A FURTHER case of a concerning variant of coronavirus may have been identified in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The First Minister said the "possible, although still unconfirmed" case of the P1 or Brazilian variant involves an individual who travelled to Scotland from Rio de Janeiro, via Paris.
She stressed there is no reason to believe there is a risk to the wider public.
Six UK cases of the P1 variant associated with the Brazilian city of Manaus have previously been identified: three in England and three in Scotland.
READ MORE: 'No reason' to think Brazilian variant circulating in Scotland as passengers traced
The three Scottish cases were found in asymptomatic passengers who flew into Aberdeen on January 29.
They were returning from Brazil via Paris and London and tested positive while self-isolating.
No further cases have been linked to these three.
But speaking in Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon said: "A possible - although still unconfirmed - further case of the P1 variant in Scotland has now been identified.
"It involves an individual who travelled to Scotland from Rio de Janeiro, via Paris, and arrived on February 19.
"The individual followed the procedures for managed self-isolation, and we currently have no reason to believe that this case presents any risk to the wider community.
"However we are of course continuing to undertake all necessary follow-up work."
The Scottish Government said that of the 22 passengers on board the Air France flight from Paris to Edinburgh on February 19, 11 passengers including the provisional positive case went into managed quarantine at an Edinburgh airport hotel.
The remaining 11 passengers were exempt from quarantining in the hotel and self-isolated at home.
Negative test results for both day two and day eight were recorded for 13 individuals.
The National Contact Tracing Centre is following up with the other eight passengers and will take "all necessary steps to protect the public more broadly", the Government said.
No further positive cases have been detected in Scotland.
Clinical and trial data continues to be assessed to examine how this new variant may respond to current Covid-19 vaccines.
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