Scotland could see a spike in coronavirus cases this summer, according to the country's top doctor.
Chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith told MSPs on the Scottish Parliament Covid committee that there was modelling which suggested a summer surge was possible.
Appearing alongside Nicola Sturgeon at the committee, Dr Smith was asked about the potential for a surge in new cases to hit Scotland later this year.
It followed comments from England's chief medic, Professor Chris Whitty, who said expected to see an increase in cases.
Dr Smith told MSPs: "I strongly associate myself with Chris's remarks yesterday. It is a possibility, still, that we will see a further surge later in the summer - most likely.
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"I've seen modelling which shows the path towards that.
"So much is dependent on how all of us respond to this gradual reopening of society that we are undertaking at the moment.
"If we lose the sense of caution it is very quickly going to reestablish high levels of infectionary rates.
"We will see more cases of the virus with the implications for the long covid symptoms.
"We are learning more and more about that all the time if we are not careful in terms of the way we reopen society."
Speaking to a similar committee in the House of Commons, Prof Whitty said all the modelling suggested that "at some point we will get a surge in virus".
He said this new spike would find people who had either not been vaccinated or where the vaccine had not worked.
He added: “Whether that happens, we hope it doesn’t happen soon, but it might for example happen later in the summer if we open up gradually, or if there’s a seasonal effect it might happen over the next autumn or winter."
