Humza Yousaf has warned that Scotland faces an "extremely challenging winter" as covid Omicron cases continue to rapidly rise.
The Health Secretary confirmed the number of coronavirus cases linked to the new variant has increased from 6% a week ago to 36.5% now.
An evidence paper on the new strain of the virus was published by the Scottish Government, with Mr Yousaf describing the finding as "very difficult reading".
Speaking on the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: "There's been a really worrying rise in cases from when I was on a week ago.
"Omicron cases since then, have increased from about 6% of all cases about a week ago. Now about 36.5% of all cases are Omicron. And we've also seen a 30% - or near 30% - increase from a week ago in terms of the seven-day rolling average. So this variant is the fastest, most transmissible variant we have seen during the pandemic.
"In terms of modelling, we published that in our evidence paper. It made for very difficult reading indeed. Even the best case scenario could be extremely challenging if we don't take measures to protect ourselves. And that's why the First Minister's briefing on Tuesday asked people to minimise their social contacts as best as they possibly can given the high transmissibility of the virus."
He added: "I can't get away from the fact that given covid pressures, given other respiratory viruses, given the pent-up demand of covid and the indirect effect that has had over the last 20 months, this is going to be an extremely, extremely challenging winter."
Earlier this morning, Dr Deepti Gurdasani, an epidemiologist from the Queen Mary University of London, appeared on the programme called for a circuit breaker to be imposed in a bid to halt the rapid spread of Omicron.
She warned that the NHS was at risk of being overwhelmed, saying, "I'm seriously concerned that in the next few weeks, people who need life saving emergency care won't be able to get it by January".
When asked if a circuit breakers was being considered by the Scottish Government, Mr Yousaf said: "We have to always, of course, balance the harms. That's why we haven't imposed even more restrictions, perhaps than we're doing at the moment. We understand that 20 months into this, people's mental health is suffering, the economy is suffering and people's wellbeing suffering, there's been educational disruption.
"So of course as a government there are other measures that can take that could limit social mixing but they would come at harm at a cost. So while I understand what public health experts undoubtedly are saying from their level of expertise, the government's job is to balance those various harms and I think that's a balance we've got right."
