Nicola Sturgeon is reportedly considering implementing a legally enforceable ‘stay at home’ rule amid fears over how quickly the mutant strain is spreading in Scotland.

The first minister is set to meet her Government this morning for an emergency meeting amid a ‘rapid increase in Covid cases’ causing ‘very serious concerns’.

Ms Sturgeon is due to address Parliament later on Monday after recalling her MSPs, in what will be the fifth time ever that Parliament has been recalled.

It comes as the whole of mainland Scotland is already under the toughest tier of restrictions.

In a series of tweets, Ms Sturgeon said: ‘The rapid increase in Covid cases, driven by the new variant, is of very serious concern.

‘The steep increases and severe NHS pressure being experienced in other parts of the UK is a sign of what may lie ahead. So we must take all steps to slow spread while vaccination progresses.

‘We, like other countries, are in a race between this faster spreading strain of Covid and the vaccination programme.

‘As we work to vaccinate as quickly as possible, we must also do more to slow down the virus – to save lives and help the NHS care for all those who need it.

‘Following a meeting of the Scottish government resilience committee yesterday to assess latest situation, the Cabinet will meet tomorrow am to consider further action to limit spread and I’ve asked for Scottish Parliament to be recalled tomorrow afternoon so that I can set out our decisions in a statement.

‘All decisions just now are tough, with tough impacts. Vaccines give us way out, but this new strain makes the period between now and then the most dangerous since start of pandemic.

‘So the responsibility of government must be to act quickly and decisively in the national interest.’

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