Nicola Sturgeon to work from home after testing positive for Covid

Nicola Sturgeon will work from home until late next week after testing positive for Covid-19.

The First Minister posted on social media on Friday night that she has been experiencing mild symptoms of the virus.

She says she will now follow Scottish Government guidance.

Unfortunately I’ve tested positive for Covid this evening after experiencing mild symptoms. In line with @scotgov guidance, I’ll work from home over next few days, and hopefully be back out and about later next week.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 20, 2022

On Twitter she said she will “hopefully be back out and about later next week”.

She tweeted: “Unfortunately I’ve tested positive for Covid this evening after experiencing mild symptoms. In line with scot gov guidance, I’ll work from home over next few days, and hopefully be back out and about later next week.”

SNP colleagues including Westminster Leader, Ian Blackford, sent their get well wishes.

MP for Glasgow North East Anne McLaughlin and Minister for Women’s Health, Maree Todd have wished her a speedy recovery.

McLaughlin said: “This is just to get out of making me coffee, isn’t it?”

Earlier on Friday Sturgeon had been meeting with Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill in Edinburgh.

The First Minister welcomed O’Neill to Bute House.

The meeting comes after Sinn Fein won 27 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, becoming the largest party for the first time.

It is believed that they discussed the cost of living crisis, the formation of a government at Stormont, and relations between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

O’Neill has since tested negative for Covid-19 but will be limiting her contacts in the coming days as a precaution.

A Sinn Fein spokesperson said: “Michelle O’Neill has tested negative for Covid-19 this evening following her meeting with Nicola Sturgeon today, but will also be testing tomorrow as a precaution.

“She will also be limiting her contacts in the coming days. We wish Nicola Sturgeon a speedy recovery.”

Meanwhile the proportion of people in Scotland with Covid-19 has fallen for the eighth week in a row, according to the latest figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates 122,200 people in private households had Covid in the week ending May 13.

This equates to around one in 45 people, down from one in 35 people the previous week, and is the eighth consecutive weekly drop.

It is the lowest estimate for infections in Scotland since before Christmas, when virus levels were just starting to rise due to the spread of the original Omicron variant.