Lockdown restrictions have been reimposed in Aberdeen after 54 new cases emerged in a coronavirus cluster.
Speaking at a briefing in Edinburgh, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said pubs and restaurants would be forced to closed this afternoon as part of the crackdown.
She said that the rise in cases has contributed to a greater fear their was a “significant outbreak” in the city.
More than 20 pubs and restaurants were involved in the cluster, with a list of those affected published on Wednesday afternoon.
The renewed restrictions now apply across the Aberdeen City Council area.
A five-mile travel rule has been put in place and residents are being told not to enter each other’s houses.
All indoor and outdoor hospitality has also been told to close by 5pm.
The Scottish Government later announced that visits to hospital and care homes from a named family member or friend will be stopped, with only essential visits being allowed.
The First Minister said people should not travel to the city, but those who are already there can remain.
The closure will be backed by Scottish government regulations and will be enforced if the rules are not followed, she confirmed.
Ms Sturgeon added that the changes will be reviewed in a week's time, when she hopes they can be removed either fully or in part.
However, if necessary, she said they could be extended beyond the seven-day period.
The decision was taken following a meeting of the Scottish Government Resilience Committee (SCOR), which also included leaders of Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland.
The First Minister told the briefing that she was aware the changes were ”deeply, deeply unwelcome news”.
She added: “The last thing we want to do is to reimpose these restrictions but this outbreak is reminding us just how highly infectious Covid is.
“Our precautionary and careful judgement is that we need to take decisive action now, difficult as that undoubtedly is, in order to try to contain this outbreak and prevent further harm later on.
She added: "This is about doing all we can to ensure our children can return to schools next week.
“Acting now, we judge, gives us the time and the space to protect the ability of our young people to return to education.”
NHS Grampian has named 28 bars and restaurants, three golf clubs and a football club as venues visited by people linked to the cluster.
The bars and restaurants are: The Bieldside Inn; The Bobbin; Brewdog; Buckie Farm Carvery; Cafe Andaluz; Cafe Dag; Cafe Drummond; The Cock and Bull; The College Bar; The Dutch Mill; Dyce Carvery; East End Social Club; Ferryhill House Hotel; The Hawthorn; The Howff, The Justice Mill, The Marine Hotel, McGinty’s; McNasty’s; Malmaison; Moonfish Cafe, No 10 Bar; O’Donoghues; Old Bank Bar; Prohibition; Soul; The Spiders Web, and The Draft Project.
Aboyne Golf Club, Deeside Golf Club, Hazlehead Golf Club and Banks O’ Dee Football Club were also cited by the health board.
In more positive news, Scotland has now gone 20 days with no new confirmed deaths from the virus.
The nation's official death toll therefore remains at 2,491.
Across the country, 18,781 people have so far tested positive for the virus – up by 64 from 18,717 the day before.
Today's decision comes as laws enforcing lockdown restrictions in areas of the north of England including Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire took effect.
The localised rules ban people from different households meeting in a private home or garden following a spike in coronavirus cases in the region.
The legislation imposes restrictions on metropolitan, city and borough council areas in: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Burnley, Hyndburn, Pendle, Rossendale, Calderdale and Kirklees.
Anyone found flouting the rules could be fined £100 up to a maximum of £3,200 for repeat offences.