopt to make your workplace safe and follow all advice on hygiene. Those measures are making a difference. They will help us to protect the NHS and help to get it back to normal and they are of course enabling us to keep each other safe even while other protections are lifted. So please do stick with them and once again let me thank everyone across the country who is doing exactly that. Thank you. 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 who wish to ask a question were to press the request to speak buttons now or enter R in the chat function. I call Douglas Ross. The latest figures show that Covid is under control. The success of Scotland and the UK's vaccination scheme means that we can get back to normality. Yet, even though the data is very positive, the SNP Scottish Government is still insisting on the use of face masks in schools. Adults can go to the pub and not wear a face mask, but pupils in the classroom have to. The First Minister said in her statement that no one wants young people to have to wear a face covering in the classroom for a moment longer than necessary. First Minister, just what needs to happen for your Government to remove the requirement of face coverings in our classrooms? Face masks are not the only Covid rule that this Government is keen to continue. The coronavirus bill that it proposed last week is a dangerous power grab. The SNP members are laughing at this. Their legislation that they are putting forward says that it would give the Government the power to close businesses and schools, to let prisoners out of jail early and to force people back into lockdowns in their own home. That is a power grab from the SNP Government. What is more worrying than anything is that it could do all of that without ever coming back into this chamber and this Parliament. Those powers are extraordinary. They were introduced to be used in an emergency only. Outside of the most severe crisis, the Government should not have such sweeping extensive powers to curb freedoms and control people's lives. Why does your Government need to retain those emergency powers indefinitely? First Minister, not for the first time, I can't help wondering if Douglas Roth listened to a single word of the statement that I have just delivered to Parliament. He gets up here in Blythly with an air of complacence. He says that Covid is now under control, the pandemic. He didn't say this, but the implication is that the pandemic is over. Yes, we are in a much stronger position because the figures show that the virus is under control. I then accepted that he didn't say that the pandemic was over, but the air that he gives is that that is what he wants us to think. What I narrated here was a situation that, because of the sensible proportionate measures that have been taken, is much better than it would have been. Experts and other countries across the world are all of the view, or many are of the view, that continued caution in the face of the risks and uncertainties is the best way to see us get through the remainder of this pandemic. On the issue of face masks in schools, Douglas Roth asked me why is it that adults can go to the pub? I remind him that we are asking adults to go to the pub to wear face coverings as they move about in hospitality, but children don't. Well, let me point out a couple of important differences. Firstly, adults have a choice about going to the pub and mixing with other people. Children don't have a choice about going to school and mixing with other people. Secondly, children are still less vaccinated than adults because the vaccination of children was recommended by the JCVI at a much later stage. Those are all the reasons why it is right to continue to take a precautionary approach to the protection of children. In another context, one of Douglas Roth's members last week when we were talking, the chamber was talking about exams, had the question posed to her, don't you think the protection of children, the safety of children is the most important thing? And her answer was no, I don't. That seems to sum up the attitudes of the Conservatives. We will continue in line with the views of the advisory council who give us expert opinion on those things to take that cautious approach. Interestingly, it was last week that Douglas Roth quoted the chair of the National Parent Forum of Scotland at me when she said that it would be sensible to have a phased approach to lifting restrictions. On the point about the Covid recovery and reform bill, incidentally, it will bring public health protection powers in Scotland into line with public health protection powers that have been in place in England under Conservative Government for the last 10 years. Douglas Roth calls those dangerous. Perhaps that is not a surprise coming from the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, because one of the powers in this bill is to give continued protection to tenants. Here is what the homeless charity crisis said about this in the consultation. These protections can give private tenants more time and support to work through rent arrears, and we welcome plans to make them more permanent. Perhaps it is not a surprise that the leader of the Conservative Party describes that as dangerous. Paul Drachy Bailey Can I also send my condolences to all those who have lost loved ones? As we begin the slow return to some form of normality, we cannot allow the children of Scotland to be left behind. Thousands of pupils across Scotland have endured two years of disruption to their education, but as Scottish pupils prepare to sit prelims, we are faced with high numbers of Covid cases in schools. There were almost 33,000 children not in school because of Covid-19 on just one day last week. Prelims are currently happening across the country, and for many S5 pupils they have never sat formal exams before. They cannot afford to