People who have been in contact with those suspected of having the Omicron variant of coronavirus will have to self-isolate for ten days regardless of their vaccination status.
The new rule comes as two cases of the new variant have been detected in England and Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave an urgent speech today.
Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf made a subsequent announcement on changes taking place in Scotland.
He said: “No cases have yet been detected in Scotland, but the fact this new variant is on our doorstep is clearly a worry and we should act as though it is already here.
“There is still much to learn about the Omicron variant. Questions remain about its severity, transmissibility and effect on treatments or vaccines and scientists are working at pace to provide additional information.
"Until more is known we must adopt the precautionary principle and do everything we can to minimise the risk of spreading infection."
Yousaf reminded Scots to wear a face covering on public transport and in all indoor settings for food and retail to stop the spread.
He also reiterated opening windows while hosting visitors, washing hands regularly and thoroughly, and working from home.
Those arriving in the UK will also be required to take a PCR test within two days of entering the country and will be required to isolate until they receive a negative result.
It comes after Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia are set to be added to the travel red list as of 4am tomorrow and visitors from these countries will also need to self-isolate for ten days.
This was previously the case with four other African countries as of 4am this morning; South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
