Scots are being warned to steer clear of any office parties and limit contact with other people in the run-up to Christmas.
Nicola Sturgeon said she feels like a "killjoy" as she raised fears about spikes in Covid-19 infection less than two weeks before rules are relaxed for Christmas get-togethers.
London is on the verge of a tougher lockdown and other countries including Germany are tightening their rules.
In Scotland, another 734 people tested positive for the virus in a day.
Sturgeon, at her regular briefing, issued a strong warning one day before the next review of Scotland's five-tier alert system.
The First Minister said: "The final point I want to stress, and I'm sorry I'm starting to sound like the Christmas killjoy here, might sound obvious but it is really important and that relates to office parties.
"Obviously if you can't work from home and you're sharing a workplace with colleagues right now, I can understand why it might be tempting to have some sort of celebration or social gathering at work.
"This obviously has been a difficult time for everyone. But office parties, particularly if they involve alcohol, present a real risk of transmission.
"People are less likely to stick to physical distancing requirements than when they're working and more likely to pass around food or drinks without perhaps washing their hands as carefully as they should, so I'm asking everybody please don’t take these risks.
She said any celebration should be done "virtually", or should be postponed to spring when "greater normality" might return.
Sturgeon has already agreed to UK-wide rules allowing three families to meet at Christmas.
The plan has been sharply criticised over the weekend by public health experts.
Sturgeon said anyone intending to form a "bubble" over Christmas should cut down their "unnecessary contact" with other people now.
"The virus won't take a break over Christmas," she said.
