Ms Sturgeon tells the chamber: "It may be counter-intuitive, but as restrictions ease, caution becomes more important, not less."

She turns to travel restrictions:

• nobody in a level three or level four area should travel outside their local authority area, except for very specific purposes.
• no one should travel into level three or four areas unless for essential purposes
• that means, for example, that people from outside Glasgow must not travel there to do Christmas shopping, when retail opens on Friday.

Ms Sturgeon confirms her finance secretary will set out tomorrow a further package of business support, intended to provide extra help over the winter.

She asks everyone to continue to do everything they can, to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

"Be careful and cautious. Follow all the rules that are in place. And still try to limit your interactions with others as much as possible."

Here's a reminder of those rules:

1. Scottish government: Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you can and cannot do, external

2. Postcode checker, external for COVID restrictions by protection level in areas of Scotland

3. NHS Inform, external- The latest from NHS Scotland and the Scottish government, including social distancing, face covering and stay at home advice.

Ms Sturgeon tells the chamber: "Lastly, I can confirm that Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, will all remain in level one – and of course from Friday, the Borders and Dumfries & Galloway will also go to level one."

The first minister says from Friday, there will also be a change to the rules for household gatherings on some islands in the level one local authorities.

At the moment, the island local authorities – Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles – are the only places in Scotland where it is permitted for six people from a maximum of two households to meet in houses.

From 18:00 on Friday, that will be extended to other inhabited islands in the level one local authorities – with the exception of islands, like Skye, that are connected to mainland Scotland by road.

"However, those of us living in the rest of the country should continue to stay out of each other’s houses," warns the first minister.

She adds: "I know this is really tough - but it remains the most effective way of stopping the virus spreading from one household to another."

There have been six local authorities at level two - Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, the Borders, Dumfries & Galloway and East Lothian.

Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders will move from level two to level one from 18:00 on Friday.

Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire will remain in level two, but the first minister cannot rule out a move to level three for one or both of these areas in the weeks ahead.

East Lothian and Argyll & Bute will also remain at level two for now.

Image source, Getty Images

The Scottish government's evidence paper on the allocation of levels, external shows that Clackmannanshire currently has the highest rate of new Covid cases - 211 per 100,000 people.

It remains in level three.

The paper says there has been "no consistent progress over the last week".

The second worst local authority on new cases is Argyll and Bute - 165 new cases per 100,000. It remains in level two.

Edinburgh, which is level three, has a rate of 68 per 100,000, which is below the Scotland-wide figure of 99.

Ms Sturgeon said opening up significantly more services in Scotland’s second biggest city in the two weeks before Christmas would carry significant risk of increased transmission.

Inverclyde, Falkirk and Angus will move down to level two from Friday.

Ms Sturgeon says the government has decided not to move Edinburgh to level two this week, but it will consider this move again next week for both Edinburgh and Midlothian.

There are currently 10 local authorities in level three - Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, and Perth & Kinross.

The first minister says seven of these areas will remain in level three.

These are Clackmannanshire, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, and Perth & Kinross.

She says Clackmannanshire has seen case numbers rise sharply in recent days, which she is confident at this stage can be attributed to the mass testing pilot.

The first minister turns to her government's "proportionate but still cautious set of conclusions" for level four areas in Scotland:

• The City of Glasgow, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, East and West Dunbartonshire, North and South Lanarkshire, East and South Ayrshire, Stirling and West Lothian will all exit level four on Friday
• Level four restrictions will be lifted at 18:00 on Friday 11 December, with the exception of retail premises which will be permitted to re-open from 06:00 on Friday
• Everyone living in level four areas should continue to exercise care and cautio
• People should continue not visiting other people’s houses.
• Travel restrictions will remain in place - so travel in and out of level three areas is still not permitted

The Scottish government has published papers, external on the allocation of levels to each local authority.

The evidence paper sets out a summary of the reasons for changes in allocation of levels.

The first minister outlines a fall in infection rates in the 11 areas that have been under level four restrictions:

The fall in infection rates in these areas have contributed to an improvement in the situation across Scotland as a whole.

In the week to Friday 13 November there were 142 new cases of Covid for every 100,000 people.

Last Friday, that figure had fallen to 99, says Ms Sturgeon.

The national average for test positivity, in the week up to last Friday, was back under 5% - the threshold that the WHO uses to determine if an outbreak is under control.

The first minister says this progress is also reflected in hospital and intensive care statistics.

Walk-in testing centres continue to be established in towns and cities across Scotland, the first minister says.

By the end of next week, 22 centres will be in place.

The government is also extending NHS Scotland’s laboratory testing capacity.

The first of three new NHS Scotland regional hubs for processing tests is due to become operational on Saturday at Gartnavel in Glasgow.

Ms Sturgeon says that by the end of this month, NHS Scotland testing capacity will have increased from almost 12,000 tests a day at the moment, to almost 30,000 tests a day.

The total daily testing capacity – including Scotland’s share of the UK wide Lighthouse programme – will be 65,000 tests a day.

The first minister confirms that from next week, the Protect Scotland app - currently available for use only by people who are 16 or over - will be available to everyone from age 11.

Both Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders have had consistently low levels of Covid for several weeks now.

They will move from level two to level one from 18:00 on Friday.

Edinburgh will remain at level three despite a reduction in cases.

The first minister turns to the outcome of the weekly review of Covid-19 restriction levels.

She confirms all 11 local authorities currently in level four restrictions will move to level three from Friday.

Ms Sturgeon also confirms that five other local authorities will move down to a lower level from Friday.

She says community mass testing has been, or is being, trialled in eight different locations across western and central Scotland.

University students are also being tested, using lateral flow devices, to help them return home more safely at the end of term.

Education Secretary John Swinney will set out details of how and when students should return back to campus after the holiday period.

You can watch that statement here with us from 3.50pm.

Inverclyde, Falkirk and Angus will move down from level three to level two from Friday.

Retail premises which have been closed under the level four restrictions, will be permitted to re-open from 06:00 on Friday.

Other restrictions will be lifted at 18:00.

The first minister says: "I think today we should all allow ourselves a smile.

"This is a good day and a good moment."

However Ms Sturgeon warns against the public dropping their guard at this stage.

She points out the risks posed to life by the virus remain with us and we can expect the winter ahead to "be especially tough".

The first minister adds: "We have no grounds at all for complacency about the months ahead – and we have every good reason, still, to do everything we can to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe."

Nicola Sturgeon confirms that all 11 local authorities currently in level four restrictions will move to level three from Friday.

That is City of Glasgow, Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire, East and West Dunbartonshire, North and South Lanarkshire, East and South Ayrshire, Stirling and West Lothian.

Nicola Sturgeon begins her statement on the review of Scotland's Covid-19 levels.

The first minister says she is pleased to confirm that earlier today the first vaccines against Covid were administered in Scotland.

She says: "This is a milestone we have all longed for.

"It offers hope at long last that we may now be at the beginning of the end of this pandemic."

Image source, PA Media

Nicola Sturgeon will now give a statement revealing the outcome of the latest review of the levels of coronavirus restrictions.

The first minister has already confirmed that the 11 council areas subject to the highest tier of restrictions will all move to lower levels on Friday.