Aberdeen is a loud warning about how quickly coronavirus could send Scotland back to lockdown.
The city is now under harsher curbs. Freedoms to move around and mix with friends have been pegged back.
Be under no illusion about what a pivotal moment this is for the country.
Nicola Sturgeon is a cautious leader – she’s shown that in many of her decisions in the route out of lockdown.
But she was very clearly alarmed by what is unfolding in the north-east.
And if it’s happening there, it could be happening in other cities too.
Concern has been raised everywhere about what happens when people forget to follow the rules after a few drinks.
And the latest cluster is already threatening to go beyond Aberdeen.
The blurred boundaries between the city and Aberdeenshire mean residents will have to be scrupulous in following public health guidance or risk a bigger crackdown.
People all over the country will be nervously watching what happens there.
We cannot afford to slip up now, just days before children are meant to be back at school.
Coronavirus cannot be wished away but it can be blocked from spreading if we take precautions and act quickly to test and isolate.
The recent short-lived taste of relaxed lockdown is a reminder of how much is riding on everyone playing their part.
