A further 68 deaths and 2,039 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland over the past 24 hours.
The grim statistics were released today by the Scottish Government taking the total number who have tested positive since the start of the pandemic to 141,066.
1,384 people are in hospital with 95 in ICU.
Of the new cases 50 per cent of them are from the new covid-19 variant.
The news comes as harsh new lockdown measures have come into force in Scotland this week.
People are being urged to 'stay at home', akin to the first lockdown last March, amid a surge in cases.
A new strain of the virus, first detected in the south-east of England, is causing special concern for health bosses.
And today it has been reported that even tougher travel restrictions are being considered.
International flights could be banned and tougher restrictions on crossing the border into England are being looked at.
Scots have been ordered to remain indoors unless venturing outside for essential purposes.
These include exercise, to visit shops, to travel to work (if you are unable to work from home), to fulfill caring responsibilities for others, or to form part of an extended household.
Classrooms were due to reopen to all pupils as of Monday, January 18 but that will no longer happen.
The majority of pupils must stay home until at least February 1, with online teaching methods in place.
The situation will be reviewed in two weeks - but Nicola Sturgeon did not rule out pushing the date of schools reopening back even further.
The government has indicated the new measures will last all of January at least.
