Nearly 80% of the Scottish population is in Tier 3 as Nicola Sturgeon announced changes in Covid restriction levels today.
21 councils, including Aberdeen and East Lothian, are now under level 3 restrictions, covering 4.35 million people – 79.7% of the country.
There are now only four councils in level two – Angus, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk and Inverclyde.
Level one includes seven councils – Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, Highland, Moray, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders.
Find out what Covid-19 restriction level you are in and what this means with our interactive tool
Restrictions on Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will be tightened from Friday, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
The First Minister said that cases in the city have risen by more than 50% in the past week, from 76 cases per 100,000 to 122, while case positivity has jumped from 3.9% to 6.1%.
The increase has not been as sharp in Aberdeenshire, the First Minister said, but cases are still on the rise.
The two areas will join East Lothian in being moved to Level 3 from Friday.
Ms Sturgeon said: “I know that the move to Level 3 for East Lothian, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire – and the continuation of it in many other areas – involves real and continued difficulties for many businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector.
“However these measures are in our view essential to get and keep the virus under control.
“It is also worth pointing out that we are not alone in Scotland in facing these challenges just now.
“In large parts of England, hospitality is closed completely. And the whole of Wales is now under restrictions similar to our Level 3.”
But the First Minister added that no council areas will be moving to Level 4 at the moment.
No council areas in Scotland will move into Level 4, Nicola Sturgeon said, but she also announced Cabinet has decided to review the restrictions across Scotland next week, after previously saying changes this week would stand until the new year.
Scotland has recorded 24 deaths of coronavirus patients and 854 new cases of the virus in the past 24 hours, according to official figures.
The death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – is now 4,135.
Statistics published by the Scottish Government indicate the daily test positivity rate is 7.4%, down from 7.6% on Monday.
A total of 107,749 people have tested positive in Scotland, up from 106,904 the previous day.
There are 996 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down six in 24 hours.
Of these patients, 45 are in intensive care, down by one.
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