Nicola Sturgeon has said the coronavirus "R" number has risen in the wake of a rise in infection levels.
The calculation is the average number of people who the Government estimate would be infected by one other infections person.
Ministers have previously stressed they would like the number to be below 1, but the First Minister said at her briefing:
"We think that the R number in Scotland increased last week, and it is probably now above 1, perhaps as high as 1.4."
Sturgeon added: "I said recently that the R number is of slightly less concern when overall prevalence of the virus is low, and overall prevalence of the virus is still low in Scotland right now.
"But nevertheless this is a reminder that the virus is spreading again here, just as it is elsewhere in the UK, across Europe and indeed in the wider world, so it is a reminder of the need for us to take this seriously and do all of the right things."
It came as she also announced that 101 people had tested positive in Scotland for coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
The new figure takes the total number of positive cases across the country since the start of the outbreak to 20,889.
Sturgeon announced there has been one hospital death from a positive case which occurred in mid August and has only now been confirmed, with the total number of deaths rising to 2,496.
259 people are currently being treated in hospital with four in intensive care, which is one fewer than yesterday.
