ANOTHER 951 people have contracted Covid-19 in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The new cases, recorded in the past 24 hours, represent 9.6% of total tests and bring the total to 66,012.

No further deaths were recorded, though registration offices are largely closed over the weekend. The toll among those to have recently test positive remains 2849, though the First Minister warned: “I would, sadly, expect that number to rise again tomorrow."

Some 1225 people were in hospital last night with confirmed Covid-19, 32 more than the previous day.

Of those, 93 were in intensive care, an increase of 12.

Greater Glasgow and Clyde registered 385 new cases. Lanarkshire had 268, Ayrshire and Arran had 76 while Lothian had 69.

The other cases were spread among the seven other mainland health boards.

Sturgeon urged Scots to avoid meeting indoors and not to try and find loopholes after the new tier system of restrictions came into effect throughout Scotland.

Speaking at the Scottish Government's coronavirus briefing, she said that even parts of the country in Level 1 restrictions such as the Highlands should avoid meeting indoors as a "precaution".

She said: "At this juncture, I really can't stress enough: please don't try to put your own twist on the rules or look for loopholes.

"It is really important right now that all of us try to keep within the spirit of these rules and remember what they are designed to do - drive down levels of the virus."