miss out at such a crucial time. For months, Scottish Labour has asked the Government to address ventilation in our schools. At the start, the Government offered money to diagnose the problem with CO2 monitors, but there were few solutions to improve the ventilation other than to pop open a window. Pupils and teachers had to suffer through the cold months before Christmas in coats and scarves. Three weeks ago, the First Minister announced £5 million to improve ventilation in schools, which is welcome. However, with 2,476 schools and at least 25,000 classrooms across the country, that will barely touch the sides. If we are to live safely with Covid, we need to make our schools safe for pupils and teachers. That is why Labour has repeatedly called for HEPA filters in every classroom. That needs a fourfold increase in the budget, and it will also help to ensure that masks can be removed. Will the Government finally listen and deliver those filters? Will they do so urgently to minimise disruption so that thousands of young people are not further disadvantaged at such a crucial point in their lives? Trying to ensure that disruption in our schools is kept at a minimum is one of the reasons we need to be cautious on an on-going basis about the mitigations that are in schools, including face coverings, to lift that. As I think that Jackie Baillie and our party agree with, it would take us potentially in the opposite direction. The Education Secretary will make a statement later this afternoon confirming our intention that exams will go ahead this year, but setting out some further decisions about support for young people in the lead-up to that. On the issue of the £5 million ventilation fund, it is important that it is not the case that every space in our schools or early years setting needs measures like that, but the funding that has been made available on the assessment of the number of spaces that may need some additional mitigation would be funding that is adequate for the purchase of air cleaning or filtration units. It would also cover, for example, the need for small mechanical ventilation or extractor fan units. It would also allow for repairs to, for example, doors or windows to be made to improve air flow. The funding covers what is assessed and needed, but we will keep that under review with local councils as we continue to take the steps to ensure that we can live much more sustainably and much less restrictively with Covid in the months ahead. We have just heard from Jackie Baillie why we need to limit the impact of Covid in our classrooms, and that is why air quality and air flow really matter. It was astonishing, therefore, to learn this morning from the Education Secretary herself that 2,000 classrooms in Scotland currently fall below standards for air quality, added to which, this morning, I was passed a paper commissioned by Edinburgh City Council, confidential and kept from the public since last May, which showed the extent of the problem, with all but two schools surveyed in this report failing air quality CO2 threshold tests. All that time, parents, pupils and teachers have been kept in the dark. The First Minister recognised that she has not been open with us on air quality in schools. Will she now publish all the data that her Government currently holds about school, classroom and air quality so that we can make up our minds whether that is just the tip of the iceberg? No, I do not accept that. I will obviously look to see what information the Government can publish that is not already published. We do assess, and I think that that is what he is referring to in terms of the Education Secretary's comments, that it is not all spaces in schools or early-year settings that require additional measures, but those who do, those measures may be on a temporary basis, because that is not the recommended long-term solution, air cleaning or filtration units. It could be for a longer-term solution, mechanical ventilation or extractor fans, or it could be increasing the space at the bottom of a door or allowing windows to open. That is what the £5 million ventilation fund is for. We will continue, as I have said, to keep that under review. That is going to be a long-term issue, making sure—not just in schools, but we are talking about schools right now—that we have the right ventilation measures in place, because we know that good ventilation is one of the best mitigations that we can take against Covid. The actions that we have taken to date demonstrate how seriously we take this, and we will continue to take it seriously as we go through the months to come. Of course, we will continue to report fully to Parliament on that. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Failures of leadership and judgment, and serious failure to observe the high standards expected of those working in government, but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time. Just a few of the points in the conclusion of the report that was published by Sue Gray yesterday. Does the First Minister have concerns that public confidence in the integrity of those making decisions to safeguard the NHS and the economy may now be eroded and that the risks undermining all that this risks undermining all the efforts made so far? Obviously, I have concerns about that, and I would be surprised if every member of the chamber does not share those concerns. I think that there is very little public trust remaining in the integrity and the decision making of the Prime Minister and his Government over those matters. The report that was published yesterday was obviously heavily constrained in what it was able to say, but what it did say, I think, was very clear in its conclusions narrated by Evelyn Tweed. I think that it is also now impossible to reach any conclusion other than that the Prime Minister has seriously and seriously misled the