REINTRODUCING lockdown restrictions in Aberdeen has been “effective in beating back the virus”, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Speaking as most of the measures were lifted on Monday, the First Minister praised the level of compliance in the city.

Lockdown restrictions were reimposed on the Aberdeen City Council area on August 5 after an outbreak emerged linked to pubs.

READ MORE: Four key points from Nicola Sturgeon's coronavirus briefing

The five-mile recreational travel limit, restrictions on gatherings and limitations on hospital and care home visits were lifted on Monday, while the ban on the opening of hospitality businesses will be removed on Wednesday, after checks by the local authority.

Sturgeon said: “These restrictions have been effective in beating back the virus in Aberdeen, for the simple reason that you have all complied very well with them.

“That’s also the reason that we’re now able to lift these restrictions.

“I know how difficult this last two-and-a-half week period must have been for everyone in the city and you have my grateful thanks.”

Latest figures show a total of 427 cases have been identified in the NHS Grampian area since July 26.

Of these 259 are associated with the same cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs, and 1258 contacts have now been identified from those.

Speaking at the briefing, Sturgeon said of the 66 people in Scotland who tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, provisional figures indicate five were in the Grampian health board area.

A total of 17 were in Lanarkshire, 15 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and 14 in Tayside, she added, addressing areas which have localised clusters.

These include the outbreak in Coupar Angus, which is believed to have started at the 2 Sisters food processing factory.

The First Minister described the outbreak as “very significant”, adding there were 110 cases linked to the cluster as of Sunday, 96 employees and 14 close contacts.

She also said the number of cases should be expected to rise further.

Almost 900 people have been tested at a mobile unit sent to Coupar Angus, the First Minister said, and there is currently no evidence of community transmission linked to the cluster.

She stressed the guidance for employees and family members remains in place, meaning they will have to self-isolate for the remainder of the initial 14-day period.

The total number of people who have tested positive across Scotland is now 19,877.

There was no increase in the number of people who have died within 28 days of a positive test and this remains at 2492, the same as Sunday.

The latest daily figures showed that 1% of those tested for the virus were positive.

Sturgeon said of those who tested positive, 248 were in hospital, up three in 24 hours.

Of these, one was in intensive care, a fall of one.