Scots hoping to jet away to Portugal for a holiday could face disappoint after fears the country could be removed from the 'green list'.
Experts are alarmed at a rise in coronavirus infections, meaning the destination could be added to the amber list with travellers facing 10 days of isolation on return.
Nicola Sturgeon warned the Scottish Government will be 'highly cautious' over international travel after adopting the traffic light system last month.
The First Minister did urge people not to book summer holidays this year and opt for staycation instead amid the ongoing pandemic.
The UK Government is set to announce today whether it is making any changes to its traffic light ratings, with the Scottish Government expected to follow suit.
Latest data shows the daily number of cases has nearly quadrupled in Portugal since the middle of last month, when travel restrictions were lifted, The Mirror reports.
On May 17, Portugal, confirmed 199 new Covid cases.
On Wednesday, however, the number stood at 724, with an average of 547 a day for the past week, data from the Johns Hopkins University shows.
The number is still relatively low compared to the January peak, which saw more than 16,000 people testing positive on January 28.
On February 1 there were 275 confirmed deaths in Portugal - a number that has fallen sharply in line with the vaccination programme.
Meanwhile, politicians have warned Scotland is currently at the "foothills" of a third wave of coronavirus.
Cases in some parts of Scotland have increased over the last couple of weeks due to the new so-called Indian variant - believed to be more transmissible than previous strains.
According to The Telegraph, one option could be to put Portugal on a precursor 'watch list' - warning tourists that a move to amber list status is likely.
A source said: "The watch list is an ideal and things could change more quickly if, for example, a super-variant was found in a country. We won't take any chances with it."
If Portugal's status is changed, it could throw travel plans into chaos and deliver another hammer blow to an industry which has endured a torrid 15 months.
Despite passengers being legally allowed to travel to and from amber list countries, the First Minister has warned people not to go abroad for holidays.
