Here are the headlines from around Scotland:

• The Phase 3 of route map changes, external for 5 October are being postponed
• The current restrictions, external will be reviewed again on 15 October

• Nicola Sturgeon confirms a further 668 people have tested positive for Covid-19, 10.8% of those newly tested yesterday
• There have been three deaths with Covid-19 in the last 24 hours

• The estimate for the R number confirms it is above one and is possibly as high as 1.7
• A "circuit-breaker" lockdown is being seriously considered according to Scotland's national clinical director
• Edinburgh's Christmas festivals for 2020 have been cancelled because of the Covid-19 outbreak

That's all from us here on the live page.

Image source, Reuters

Labour MSP James Kelly raises the issue of the death of eight homeless people at a hotel in Glasgow used for shelter during the pandemic.

Ms Sturgeon describes it as a "very serious issue".

She adds: "I am extremely sorry to hear of the deaths at the Alexander Thomson hotel in Glasgow."

The first minister also expresses her sympathies to the family and friends of those who died but says she is unable to comment as investigations are ongoing.

She adds that it is her aim to "hopefully make homelessness and rough sleeping in Scotland a thing of the past."

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Willie Rennie asks the first minister about reported problems with the flu vaccine in Fife, Edinburgh and the Borders.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader also asks what is being done to ensure the "rush" for the flu vaccine does not "turn into a stampede" when a Covid vaccine becomes available.

Ms Sturgeon says measures are being put in place, such as additional call handlers, to deliver the flu vaccine.

The first minister adds that she would "dearly love" to be in a position in a few months to start tooling out a Covid vaccine.

But she admits: "I genuinely don't know if that will be possible."

Ms Sturgeon says discussions are already under way with the UK government in relation to procurement of any vaccine and the volumes that might be available.

Image source, Getty Images

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie questions the first minister about care home residents isolated from their families.

Mr Rennie asks: "When will families get to see their loved ones?"

Ms Sturgeon says the decisions are one of the toughest she faces as, while she wants to allow visiting, she must also prevent Covid-19 from getting into care homes .

Ms Sturgeon says she is keen to get back to a greater degree of normality and homes are looking to re-introduce indoor visiting.

Ms Johnstone points out there was inadequate testing when the schools returned and calls for asymptomatic testing of students.

The Scottish Green parliamentary co-leader asks why the Scottish government is following an "old and outdated testing strategy" and asks what the government will do to establish regular testing for universities.

The first minister replies the testing strategy is kept under review all of the time and updated when appropriate.

There are differences of clinical opinion about the efficacy of asymptomatic testing she explains.

Ms Sturgeon says the advice right now is to focus on symptomatic testing of students.

"We continue to look at when and how we expand our testing."

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Alison Johnstone refers to a Scotsman article which revealed an NHS Lothian lab at Edinburgh University was closed because it wasn't being used.

The Scottish Greens co-parliamentary leader argues that not deploying full testing is clearly a policy choice.

She asks why the first minister does not agree with the World Health Organisation call to "test, test, test".

The first minister replies: "We test in line with clinical advice."

Ms Sturgeon explains the lab was activated during the early stages of the pandemic as at that stage there was not the NHS capacity there is now.

She says it was never designed to be a permanent provision and the capacity in NHS Lothian has more than doubled.

The Scottish Labour leader argues the government has “left behind a trail of confusion”.

Mr Leonard says the guidance agreed between government and Universities Scotland “blurred the lines between mere advice and harsher, even criminal sanctions”.

He argues “this is no way to govern” and asks if the government will seek the consent of parliament before introducing a “circuit breaker”.

The first minister replies: "Yes I will give an undertaking that where it is possible we will seek to bring things to parliament in advance."

Ms Sturgeon points out the government has to act quickly and flexibly sometimes when the virus is putting life at risk.

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Mr Leonard says in the past seven days students have been given three different sets of guidance.

Some students have been threatened with fines or expulsion by their university, he adds.

He says the Times has reported that draft guidance published on 30 August said work that can be done remotely must be done so, but when the formal guidance was published on 1 September that phrase had been removed.

