SCOTLAND’S First Minister has announced travel restrictions will be brought in between Scotland and two English cities from Monday.

Speaking at her coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, Nicola Sturgeon said due to rising Covid-19 cases in Manchester and Salford Scots would not be allowed to travel to these areas unless for essential purposes.

The percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 is estimated to have increased in north-west England and the West Midlands.

The National:

North-west England had the highest proportion of people of any region in England likely to test positive for coronavirus in the week to June 12: around one in 180.

“I regret that we are introducing restrictions on travel between Scotland and two cities in England," the First Minister told viewers.

The National:

“Manchester and Salford currently have high levels of Covid and so from Monday onwards non-essential travel between Scotland and those cities is not permitted. Non-essential travel is already prohibited between Scotland and Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.

“Anyone travelling elsewhere in the Greater Manchester or Lancashire area, I’d ask you to think carefully about whether your journey is really necessary because we do see cases rising across that region.”

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon update: Two more people die with Covid as 950 cases are recorded

The First Minister said that the situation would be disappointing for people planning visits to see friends or families, but added that Covid rates are “particularly high at the moment”.

“These restrictions are intended to minimise the risk of either exacerbating the situation there or indeed allowing more virus to come back here to Scotland.”

Meanwhile, travel bans to the English town of Bedford and Northern Ireland will be removed.