People arriving in Scotland from abroad will be required to self-isolate for 14 days or risk being fined, the justice secretary has announced.
Humza Yousaf said that as of tomorrow all arrivals into the country will be required to fill in a passenger locator form with details where they will isolate and how they can be contacted.
Police will have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to anyone failing to comply with self-isolation conditions - with any regular offenders facing prosecution.
The measures are temporary and will be reviewed every three weeks - but will only be lifted when it is safe to do so.
Speaking a Scottish Government media briefing, Yousaf said the quarantine measures were broadly similar to the other home nations and were drawn up in collaboration with the UK Government and other devolved administrations.
“We are, as a country and across the world, continuing to deal with unprecedented challenges that this pandemic brings," he said.
"These public health measures will play an important part in helping to prevent further spread of the disease.
“These steps are aimed at protecting people and ensuring that we limit spread when our own infection rates are falling.
"However, they are temporary and will not be in place any longer than deemed necessary to protect public health – as such, they will be reviewed after three weeks.”
The SNP minister added that he recognised the tourism sector had "been hit hard during the pandemic" but said it was important that measures are in place to limit the transmission of Covid-19.
"We have put in place unprecedented financial support for businesses and we continue to listen to feedback to see what more can be done," he said.
Where international travellers to Scotland are unable to safely self-isolate in their own accommodation, accommodation will be provided through the UK Government.
Failing to complete the locator form prior to arrival or refusing to complete it could result in a £60 fixed penalty notice rising on an incremental scale to £480. Breaching self-isolation could result in a fixed penalty notice of £480.
