Scots are to be ordered to stay at home amid a fresh Covid-19 lockdown which will see schools remain closed to pupils until February.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said new curbs would be introduced at midnight in a bid to contain the new, faster-spreading strain of the virus.
New laws will require people to stay at home and work from home where possible.
Outdoor gatherings are also to be cut back, with people only allowed to meet one person from one other household. Places of worship are to be closed, group exercise banned, and schools will largely operate via online and remote learning.
These rules will apply across the Scottish mainland until at least the end of January, and will be kept under review. Island areas will remain in level three – but Ms Sturgeon said they would be monitored carefully.
A further 1,905 new cases were reported on Monday – with 15% of tests returning a positive result, something Ms Sturgeon said “illustrates the severity and urgency of the situation”.
The first minister said she was “more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year”, with the new coronavirus strain now accounting for half of new cases.
Read More: Covid in Scotland: Scots ordered to stay at home in new lockdown