House of Commons. I think that it is always important, and I have had cause over the past year or so, to reflect very carefully on these things myself. It is really important that what people like me and the Prime Minister say in chambers of Parliament can be trusted, but that is never more important than during the times of crisis that we are living through. My views on those matters I suspect are shared by people across the chamber and, more importantly, by the vast majority of people across the country. Liz Smith, to be followed by Annabelle Ewing. First Minister, yesterday, each MSP received a letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, which details some of the allocated spending for the business support from Omicron that was part of the £375 million package that was announced by the First Minister herself. This morning at the finance committee, the finance cabinet secretary confirmed that there is still, as yet, £103 million unallocated. So can I ask the First Minister when that allocation will take place? Crucially, will it also include £2 million of funding that was desperately sought again in the letter sent to all of us by the outdoor education sector who are desperate for support in this pandemic? The remaining funding will be allocated and then distributed as soon as possible. We are rightly taking time to consult to ensure that the remainder of the support gets to sectors where it is needed most, and perhaps the sectors that, without that consultation, do not get the support and the attention that they merit. The outdoor education sector, Liz Smith, has raised it before in the chamber. The Government has provided support. I am not going to pre-empt decisions that are yet to be taken, but we can take from our previous actions that the needs of that sector are very important to us because they are important to children across the country. We will continue to take that into account as we reach final decisions on all of this. Annabelle Ewing, to be followed by Pauline McNeill. As we return to a much greater degree of normality in our lives, thoughts inevitably turn to the longer term. In that regard, can the First Minister advise us to where matters stand on the possibility of a fourth Covid vaccine dose being required and, as regards the potential need for annual Covid immunisation? We continue to follow JCVI advice. I take the opportunity to thank the JCVI for all the advice that it has given us so far. It has evolved in line with evolving understanding of the virus and the considerations of the JCVI about how vaccination can help to reduce, in particular, serious illness and hospitalisation. We will continue to be guided by the JCVI in future, but I very much hope that we will see further recommendations coming from it that will allow us to extend even further the scope and coverage of the vaccination programme, including to more people in the 5 to 11 age group. The easing of Covid restrictions is leaving immunocommunised patients facing an uncertain future. We may have needed a lot of themselves in fact to agree that the use of lateral flow regular testing is vital for everyone, but in particular for this group in order to feel safe and that free lateral flow test is therefore essential for the group. Can the First Minister indicate if public health officials have estimated how long we might need regular testing? First Minister, can I check that you heard enough of the question or would you find it helpful if Ms McNeill repeated the question? I have the gist of the question. I think that what Pauline McNeill was asking me about the use of lateral flow devices generally, but in particular in relation to people who are immunosuppressed, if she can nod if I am getting that correctly. I think that I have the gist of the question. Yes, I strongly agree with that. As I indicated in my statement and have indicated now for several weeks, we recommend regular use of lateral flow tests for everybody as they go out and about and socialise with others, but those who are at greatest potential clinical risk are particularly important to take that precaution, so I strongly encourage it. In terms of how long it may be required, that is difficult to answer right now. It is one of the things that we will consider on an on-going basis, and it is one of the things that will be included, at least in terms of our up-to-date understanding in the updated strategic framework. My view is that it is one of the protections that we are likely to ask people to follow for longest, because it is such an important way of trying to break chains of transmission. The final point that I would make on this, of course, is that it remains a matter of on-going discussion between the four nations of the UK, the procurement of those tests and whether, as I believe should be the case, they will continue to be provided to the public free of charge. I have made the view very clear to the UK Government that no change to that should be made without the agreement of all four Governments across the UK. Stuart McMillan, to be followed by Ross Greer. Thank you, Presiding Officer. As restrictions are raised, that is very welcome. Can the First Minister advise how the Scottish Government will continue to highlight the messages via social media and also traditional media campaigns that face coverings should still be worn in indoor spaces to increase protection and cut down on the transmission of the virus? The most up-to-date polling, which is from December, showed that the vast majority of adults in Scotland, more than 80 per cent, in fact, believe that wearing a face covering is very or fairly important. Support for that is already very high, but it is important that we continue to emphasise it. The Living Safely winter campaign, which is running right now, we will continue to amend that as circumstances change and we will continue to ensure