A LEAKED letter has outlined which areas of Scotland are likely to be placed onto which tier of coronavirus lockdown, ahead of the official MSP debate tomorrow.

The tiered system will introduce five levels of lockdown across Scotland, with 0 being the lowest, and 4 being the highest.

According to the leaked letter, the measures currently in place “are broadly equivalent to Level 3 in the central belt, and Level 2 elsewhere”.

The letter, which was written by the chief executive of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) according to The Scotsman, gives a strong indication of which tier each local authority will be placed on.

Level 4, which entails the most stringent measures but falls short of a full lockdown, “is being considered for North and South Lanarkshire”, the letter says.

However, it also says that ministers will only consider Level 4 if truly necessary, due to “the severity of the impact of the measures” on the local economy.

READ MORE: Scotland's five tiers of lockdown explained — and how they may impact you

On the subject of North and South Lanarkshire, the letter goes on: "There are, however, some signs in the latest data that the situation in those areas may be stabilising.

"Ministers will not reach a decision for these two areas until the latest possible point to ensure that they can take account of the fullest possible picture of the effect of measures already in place; but at this stage the use of Level 4 cannot be ruled out.”

It also says that “no changes are currently being considered in relation to other central belt areas”. As such, these other areas would “remain” in Level 3 for the time being.

The letter goes on: “There are some signs in the data of progress in the east of the central belt area, for example in Edinburgh and East Lothian, but some further consolidation of that progress is likely to be required before it would be safe, on public health grounds, to move them to Level 2.”

The letter also mentions Dundee City as a “cause for concern, with rising numbers of cases”.

It says: “Again, a final decision will be made on the basis of data becoming available in the next few days. Meantime, consideration is being given to moving Dundee City to Level 3 in the new framework, broadly equivalent to the measures currently in place in the central belt.

“Further consideration is also being given to the interaction between Dundee and neighbouring areas within the Tayside Health Board area.”

No areas in Scotland would be placed in the lowest Level 0, which Nicola Sturgeon has said is “broadly comparable" to the position reached in Scotland in August "when the virus was very suppressed, but still a threat”.

The letter concludes: “At this crucial stage in suppressing the virus, with higher case numbers, the winter approaching, and the introduction of a new strategic framework, the public health advice to ministers is that it would not be safe to move any area straight to the lowest level, Level 0.”