Nicola Sturgeon is preparing to announce tough new restrictions across Scotland to control the rising tide of coronavirus cases.
The First Minister is due to reveal the details of the plan to the Scottish parliament at 2.50pm on Wednesday after the cabinet has signed off the measures.
There are fears that pubs and restaurants could face temporary closure under “circuit breaker” lockdown plans for some parts of the country.
The SNP leader has emphasised that she does not want to impose a second national lockdown and that schools will remain open and there will be no Scotland-wide travel restrictions.
But with the virus still spreading despite a nationwide ban on visiting other households there are concerns that covid is being transmitted in social gatherings in pubs and restaurants.
The government is due to publish its data behind the locally targeted measures with the hospitality industry fearing it could see restrictions during the October school holidays.
Emma McClarkin, of the Scottish Beer & Pub Association, said: “If the Scottish Government is to implement further harsh restrictive measures to our sector, it must include a dedicated package of support alongside it.
“Without it, the Scottish Government will leave our pubs and thousands of jobs doomed to failure.”
Meanwhile Education Secretary John Swinney will detail plans for school exams next year with the option of cancelling the national five exams and pushing the diet of higher exams back a few weeks.
Boris Johnson faces similar dilemmas to the First Minister in parts of England.
The Prime Minister is considering imposing further lockdown-style restrictions on cities across the north of England within days, as soaring hospitalisations are forcing Downing Street into a major escalation of efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic.
Covid hospital admissions in the north west of England are now as high as they were in April.
Infection rates in Manchester have doubled in the past seven days to 562 cases per 100,000 people and some government scientists are now calling for national rather than local measures to prevent the second wave from spiralling out of control.
