Start of vaccination programme is ‘inspiring’, First Minister says

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has paid a “heartfelt thanks” to all those involved as the country’s coronavirus vaccination programme got underway on Tuesday.

Ms Sturgeon referred to the programme as a “major, enormous undertaking”, and she added it was “inspiring” to see it get underway.

The First Minister also provided an update on testing for students as they began making their way home for the Christmas holidays.

She said that 22,000 tests had been carried out in the past week on students around the country.

That did not equate to 22,000 people being tested, she explained, as each student was being asked to take two tests before returning home.

Ms Sturgeon could not say how many students had tested positive for the virus, but she said the indications were that the numbers were “relatively low”.

She added that students were “helping to keep themselves and their loved ones safe”.