Nicola Sturgeon warned Scots to avoid pub crawls as health officials struggle to keep on top of the rapid spread of lethal Covid-19.
The First Minister made the direct plea on the day new restrictions on movement were extended from Glasgow across most of west central Scotland.
The new rules limit mixing between households - but Scots can still meet pals in pubs and restaurants.
Sturgeon said: "If you arrive in a bar that is a bit too crowded and where physical distancing is difficult, my advice would be not to stay there. Try to find a venue that is less busy."
Sturgeon continued: "And when you do go out, it's far better to stay in one pub than to visit several. If you spend time in three or four different bars, you're significantly increasing the number of people who could transmit Covid to you."
Sturgeon said the Test and Protect system has a challenge to keep up when people move around with potentially dozens of connections.
She added: "Please try to ensure you stay in the same place if at all possible. It really does make a difference to your safety and also to the safety of those around you.
“This is an area that we know is hard to regulate, and we don't want, if we can avoid it, to have to create new rules or laws. But there is clearly a responsibility for individuals here."
Critics of the current health policy say pubs should have shut indoor areas long ago to keep infections down and schools open.
Sturgeon recognised the balancing act between economy and health, and said she does not want to have to shut business down.
Wage protection through the UK furlough scheme is also coming to an end next month.
