One further case of Covid-19 recorded in South Uist

Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement in Parliament rather than at her daily briefing.

Meanwhile further measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) came into effect last week as Scotland recorded more than 1,000 new positive test results in a single day.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told parliament that actions were needed now to prevent a return to the peak level of infections experienced in the spring, by the end of this month.

She said: “While there are significant restrictions still in place - and they are hard and painful - we are living much more freely now than in the spring and early summer.

“We are determined - if at all possible - that this will continue to be the case. We are not going back into lockdown today. We are not closing schools. We are not halting the remobilisation of the NHS for non-Covid care. And we are not asking people to stay at home.

“The need for action is highlighted by today’s figures and, more fundamentally, in the evidence paper published today. To try to interrupt this trajectory, we must act now. While the measures will feel like a backward step, they are in the interests of protecting our progress overall.

“It is by taking the tough but necessary action now that we hope to avoid even tougher action in future.”

The new restrictions, backed by a £40 million support package fund for business and the existing UK Job Retention Scheme, will be in place nationwide for 16 days, with tighter restrictions across mainland central belt areas where the infection rate is highest.

Restrictions on licensed premises came into force from 6pm on Friday, October 9, with all other restrictions applying from Saturday 10.

The new measures are: Nationwide excepting central belt areas: Hospitality (food and drink): all premises may only open indoors between 6am and 6pm, with no sales of alcohol. Hospitality (food and drink): premises may open outdoors until 10pm, with sales of alcohol (where licensed). Takeaways (including from pubs and restaurants) can continue. Evening meals may be served in accommodation for residents only but no alcohol can be served Current meeting rules, maximum of six people from two households, continue to apply.

Additionally, shops across Scotland were asked to return to two metres physical distancing and reintroduce the mitigations they put in place earlier in the pandemic, including one-way systems.