that there are strong appropriate public health messages through mainstream media, television, radio, but also across social media. It is important that, for as long as we are asking the public to do certain things, to change their behaviour in certain ways, there is good communication to make it clear to them what it has been asked to do, and we will seek to ensure that that is the case through all of our marketing and public campaigns. Ross Greer, to be followed by Claire Adamson. Thank you. Hospital admissions for under-18s are second only to the over-70s, reflecting the relatively high infection and low vaccination rate amongst this age group. As the First Minister acknowledged, the rising infection rate for 25 to 44-year-olds is likely a consequence of infections among children and young people. That causes concern for school staff in particular. Can I ask the First Minister if she acknowledges the heightened risk faced by adults in indoor settings with large numbers of unvaccinated young people? What further assurance can she give to school staff who have already given so much to themselves throughout this pandemic? Yes, I recognise that there is a heightened risk to people who are in indoor settings with large numbers of people, particularly where some of those people are likely to be unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated. That does not just apply to schools, but it applies to schools and is the subject of the question. That is one of the reasons why we are taking a deliberately very cautious approach to the mitigations in schools. The guidance that is being updated today eases some of those mitigations around bubbles or groupings in schools. For example, it also eases the requirements around visitors to schools, but it does as I have narrated already. It asks for the current requirements around face coverings to be continued. That is part of just that cautious, sensible approach to make sure that in settings where the risks are perhaps higher for the reasons that have been set out, we are doing everything that we can to protect people. Of course, in addition to that, the steps around ventilation are important as well. Thank you, Presiding Officer. To ask the First Minister what her response is to reports that almost £5 billion of personal protective equipment, procured by the UK Government, at a cost of £2.7 billion, will be wasted as they are surplus or unsuitable to safeguard NHS staff? Obviously, I know that all Governments want to make sure that we have adequate supplies of PPE. We work very hard in the Scottish Government and we do so at times in partnership with the other UK Governments to make sure that we have that supply and that we use that supply to the full and that we are getting the right PPE to the people who need it. That will be a matter of on-going focus for as long as the pandemic is with us and beyond that, because it is important in normal times as well. It is not for me to comment on the procurement decisions of the UK Government, although I know that many of them are under great scrutiny and question right now, but we will continue to take sensible procurement decisions to ensure that we have the right supplies of PPE and the other items that those working in the front line of our national health service need. We have been told that restrictions would not remain a minute longer than necessary. From when Covid passports were announced, infection rates are lower, hospital admissions are lower and ICU admissions are lower, does the First Minister agree with me that the time has come to remove this financially disastrous restriction from the nighttime economy, which has been so devastated by the pandemic, and allow businesses to get back on their feet and properly protect the tens of thousands of jobs that are still at risk? First Minister, I wonder if it ever crosses the mind of the Conservatives that perhaps cases are down, hospitalisations are down, people in intensive care are reducing, at least in part because of some of those protective measures that we are taking, not in spite of them. Without those protective measures, we might not be in as positive or relatively positive a position as we are in right now. Again, I would say to the member, did he listen to any of what was reported today? Cases are down compared to the point at the turn of the year. We are in a much stronger position, partly because of measures like that than we might have been, but the immediate future trends remain uncertain. We have seen cases in the past week begin to rise again. I reported on a subvariant that may be more transmissible. There are reasons to be very optimistic and confident, but common sense and experience tells us that there are also reasons to be cautious if we want to avoid setbacks. The Conservatives have opposed virtually every protective measure that we have come forward with. If we hadn't come forward with them, no doubt they would have said that we should have done it. The opportunism and the opposition, for the sake of opposition, I think speaks rather badly of the Conservatives. For my part, I am just going to go on with taking the best decisions that we can to keep driving and steering this country through the pandemic as safely as we possibly can. Public Health Scotland's latest data indicates that the pandemic has resulted in a 60 per cent decrease in the number of people visiting NHS dentists. While there is cost for optimism, the number of Covid cases remains high and full resumption of dental services needs a cautious approach. Can the First Minister outline what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the sector to prepare for the remobilisation of dental services in a way that is safe? It has been very challenging for dentists, as it has been for others across the health service, to keep seeing patients during the pandemic, even as we have