NICOLA Sturgeon has set out a raft of new measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

They include a nationwide three-week ban on visiting other households from today and a 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants from Friday over the same period.

The First Minister’s announcement was the biggest intervention to tackle the pandemic since the full lockdown was announced in March.

But since the curbs adopted six months ago have gradually eased, infection cases have risen, with experts warning Scotland and the rest of the UK could be hit by a second wave of the virus in the weeks ahead.

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The latest official data found that coronavirus cases in Scotland have risen by 383 in the past 24 hours, meaning a total of 25,009 people have tested positive. It translates to 7.6% of newly tested individuals, up from 6.3% on Monday. One new death of a confirmed patient has been recorded and the death toll under this measure is now at 2506.

Addressing Holyrood yesterday, Sturgeon issued a stark warning, pointing out that while the majority of new cases in recent weeks are in those under the age of 40, a rise is being seen in the older population.

She said: “It kills too many old and vulnerable people. And for younger, healthier people, while the risks of dying from it are much lower – though not non-existent – it can still result in long-term, serious health problems.

“That’s why action to bring it back under control is necessary – and to bring the R number down again, the action we take now must go beyond the step we announced almost two weeks ago to restrict indoor and outdoor gatherings to six people from two households.”

Announcing the ban on visiting other households, Sturgeon said that data suggests this has reduced the spread of the virus in the west of Scotland – where it has been in force for a number of weeks – and extending it to the rest of the country will hopefully reduce transmission.

Those living alone or alone with children who form extended households, couples not living together, those who need childcare and tradespeople will be exempt from the measures.

The changes only impact meeting in people’s homes, with regulations for outdoor and public indoor meetings remaining the same.

On the hospitality sector curfew, the First Minister said: “This decision today means we can reduce the amount of time people are able to spend in licensed premises, thereby curtailing the spread of the virus while still allowing businesses to trade and provide jobs.

“This is the best balance for now.”

She underlined that a focus of the strategy was the determination to keep schools open, resume as many health services as possible and protect jobs.

The First Minister said Covid-19 must be suppressed to ensure these priorities are met – meaning that restrictions in other parts of everyday life will be necessary.

She said: “The measures I am announcing today are tough – I will not pretend otherwise – but they do not represent a full-scale lockdown of the kind imposed in March. Indeed, today’s measures are an attempt to avoid another lockdown.”

Addressing reports that measures in Scotland could be in place for up to six months, the First Minister said she hoped that would not be the case. She told MSPs: “It is certainly the case, until scientific developments such as a vaccine change the game in the battle against Covid-19, it will have an impact on our lives. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the new restrictions I am announcing today will be in place for six months. By acting early and substantially, our hope is that these new measures will be in place for a shorter period than would be the case if we waited longer to act.” All the new measures put in place for Scotland will be reviewed every three weeks.

But the First Minister also warned that more far-reaching measures could be adopted if the new restrictions failed. She referred to a leaked Scottish Government “circuit break” document and pointed to the measures it contained being “actively under review”. Suggestions included pub closures for two weeks, the closure of venues such as bingo halls and cinemas, and travel restrictions of five or 30 miles.

“The Scottish Government has not made any decision at this stage to implement such a policy – however, we are actively keeping it under review,” she said.