NICOLA Sturgeon is today expected to announce a further rolling back of Covid restrictions after the latest figures showed daily case numbers halving in a week.

The First Minister yesterday said she was “cautiously optimistic” and that Scotland was “in a better position than I feared we would be before Christmas”.

She would not comment on whether she will follow Wales with a mass easing of Covid rules.

But pressure was growing on her to end restrictions last night.

The Scottish Tories said every rule bar face masks in certain settings should go, while hospitality bosses demanded an immediate halt to “indefensible” barriers to trade.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats echoed some of the ideas, calling for a restart of indoors sports and the abolition of vaccine passports.

Asked about possible changes, Ms Sturgeon, who addresses MSPs this afternoon, said: “I think everybody wants to see Covid end so it follows that everybody – me included – wants to see all restrictions end.

“I hope we’ll be able to follow the trajectory I set out last week, but the cabinet needs to look at all of the up-to-date data and come to decisions. Looking at that data right now, we’ve got reasons to continue to be cautiously optimistic that we’re turning the corner on this Omicron wave.”

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross wants an end to the cap of 100 on indoor standing events and 200 seated, enforced table service for alcohol-selling businesses and set social distancing between groups.

His party also wants an immediate end to the ban on indoor sports, with an end to all business restrictions from January 31, including use of vaccine passports.

Household mixing and social distancing guidance and face masks in schools should also stop, while working from home and self-isolation rules should be phased out in the coming months.

However Mr Ross said that, pending healthier data, face masks should still be required in public places such as hospitality premises, supermarkets and public transport.

He said: “The Scottish Government’s own data shows that we are past the peak of Omicron. The latest evidence means we can now be far more optimistic.

“Protecting mental health, physical health and Scottish jobs is every bit as important as slowing the spread of Covid. Our economy and the long-term health of the public must not be held back any longer than necessary.

“We believe the balance must now tip in favour of trusting the Scottish public to do the right thing and keep themselves and their families safe, as they have done throughout this pandemic.

“People across Scotland have learned to live with Covid. The success of Scotland and the UK’s vaccine scheme means the public can now tackle Covid through their own actions, without the need for so many government restrictions.

“We will be pushing the SNP Government to examine their own data and progressively remove restrictions. The current rules-based approach should be phased out in favour of less restrictive public health advice.”

The Herald:

Scottish Hospitality Group spokesperson Stephen Montgomery said: “The current restrictions on hospitality are indefensible. Even the Scottish Government has identified that they are completely pointless and driving people to socialise at home, which is an uncontrolled environment.

“Meanwhile, thousands of businesses still wait for financial support, despite being promised a lifeline over six weeks ago by the First Minister.

“Many, if not all, hospitality businesses have had to support staff financially and emotionally during this past eight weeks who have lost shifts or had to isolate. A huge number of them are still not able to access the isolation grants. It’s incredible that yet again, hospitality is the last sector to open. For almost two years the government has been slapping restrictions on our industry, which have ultimately destroyed businesses across the country, and are based on no scientific evidence.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “The First Minister has a clean-up operation to do, getting rid of out-of-date rules and putting in place a more logical and consistent set of guidance.”

“At the moment you can go to the pub and to a football match but indoor sports are still banned. We know that these activities have huge physical and mental benefits so it’s time to bring that suspension to an end.

“Similarly we need to see confirmation that Covid ID cards are not going to be rolled out any further.

“They don’t tell you who is sick so they are next to useless at stopping the spread. Instead it’s time for a fresh push on getting people signed up for boosters by hitting the phones and setting people’s nerves at ease.

Green MSP Gillian Mackay said the Tory plans were “reckless”.