NICOLA Sturgeon has been urged to stop “dithering” and shorten the self-isolation period in Scotland when she updates MSPs on the Covid pandemic tomorrow.

The First Minister’s deputy John Swinney today said the Scottish Government was “actively considering” whether to bring it into with the rest of the UK.

He said that Ms Sturgeon would provide “further details” in a virtual recall of the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday.

He also conceded Scotland’s coronavirus testing system faced “congestion” and “challenges” as schools and businesses returned after the festive break.

Confirmed infections hit a record high of 20,217 in Scotland on Monday, with a second highest figure of 17,259 announced today, with a third of all those tested being positive.

The surge in the Omicro variant has also seen a rise in the number of people in hospital with Covid to 1,147 north of the border, almost doubling in a week.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, people can stop isolating after a week if they have negative lateral flow tests on days six and seven, but in Scotland it is still 10 days.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said the time for delay was over.

He said: “Scotland has the strictest self-isolation rules anywhere in the United Kingdom.

“We understand the need for caution, but Nicola Sturgeon’s dithering and delaying is continuing to have a major impact on frontline services and the wider economy, due to the sheer numbers having to isolate.

“She must finally confirm in her latest update that the period of isolation will be cut to seven days, for those who have tested negative twice.

“Her indecision, coupled with new restrictions, has harmed many businesses at what should have been their busiest time of the year.”

He went on: “We’ve been calling for weeks for these changes to self-isolation rules to be done safely and since then we’ve seen more evidence that the Omicron variant is proving to be less severe in terms of the impact it is having on those who get the virus.

“Nicola Sturgeon must listen to the warnings from many crucial sectors and finally implement a cut in the length of time people have to isolate for. 

“We’ve seen Wales and Northern Ireland now do this, so people have rightly been asking why has the First Minister continued to wait to do likewise in Scotland?

“Her current approach is unsustainable and tomorrow’s update must finally bring in the necessary changes to protect essential services.”

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie also demanded a decision on self-isolation.

She said: “The number of staff absences from the NHS and social care is very high and this is having more of an impact on services. The SNP must use this update to confirm whether they will change self-isolation requirements in line with the latest evidence, to stop staff absences piling yet more pressure on businesses and services this winter."

She also pushed for an increase in testing capacity capacity, saying the system was currently showing signs of “considerable strain”.

She said: “Before any new restrictions can be justified the government must act to ensure our testing system is working properly and demonstrate the evidence that new rules would meet the unique challenges of Omicron.

“Schools across Scotland are beginning their return, but it is unclear what meaningful steps, such as improving ventilation, have been taken to stop the spread of Covid in the classroom.

“Scottish ministers taking to the airwaves to misrepresent the stats and brag about how much better we are doing than England miss the point.

“The battle is to save lives and livelihoods, not play cheap constitutional politics.”

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland earlier, Mr Swinney said he thought the testing system would cope with the extra pressure on it.

“I think it can,” he said. “Obviously it’s important that individuals undertake those lateral flow tests, that is a critical part of our defence against Omicron.

“I think what’s encouraging is that the level of lateral flow device testing is high, many individuals are participating. The most recent data I’ve seen indicates that, in the last seven days, 85% of the population took part in lateral flow tests, which is very, very good.

“But obviously, as people return to school, staff, pupils, as people return to the workplace, it’s important that they do that before they embark on it and then, of course, if they’re positive, to take the necessary steps to receive a PCR test.”

Pushed on PCR test supply, he said: “I think there will be congestion at different points.

“It’s impossible for me to give you a guarantee that at individual test sites there will not be challenges in particular geographies, but I’m confident that we have got a strong testing proposition.”