The first minister says the evidence paper published today, external sets out the reasons behind today's decisions.

The R number seems to have risen above 1 approximately three weeks after the hospitality sector opened up.

The first minister points out: "We know that more than 1/5 of people contacted by test and trace report having visited a hospitality setting."

These settings pose a particular risk, she adds, saying the presence of alcohol can of course affect people’s willingness to physically distance.

The first minister stresses that significantly restricting licensed premises for 16 days is an essential part of the effort to bring the R number below one.

• Licensed premises in Scotland's central belt - including Edinburgh and Glasgow - to close except for takeaways
• Curfew extended elsewhere, opening until 18:00
• No alcohol indoors
• Measures due to last 16 days from Friday
• Mandatory wearing of face coverings in indoor settings such as staff canteens and corridors

Image source, Getty Images

People living in these five health board areas are being asked to avoid public transport unless it is absolutely necessary.

The government is not imposing mandatory travel restrictions at this stage and it is not insisting that people cancel any half-term breaks they have planned.

The first minister says: "However, in general, we are advising people living in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley not to travel outside the health board area they live in, if you don’t need to.

"And, likewise, people in other parts of Scotland should not travel to these areas if they don’t need to."

More detail will be available on the Scottish government website.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister announces the following for the five health board areas she listed:

• Contact sports for people aged 18 and over will be suspended for the next two weeks – with an exception for professional sports.
• Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed – although the current rules will remain in place for under-18s
• Gyms can remain open for individual exercise
• Outdoor live events will not be permitted in these five regions for the next two weeks

The first minister explains that, because of higher levels of infection in the Central Belt, the government is introducing stricter restrictions in the following five health board areas:

• Greater Glasgow & Clyde
• Lanarkshire
• Ayrshire & Arran
• Lothian
• Forth Valley

In these areas, all licensed premises - with the exception of hotels for residents - will be required to close indoors and outdoors, though takeaways will be permitted.

Cafes which don’t have an alcohol license will be able to stay open until 6pm to support social isolation.

In addition, snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will close in these areas for two weeks from 10 October.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister turns to the new measures being introduced.

The measures are intended to be in force for 16 days, from Friday 9 October at 6pm to Sunday 25 October inclusive.

With the exception of five health board areas in the Central Belt, pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will be able to operate indoors on the following very restricted basis only:

• During the day, from 6am to 6pm, for the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks only

• Hotel restaurants will be able to operate beyond 6pm, but only for residents and without alcohol
• All the current regulations and the limits on meeting a maximum of six people from two households will still apply
• Bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes can continue to serve alcohol outdoors up to the existing curfew time of 10pm, and subject to the 6/2 rule on group size

There will be an exemption to these rules - in all parts of Scotland - for celebrations associated with specific life events such as weddings that are already booked and funerals.

An additional £40m in funding will be made available to businesses impacted by new restrictions.

Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish government would work to target the support to businesses most in need.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says the government is not recommending that people who shielded over the summer should return to staying completely indoors.

They should take more care, however, especially in the Central Belt.

You can now access information about infection levels in your local neighbourhood on the Public Health Scotland website.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says the highest levels of infection in Scotland are across the central belt.

"We are particularly concerned about Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley – and that will be reflected in some of what I say later."

However, numbers are rising across Scotland.

"So the need to act - and to act across the country - is clear.

"What is also clear is the need to take additional action now."

The first minister says: "Without action - and this is perhaps the starkest warning in today’s evidence paper - we are likely to return to the peak level of infections we had in the Spring by the end of this month."

The first minister says that although there are not any mandatory travel restrictions, people in the central belt should not travel outside their local area and others shouldn't visit there "unless they need to".

Image source, JPMC

The first minister says in the seven days up to Monday, the number of people in hospital with Covid increased by almost 80%.

And the number of people who died with Covid last week was the highest for 14 weeks.

There was the same number of deaths in the last week alone as in the whole of the previous month.

Cases in people over 80 years old increased by 60%, and cases in the 60 to 79-year-old age group more than doubled.

Pubs and licensed cafes in five Scottish health board areas - Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley - must shut to all but takeaway customers for more than two weeks from Friday, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

Image source, PA Media

Ms Sturgeon says: "Test & Protect is now bearing a lot of the strain of controlling the virus."

She adds: "We are not going back into lockdown today.

"We are not closing schools, colleges or universities.

"We are not halting the remobilisation of the NHS for non-Covid care.

"And we are not asking people to stay at home."

The first minister says the restrictions will apply across Scotland.

However, alcohol sales outside will not be allowed in Scotland's central belt - but will be allowed in other parts of country,

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says today's figures illustrate the rising challenge we again face from Covid-19.

She also highlights an evidence paper published today by the Scottish government’s senior clinical advisors.

It assesses our current situation in relation to the virus and explains the need for new measures.

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Sturgeon highlights earlier weekly figures from National Records Scotland that revealed that 20 people had died last week with Covid-19 listed on the death certificate, twice the figure from the previous week.

That is the highest number of weekly deaths since June.

Under this wider measure, a total of 4,276 people had died in Scotland with Covid mentioned on the death certificate.

Ms Sturgeon confirms Scotland has recorded 1,054 new cases of Covid in the past 24 hours – an increase of 254 on yesterday’s figure.

The total number of cases is now 34,760.

The new cases represented 13.0% of newly-tested individuals.

Of the new cases:

• 410 are in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
• 195 in Lanarkshire
• 190 in NHS Lothian

Ms Sturgeon says 319 people are in hospital with the virus – up by 57 in the past 24 hours.

28 of these patients are in ICU, up three on yesterday.

One person has died after testing positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

The first minister says she will shortly propose "difficult but important temporary measures to stem the increase in cases".

"None of this is easy."

She says she is acutely aware that in every decision taken, lives and jobs are at stake and no decisions are taken lightly.

Image source, PA Media

Nicola Sturgeon will now outline new restrictions designed to limit the spread of coronavirus in Scotland.

Image source, Getty Images

Without further interventions, the Scottish government says new infections are likely to continue to increase and could hit a peak similar to that experienced in March.

The conclusion is made in the 14-page scientific evidence paper, external backing up the call for new restrictions that has just been released by the Scottish government.