Why exactly was that change made in the space of 48 hours, he asks.

The draft guidance and the formal guidance both contemplated a form of blended learning, replies the first minister.

The quote in the Times did not include the second part of the paragraph which said where work cannot be done from home, physical distancing must be followed along with other guidelines.

“It was always envisaged that there would be a form of blended learning.”

Image source, Getty Images

Richard Leonard says he has spoken to Adam, a first-year drama student in Glasgow, who told him he has only spoken to two people in his class since arriving a week-and-a-half-ago.

The Scottish Labour leader says Adam can't access rehearsal space and a student nurse last night described on the BBC how she is having to "self-isolate in a six-by-eight room", having worked for five and a half months on a Covid ward.

He asks if the first minister really thinks these students are better off than if they were studying from home.

Ms Sturgeon explains when a decision is taken to reduce harm in one area, there is the potential for us to create harm in another area.

"We make the best balanced judgements that we can."

She says you can argue students should have been kept at home but their would have been harm there too.

"The welfare of students at this point should be the paramount interest of universities and we continue to liaise with them to make sure that is the case."

In response to pressure from Ruth Davidson about the government's engagement with the inquiry, the first ministers insists: "I'll turn up to the committee next week and give evidence if the committee invites me."

Ruth Davidson asks the first minister about whether messages which appeared in the media, purportedly from the party's chief executive Peter Murrell, were genuine.

Ms Sturgeon says the messages appeared to have been leaked and were currently the subject of a police investigation.

She adds: "I am happy to answer any questions before this committee that they want to but this committee has not asked me."

The first minister says it is "outrageous" that she is being expected to answer in parliament on behalf of other people.

She adds: "If people want to take this seriously then treat the committee process with respect and take it seriously."

Ms Davidson says a committee convenor had to take the "utterly unprecedented" step of writing to the courts to secure access to documents it needs "because Scottish government ministers refused to hand them all over".

The first minister says: "The material that has not been provided is material that can't be provided for one legal reason or another."

She adds "a thousand or more pages of material" and "ten hours of oral evidence" have already been given by Scottish government officials.

Ms Sturgeon adds: "I think it is important, for a whole variety of reasons, to take this committee seriously."

BACKGROUND:

A Tory MSP was ejected from the Holyrood chamber yesterday, after insisting that Nicola Sturgeon "lied to parliament" over the Alex Salmond inquiry.

MSPs investigating the government's botched handling of complaints against Mr Salmond have said their inquiry "cannot proceed" due to "obstruction".

Oliver Mundell said the first minister had previously pledged to hand over "whatever material" MSPs asked for.

He said Ms Sturgeon should have to explain why she "lied to parliament".

Read more here.

Scottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson says in January 2019 Ms Sturgeon said the inquiry "will be able to request whatever material they want and I undertake today that we will provide whatever material they request".

Ms Davidson adds: "The inquiry has requested material, the government has rejected it. What has made the first minister break her word?"

Ms Sturgeon says she takes the inquiry and its matters "very seriously".

She adds: "I don't think that is an accurate characterisation of the position."

Ms Sturgeon says only "legal reasons" have prevented material being provided to the inquiry.

The first minister adds that she will give oral evidence when she is called to do so.

The first minister runs through the new rules, external, which mean that you must not make indoor social visits to other households.

Pubs, bars and restaurants must close at 10pm.

Scotland is currently in Phase 3 of the route map, external for moving out of lockdown.

The first minister reiterates her call for people to download the Protect Scotland app, external from NHS Scotland.

The app has already notified more than 2,000 people of the need to self-isolate.

Nicola Sturgeon stresses again people must follow the five pieces of advice in FACTS: They are:

Image source, Scottish government

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says the estimate for the R number confirms it is above one and is possibly as high as 1.7.

Ms Sturgeon points out this estimate relies on past data and does not take account the impact of the new measures announced last week.

She explains it is imperative to get the virus back under control

The first minister confirms that the route-map changes for 5 October are being postponed.

The restrictions will be reviewed again by 15 October.