Nicola Sturgeon has warned Scots wishing friends, family and neighbours a happy New Year with a hug and a kiss will risk lives amid rising cases of covid across the country.
The First Minister took to Twitter to urge people not to go first footing minutes after the Scottish Government announced a further 2,539 coronavirus cases nationwide.
Referring to the 'worryingly high' figures, Nicola Sturgeon commented: "The new variant is accelerating spread. PLEASE do not visit other people’s homes just now, even today - if you first foot someone today, or hug/kiss/handshake them HNY, you are putting yourself, others & the NHS at risk."
However, the First Minister also shared her optimism for the New Year, with millions of vaccines set to be made available to Scots in 2021.
She said: "The vaccine cavalry is on way, offering real hope for 2021 - but with this new variant, the next few weeks may be the most dangerous we’ve faced since Mar/April.
"We must act together to suppress it, to save lives and protect the NHS."
To see today's Scottish Government statistics in full, you can visit the Scot Gov website here.
