Nicola Sturgeon has revealed the nine cases of the omicron covid variant found in Scotland so far are all linked to a "single private event".
The First Minister said the people identified are all self-isolating at home and have not required hospital treatment.
In a statement to MSPs today, the SNP leader announced she expected more cases of the variant linked to the event to be found soon.
Sturgeon did not share details of the nature of the event but did reveal those attending had not recently travelled overseas - which suggests there is some level of community transmission.
The omicron variant was discovered in South Africa last week but it is not yet known if it poses more of a health risk to individuals.
Scientists are currently working round the clock to establish whether it is more transmissible than other known covid variants and whether it will prove more resistant to vaccines.
Sturgeon said: "We have preliminary information on all nine cases however, health protection teams are continuing their investigations
"None of the people who have tested positive have so far required hospital care.
"All nine were tested on and around November 23 and because they had tested positive they have all been self-isolating."
She added: "None of these individuals - as far as we know - has recent travel history to or known links with others who have travelled to the countries in Southern Africa where the variant was originally detected.
"However, while the contact tracing exercise is still ongoing, health protection teams have established that all nine cases are linked.
"They all trace back to a single private event on November 20. Indeed, we fully expect that there will be more cases identified over the coming days that are also linked to this event.
"The lack of any known travel or overseas connection to these cases suggests that there is community transmission of Omicron in Scotland.
"However, the fact that all known cases are so far linked to a single event suggests that this may still be limited. Indeed, there is so far nothing in the wider look back exercise that Public Health Scotland has under taken to suggest that community transmission of the new variant is either sustained or widespread."
The First Minister also told MSPs the overall number of covid cases being reported in Scotland was dropping - from an average of 3,000 per day to just over 2,500.
Sturgeon said: "In my statement last week, I expressed the view that our overall situation was much stronger than I had dared hope.
"Case numbers – although still too high – had stabilised, and indeed started to decline.
"Since then the data has become, if anything, even more encouraging.
"However, while case numbers here have continued to fall, the world has received the deeply worrying news of the new Omicron variant."
No changes to covid restrictions were announced by the First Minister but she made a fresh appeal for Scots to wear face masks in public and to undertake regular lateral flow tests.
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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiV2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5cmVjb3JkLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvcG9saXRpY3Mvbmljb2xhLXN0dXJnZW9uLXNheXMtb21pY3Jvbi1jYXNlcy0yNTU4MTI0MdIBW2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5cmVjb3JkLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvcG9saXRpY3Mvbmljb2xhLXN0dXJnZW9uLXNheXMtb21pY3Jvbi1jYXNlcy0yNTU4MTI0MS5hbXA?oc=5
2021-11-30 14:29:10Z
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