A FURTHER 1246 coronavirus cases have been recorded in Scotland over the past 24 hours, the First Minister has confirmed.

Speaking at the Scottish Government Covid-19 briefing, Nicola Sturgeon said that accounted for 16.2% of all test results reported yesterday.

Sturgeon also announced there have been six further deaths among patients who tested positive for coronavirus in the last 28 days, taking the total under that measurement since the beginning of the pandemic to 2544.

Among the new cases 440 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 306 are in Lanarkshire, and 192 are in Lothian. The remaining cases are spread across nine other health board areas.

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The First Minister also announced that two more walk-in testing centres have opened for people who do not have a car to access a Covid-19 case – with one in Old Kilpatrick and one in Stirling.

She said there will soon be new walk-in centres in Dundee and Inverness too.

The briefing was broadcast hours before new restrictions come into effect aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus.

From 6pm licensed premises in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lothian, Lanarkshire, Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran must close for 16 days but they are permitted to serve takeaways.

Cafes with a licence will not have to close as long as they do not serve alcohol.

Meanwhile hospitality venues in the rest of Scotland can stay open, but will only be allowed to serve non-alcoholic drinks and food indoors between 6am and 6pm.

Licensed premises can serve alcohol in outdoor areas like beer gardens up to the 10pm curfew brought in last month.