Nicola Sturgeon has been accused of delivering a 'hammer blow' to businesses in Edinburgh after announcing the city would remain under level three.
The First Minister announced that Edinburgh would remain under the second highest level of restrictions alongside Midlothian and those areas leaving level four.
But Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray has blasted the decision, saying there is "no logical explanation" behind which level the city is in.
Nicola Sturgeon said that whilst all the data indicates the city should move down to level two, and public health advice had backed such a move, the government had taken into account "contextual information" to form the decision.
She said the imminence of Christmas, and the risk of opening up the hospitality sector significantly, informed the choice alongside a small increase in cases in recent days.
Speaking after her announcement in the Scottish Parliament, Labour MP Ian Murray said: “Edinburgh went into a ‘16 day’ targeted lockdown on October 9. We are now at day 60 with no logical explanation of how and when Edinburgh moves to a lower tier.
“The announcement that the capital will remain at tier three, despite widely trailing a move to tier two, is a hammer blow for businesses and jobs at the most important time of the year.
“This is compounded by the SNP Government’s failure to offer adequate support for employers, even though up to £1billion in funding it has received from the UK Government remains unallocated.
“People in Edinburgh have sacrificed much to ensure that our infection levels have remained low, and there is an overall downwards trend.
“Everyone must continue to follow the guidelines, but in return the government must deliver its side of the bargain – greater support for employers and a functioning Test and Protect system.
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“If that system was working, we would know where infections are happening and deal with that, rather than keeping the entire city at tier three on a tier two level of infection rates.”
Conservative MSP Ruth Davidson told the First Minister the choice would be a "bitter pill" for people who had seen their business shuttered to now be told they could be too busy.
