Coronavirus in Scotland
Coronavirus hasn't gone away. We all need to follow the rules in place and continue to be careful.
To stay safe you should:
- get the vaccine when you are offered it
- wear a face covering where required
- wash your hands regularly, and cover your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing
- self isolate and take a PCR test if you have symptoms
- take regular tests if you don’t have symptoms to reduce the risk of spreading the virus
- meet outside if you can, and open windows when indoors
- keep your distance from people not in your group
- work from home, or do a mixture of home and office working if possible
- use the apps: COVID status (vaccine passport), Protect Scotland and Check-in Scotland
Information and support
Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Scotland
View:
- COVID-19 daily data for Scotland, including confirmed cases and deaths
- trends in daily COVID-19 data
- the number of cases in local areas on the Public Health Scotland coronavirus data dashbard
Vaccine (including vaccine certificates)
The vaccine is your best protection against COVID-19. Find out more about the vaccine, including the booster vaccine, at the NHS Inform website.
Coronavirus vaccine certificates
Coronavirus vaccine certificates (or passports) are needed to get into certain venues and events.
You can download the NHS Scotland Covid Status app or get a paper record of your vaccine status from NHS Inform.
Check the vaccine certification scheme guidance for businesses and event organisers and for customers.
Staying safe
Find out:
- what you should do to stay safe and protect others
- what support is available if you are at higher risk from COVID-19
Face coverings
By law you should still wear a face covering in most indoor public places.
- read the guidance on face coverings including where you need to wear one, and who is exempt from doing so
Testing and self-isolating
If you think you have COVID-19 symptoms you should self-isolate immediately and take a PCR test.
If you do not have symptoms, you can order rapid lateral flow tests for regular testing at home.
Follow the guidance on getting tested and self-isolating.
Travel and quarantine
If you are travelling to Scotland from abroad (international travel)
Find out the rules on travelling to Scotland, and check if a country is on the red list.
If you are travelling to Scotland from other parts of the UK
Travel is allowed between Scotland and England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
If you are travelling to a Scottish island
If you are travelling to a Scottish island you are advised to take a covid test before doing so.
Schools, universities, education and childcare
Guidance is available to help reduce the risk in:
- schools
- early learning and childcare settings
- school aged childcare settings
- childminder settings
- colleges and universities
Information for parents and carers is on the Parent Club website.
Information for students is on the Student Information Scotland website
Businesses and workplaces
All businesses and workplaces should follow the safer businesses and workplaces guidance. This replaces most of the previous sector-specific guidance.
There is also guidance for specific sectors, including:
- vaccine certification guidance for businesses and event organisers
- tourism and hospitality businesses, including nightclubs
- the events sector
You can get information on support available to your business at the Find Business Support website.
Covid response: strategy and evidence
- First Minister's updates and statements
- Strategic Framework update (June 2021
- Strategic Framework update (February 2021)
- archive versions of the timetable for easing lockdown restrictions
- protective measures: indicators and data
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Strategic Framework (updated in February 2021) sets out how we plan to restore, in a phased way, greater normality to our everyday lives
- Scotland's Strategic Framework October 2020 sets out our strategic approach to suppress the virus to the lowest possible level while we strive to return to a more normal life.
- Test, Trace, Isolate, Support sets out our plans to help disrupt community transmission of coronavirus
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): Scotland’s route map is a collection of documents setting out how Scotland will transition out of lockdown
- Coronavirus advisory groups
Covid recovery
The Covid recovery strategy helps those who have been most affected by the pandemic, where the unequal impacts have worsened pre-existing inequalities. It will bolster the actions in the:
- NHS recovery plan - sets out commitments that will support recovery over the next five years, supported by the implementation of improvements and new models of care
- Education recovery plan – sets out action taken to address the impacts on children and young people, and the next steps to support learners
- Justice recovery plan - published March 2021 - leading to increased criminal court capacity, alongside mitigating measures already introduced during the pandemic. We will publish a new justice strategy reflecting the focus on recovery