Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross self-isolating in hotel after Covid contact

Four other Tory MSPs and five members of staff will take precautionary tests

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross (PA)

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is self-isolating after being in close contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus.

The politician was in the Scottish parliament on Wednesday morning when he was told that someone he had been close to on Monday was infected with Covid-19.

Mr Ross left the Holyrood building soon after finding out about his close contact’s test result at around 8.40am, and is now self-isolating in a hotel in Edinburgh.

The MP and MSP – who lives in his Westminster constituency of Moray – will be getting tested for Covid as soon as possible, a statement from his party said.

Four other Scottish Conservative MSPs and five members of staff will take Covid tests as a precaution, while two MSPs from another party have also been advised to do so.

Mr Ross and his team consulted with parliamentary staff about the options available to him, since he had not been contacted by Scotland’s Test and Protect system.

A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said Mr Ross “has decided that the safest approach is to immediately self-isolate in the Edinburgh hotel he has been staying in.

“He will be getting a test as soon as possible. The hotel were informed that he would be arriving to self-isolate.”

The Tory spokesperson said a further two MSPs from another political party have also been “informed” that may want to take a test – but did not reveal which party.

The self-isolation could rule Mr Ross out of Thursday’s First Ministers Questions session in Holyrood, either because he records a positive test or because he may still be waiting for results.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon announced on Tuesday that 13 local authorities – including Edinburgh – would remain under level 2 curbs longer than expected due to third wave fears.

Health secretary Humza Yousaf said the government was still “very concerned” about the risk of “overwhelming the NHS” if cases surge again.

Scotland’s national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch said Scotland was in “the foothills of a third wave” of coronavirus.