Aberdeen will not have its lockdown restrictions lifted today after the First Minister confirmed the Scottish Government still have concerns over transmission of the virus.
Nicola Sturgeon stated that the decision would be "disappointing" for many, but added that moving too quickly to ease restrictions could reverse the progress the area has made in the last few weeks.
Hospitality venues in Aberdeen such as bars, restaurants and pubs must continue to remain closed, with the rules surrounding indoor gatherings and travel to continue for another week.
However, Nicola Sturgeon also confirmed that the government hope to start lifting restrictions in the area by next Wednesday, August 26.
Under the proposed plans, lower risk venues such as cafes will be able to reopen from that date, with other venues to follow.
A more detailed plan is also to be laid out on Sunday to set out how different sites will be able to allow customers again.
A £1million support fund has also been announced for businesses in Aberdeen as the First Minister stated that she "understood how tough it's been".
The latest figures from Wednesday's daily briefing showed that a total of 398 cases have been identified in the Grampian area since July 26.
It was also reported that a number of smaller clusters have been found in the area, which do not appear to be linked to the original outbreak.
Today the number of new cases in the health board area was double the number reported yesterday, with Nicola Sturgeon stating that the virus could be "volatile" if the clusters are not contained properly.
You can read all of the latest coronavirus updates on our LIVE blog here.
