POLICE will have sweeping new powers from tonight to break up large house parties as the health authorities attempt to tackle several ongoing coronavirus outbreaks in Scotland.

The First Minister confirmed the move as she gave an update on Covid clusters in Aberdeen, Dundee, Coupar Angus and Hawick, warning such gatherings present a “significant transmission risk”.

Speaking at the daily media briefing, she said: “I can confirm from tomorrow the police will have powers to disperse house parties if more than 15 people from more than one household are in attendance.”

While current guidance in Scotland permits no more than eight people from three households to meet indoors, the First Minister said the higher threshold had been set because the powers were “a last resort for use in only the most blatant breaches of the guidance”.

She added that the new powers for police were “another important tool in trying to keep this virus suppressed”.

She said: “We hope it will help to reduce the potential for future clusters and outbreaks leading to greater lockdown restrictions having to be imposed.”

Sturgeon added: “I also want to make it clear, particularly to young people, this is not about trying to stop people having fun, we’re not trying to police your social life. Seeing and socialising with your friends is important, especially during what continues to be a really difficult period.”

The First Minister went on to give an update on the clusters of coronavirus, revealing there are now 263 cases resulting from the coronavirus cluster linked to pubs in Aberdeen, a rise of two.

“All of the signs continue to be that this outbreak is now under control,” she stated.

In Coupar Angus, there are now 166 cases linked to the 2 Sisters food processing plant –146 workers there and 20 contacts – a rise of 10 from the previous total.

She said “virtually all” the staff there had now been tested, adding: “There is still no evidence of wider community transmission, which is very positive news.”

At Kingspark School in Dundee, 34 cases of Covid-19 have been identified, a rise of three from the previous total.

This includes 21 members of staff, 10 contacts and three pupils in the school, with all the students affected in the same class.

She went on to say there were seven cases in a cluster in Hawick in the Borders “from a small number of families in the area”.

She also reported that no new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland in the last 24 hours.

A total of 2494 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus.

20,056 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 68 from 19,988 the day before.

Some nine of these new cases are in the Grampian health board area, 21 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, eight in Lanarkshire and 15 in Tayside. There are 257 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, an increase of eight in 24 hours. Of these patients, two were in intensive care, no change from the previous day. The R number in Scotland – the average number of people infected by each person with the virus – is estimated to be between 0.8 and 1.2.

Later the Scottish Government announced travellers from the Czech Republic and Jamaica will be required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Scotland from 4am tomorrow due to a rise in the number of Covid cases.

The measure applies across the UK, and the UK Government plans to add Switzerland to its quarantine list at the same time after it was added to the Scottish Government list last week.

The Scottish Government confirmed Cuba will be added to the list of destinations where travellers will be exempt from having to quarantine from 4am on Saturday.