• The first minister urges Scots not to panic buy after France announced a ban on freight traffic crossing the Channel
• Supermarkets have assured the Scottish government they are "well-stocked for Christmas"
• Ms Sturgeon will chair a Scottish resilience meeting after this lunchtime's UK-wide Cobra meeting to discuss the freight ban
• There's no risk to medicine or vaccine supplies, stresses the first minister
• Police may investigate why people are travelling if their journey is suspected of breaching Covid-19 rules, Scotland's chief constable says
• Chief Constable Iain Livingstone warns there will be increased patrols on Scotland's roads in the coming days

• The FM says the "strong precautionary and preventative" actions announced on Saturday are to combat the new variant strain of the virus

• A further 1,504 people have tested positive for Covid-19 although it comes with a caveat about backlogs, that's 6% of the total number of tests
• The R number is thought to be "hovering around one again" and the new strain unchecked could add up to 0.4 to it
• The Scottish government has updated its guidance on forming household bubbles over the festive period, external

That's all from us here on the live page. Please take care and stay safe.

Ms Sturgeon points out the phased approach to schools closing into the Christmas period is a reasonable one.

The first minister explains this can be done thanks to the relatively lower prevalence and the situation is being managed "as carefully as we can".

The tougher restrictions will come into effect from this weekend, she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Scotland's Glenn Campbell asks why it's still possible to meet people on Christmas Day and why tougher restrictions don't take effect until Boxing Day.

Mr Campbell also asks why it's ok for children to go to school this week but not in the early part of the new year.

He also asks about Scotland's international border.

Ms Sturgeon replies that the review of international travel continues and the quarantine arrangement is in place.

The first minister reiterates that these are finely balanced judgements and her advice is not to visit another household on Christmas Day.

Dr Christine Tait-Burkard from the Roslin Institute is asked whether level four restrictions work, given the virus prevalence we have now in Scotland.

She tells the programme that the restrictions "do work" but that case numbers rise "every single time the restrictions get lifted".

Until enough people are vaccinated, "that is a yo-yo situation we’ll have to sustain" she says.

Dr Tait-Burkard adds that the issue concerning the science community is that the new strain of the virus, which "likely" started in Kent, has taken prevalence over other strains. She says the high level of mutations in this strain suggests that it occurred in a patient who was sick and treated for a long time - making "evolution faster".

Peter MacMahon from ITV Border asks the chief constable if he feels the levels of fines are appropriate deterrents and what the promised "doubling" of patrols means?

Mr Livingstone responds by saying that "people want to do the right thing" - but if anyone is considering breaking the rules, "don’t chance it because you’re putting other people at risk".

Mr MacMahon asks the first minister and chief medical officer if there is any further information available on reports the new strain of the virus is in the Scottish borders. He also asks if there are any further restrictions that could be put in place in the region.

Ms Sturgeon says the biggest deterrent to breaking travel rules is "not fines or police enforcement" - "it should be the risk of getting this virus".

Dr Smith adds that there is work under way to determine the extent of the new strain of the virus and expects an update from Public Health Scotland and genomic sequencing soon.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone tells the briefing there will be "greater potential engagement" between police officers and members of the public as a national travel ban is enforced.

He says that while he does "not consider it appropriate" for officers to establish things like road blocks or check points, there will be more patrols on the roads.

"I do expect the roads to be quieter over the coming days," he adds.

He also highlights the fact that officers will be looking to deter drunk driving.

Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

The general secretary of the EIS union says teachers will need to work to prepare for blended learning.

Larry Flanagan told BBC Scotland many were in a far better position than they had been in at the start of the crisis in the spring.

But he said some work would still have to be done to prepare for blended and remote learning from 11 January.

The government said it would be at least 18 January before most students returned to the classroom.

In any areas where Level 4 restrictions are still in force on 18 January, the EIS wants blended and remote learning to continue.

Image source, Scottish government

Ms Sturgeon reminds everyone the vaccination gives us hopes for the future.

The way to stop the variant strain in its tracks is by following the rules and guidance, she says.

Avoid indoor meetings with other households as far as possible, she stresses.

Here's a reminder of the rules and guidance:

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

• read the guidance for the festive period, 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

The first minister says she has read many "heartbreaking" emails from people about the impact of these decisions on them.

If there was any alternative Ms Sturgeon says she would take them in a heart beat.

"I am genuinely sorry to have to do these things, but believe me when I say they are necessary."

To let the new variant spread would lead to cases running out of control and would be "catastrophic" she says.

"If we do nothing now we are likely to see more new infections in Scotland of this variant, placing an even greater strain on our health service and unfortunately leading to more deaths," says the first minister.

Ms Sturgeon adds that the actions announced on Saturday were to try and stop more new cases of the variant coming into Scotland and try to stop spread within the country.

She reminds us of the strict travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK, which will not be relaxed at all, even on Christmas Day.

As the variant has already established a foothold in Scotland the Scottish government has:

• enabled indoor mixing of households only on Christmas Day itself and only within Scotland, although the first minister's advice is to only see other households outdoors
• will introduce level 4 measures on Boxing Day for three weeks, apart from some island communities going to level 3
• delay the return of learning on 11 January and then staying with online learning at least until 18 January

Ms Sturgeon says Scotland's case numbers have been volatile recently and "we think they may be rising again".

The R number has risen and we think it is now "hovering around one again", she adds.

Concerns about the new strain necessitated the very stringent actions she set out on Saturday, the first minister explains.

If the analysis is right and the new strain is 70% more transmissible and could add up to 0.4 to the R number, then the risk of rapid spread in Scotland is very real indeed, she says.

Image source, Getty Images

"We have been assured by supermarkets that they are well stocked for Christmas," continues the first minister.

Ms Sturgeon adds: "So there is absolutely no need for people to buy any more than you normally would.

"I would ask everybody to please support each other and shop responsibly."

Image source, PA Media

Ms Sturgeon stresses the stockpile of medicines that were built up for a no-deal Brexit are in place.

"We have no immediate concerns about medicine supplies."

The first minister also says she has been assured there is no risk to supplies of the Covid vaccine.

The first minister supports calls from the food sector for the UK government to take a number of steps to help exports continue.

Ms Sturgeon calls for the plans for ports in the event of a no-deal Brexit to now be activated.

She says she has urged the UK government to seek an extension to the Brexit transition period or to secure a grace period.

Image source, PA

The first minister turns to the travel bans for people from the UK introduced by several countries including France.

Ms Sturgeon says people should not be travelling to or from Scotland unless their travel is absolutely essential.

Travelling to and from other parts of the UK is prohibited by law right now, she adds.

She says France hopes to establish a protocol to enable the movement of freight to resume.

The first minister points out the ban affects Scotland's exporters and in particular our seafood sector and the import of certain goods.

"I'll be chairing a Scottish government resilience meeting on this later today," she says.

Before that, the first minister will be taking part in a Cobra meeting chaired by the prime minister.

Ms Sturgeon explains that the new variant is much more transmissible than previous strains of the virus.

She stresses there is no evidence so far that the new strain causes more severe illness.

The first minister says it is essential the risk is taken seriously and warns against complacency, which could lead to serious consequences.

"That's the context for the strong precautionary and preventative action we took on Saturday," she says.

Image source, bbc

The first minister turns to the developments over the weekend, when it was announced that, from Boxing Day, the whole of mainland Scotland will be in the toughest tier of restrictions for at least three weeks

Ms Sturgeon says she understands "how upsetting Saturday's announcements were in particular for so many of you".

"None of the actions I announced on Saturday were taken lightly."

She says the analysis of the new variant of Covid-19 "does give us real cause for concern".