had periods of recovery from the pandemic. We are working to assist dentists to get back to normal as quickly as possible. We are providing dentists with an additional £20 million funding from this month to help them to see more patients. The budget for 2022-23 delivers a 9 per cent increase in the budget for NHS dentistry, which is record investment. We are moving forward with NHS dentistry recovery and aim to return to much more normal levels of activity just as soon as the virus allows. We are also discussing with BDA Scotland how we can continue to support NHS dentistry in the longer term as we continue to secure a sustainable public service. One of my constituents is a doctor working for both NHS Scotland and NHS England. Although he had his first two vaccine doses in Scotland, he was given his booster dose in a hospital in England when he was at work there. Due to that, his booster dose cannot currently be recorded in the Covid vaccination status app. As the First Minister may be aware, hospitals in England do not provide vaccine certificates or a QR code, nor was this particular hospital able to change the postcode on his vaccine record to his Scottish address. I would be grateful if First Minister could advise what steps should be taken when Scots do not have a QR code but need to request an update to their vaccine record. I will ask the health secretary to write to him just setting out in full detail the answer to the question. In general terms though, the Covid certification scheme allows people who have been fully vaccinated to evidence this if they need to do so. If someone has received a Covid vaccine out with Scotland, they can upload their QR code as proof of vaccination from that country to the Scottish vaccination record through NHS Inform, where a QR code is not available, alternative evidence can be provided to the local health board. In addition to that work, it is currently under way to include booster information with the automatic transfer of information between Scotland and England, and that will allow individuals to receive a combined fully vaccinated status, which will serve them both for domestic purposes and also for travel purposes. That is the broad situation in general terms, but I am aware that there are some particular details in Bill Kead's question, so I will ask the health secretary to write in a way that addresses any of the points that this general answer has not done. The BMA and the health unions are calling for the use of the better FFP3 masks, which the BMA has described as a matter of life and death. In a recent BMA Scotland survey, only 15 per cent of clinicians who responded said that they were regularly provided with FFP3 masks or respirators when working in clinical areas with Covid patients. Could the First Minister take action to ensure that sufficient supplies are obtained of FFP3 masks for all NHS staff who need them? The guidance on the use of PPE and what PPE is appropriate in what circumstances is very carefully considered. It is guidance that is in place based on the recommendations and advice of experts. It is something that I regularly ask my officials about to assure myself that it is still, as we would expect it to be, given the current state of the pandemic. I will continue to do that. I will write to the member or ask the health secretary to do so, just to set out the key components of that guidance. It gives a lot of latitude to NHS workers if they feel that they should be using a particular grade of PPE to do that. Obviously, the responsibility of Government, going back to an earlier question, is to ensure that we are procuring adequate stocks of appropriate PPE. However, I will ask the health secretary to write to the member with a bit more detail just exactly on what the guidance says and the steps that we take through procurement to ensure that that can be fulfilled. Emergency restrictions and protections were legislated for quickly when required during the pandemic. They were necessary and will have saved and protected lives. However, some may feel that those types of provisions should only ever be temporary and for emergencies. Although the Scottish ministers have already removed many of the temporary measures that supported our country's response to the pandemic, what assurances can the First Minister give? Those measures that are being kept are those that have delivered clear benefits and, therefore, merits being extended in the long term. That is an important point. It is an assurance that we will give at every stage of the progress of this legislation through Parliament. I think that an important assurance to give right now is that this is not emergency legislation. It is legislation that will be subject to full and normal and proper scrutiny of Parliament. We have and will remove any of the emergency measures that rightly should be temporary and are not needed any more. However, it is also the case that some of the measures that were introduced on a temporary basis have proved to be worthwhile for the longer term. As I said earlier, it will bring public health protections in legislation in more in-line with those that have been in place in England and Wales for some time. I gave an example earlier on of the greater protection for private sector tenants that this will give. It also allows us, for example, to continue to allow for remote registration of deaths and buffs, for example. Those are the common-sense measures, but we will continue to ensure that Parliament is fully consulted and that we continue to seek the right balance on that. Those are important issues, and I think that it is important that everybody treats them seriously and responsibly. I am sure that most people, if not all people across the chamber, will do so. That concludes the First Minister's statement. Covid-19 update. There will be a brief pause before the next item.