NEW restrictions on international travel are being discussed within the Scottish Government, the First Minister warned today.
Nicola Sturgeon told the daily briefing the issue was being considered as the country continues to fight the spread of the coronavirus with the latest infection rate "the R number" as high as 1.4.
All Scots living on the mainland are under a legal stay at home order and only allowed to go outside for exercise or essential activities including shopping for necessary items and caring duties.
Bans are also in place prohibiting people from travelling in and out of council areas in level 4 in and out of Scotland from other parts of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
READ MORE: Travel restrictions in Scotland: The full list of 24 exemptions
Six restrictions were announced yesterday by the First Minister including tighter curbs to click and collect and takeaway services, to the drinking of alcohol outdoors and to limit only essential repair work being carried out in people's homes.
On the prospect of new travel restrictions, Sturgeon told journalists this afternoon: "We are thinking about how and if we need to tighten those up. But one of the reasons not to be travelling in and out of the country right now is to avoid the risk of bringing any different strains into the country. So these are things we are of course concerned about and there is lots of work ongoing."
From tomorrow all travellers leaving and arriving in Scotland will be required to have a negative test.
Earlier today, the Constitution Affairs Secretary told MSPs documentation would be checked on everyone leaving the country, while spot checks will be carried out by Border Control on people arriving into Scotland.
Under questioning by the SNP MSP John Mason, Michael Russell said tightening on these procedures were being considered.
The move follows a controversy over Celtic football team travelling to Dubai for training. Currently elite sportsmen and women are among the few groups allowed to travel overseas.
READ MORE: Scottish government confirm Celtic are exempt from fresh Dubai quarantine rules
Meanwhile, in the past 24 hours, 1707 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed - taking the total to 157,079 since the start of the pandemic.
There are 1829 people in hospital confirmed to have Covid-19, up by 35 in 24 hours.
Of these patients, 142 are in intensive care - a rise of eight in the same period.
The 64 fatalities - of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days - takes the death toll under that measure to 5166.
Sturgeon also announced 208,207 people in Scotland had received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination as of Wednesday.
The Public Health Scotland statistics indicate an increase of 16,242 on the 191,965 vaccinated 24 hours previously.
Earlier, the Deputy First Minister John Swinney warned further coronavirus restrictions could be introduced in Scotland if the new rules do not have enough effect.
He said there is more economic activity happening now than immediately after the first lockdown began in March last year and "obviously there are further restrictions that could be applied", though the Scottish Government hopes to avoid doing so.
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