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Coronavirus restrictions on home visiting in the west of Scotland have been extended to Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire after an increase in cases.
The move comes a week after the measures were reimposed in the city of Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire.
The restrictions now apply to more than 1.1 million people living in the five council areas.
Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon said acting quickly now could “stem the tide of transmission” in the area.
But he warned that there is a “definite trend” of increasing cases in Scotland.
- Live: the latest on the coronavirus in Scotland
The new restrictions will go into effect at midnight.
The measures were reimposed in parts of the Greater Glasgow area last week in response to rising coronavirus cases.
People are being told not to take people from other households into their own homes or to visit someone else’s home.
Another 78 cases were reported to the Greater Glasgow and Clyde board of health on Monday.
Sturgeon said it was “too early” to say whether the new closure had any effect on the cases.
The measures are aimed at household gatherings, and Sturgeon said that “it was still the opinion of public health teams that the important factor driving transmission is the people meeting in their own homes.”
He said local authorities in the area would “pay close attention to hospitality” and encourage people to act responsibly while using bars and restaurants.
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Sturgeon said the measures are not yet being rolled out to Lanarkshire or Inverclyde, noting that infection levels were “significantly lower” in Inverclyde.
The restrictions will now apply to 179,000 people living in Renfrewshire and 108,000 in East Dunbartonshire.
The city of Glasgow has a population of 633,120, while there are 95,530 people in East Renfrewshire and 88,930 in West Dunbartonshire.
Sturgeon said it was “regrettable that we are in this position” but said the measures banning home visiting “were considered proportionate but also the most effective.”
He added: “If we act quickly and proactively now, we can stem the tide of transmission and prevent further restrictions from being put in place.”
The prime minister had previously warned that a continued increase in Covid-19 cases in Scotland could cause her government to “slow down” the plan to ease some restrictions.
An average of 152 positive tests have been recorded each day for the past week, compared to 14 per day six weeks ago.
