Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled tough new curbs to suppress "an extremely serious" surge in Covid cases – including a legal stay at home order.

She told a recalled Holyrood the requirement would start from midnight and remain in place for the whole of January.

"I can confirm now, in summary, that we decided to introduce from tomorrow, for the duration of January, a legal requirement to stay at home except for essential purposes. This is similar to the lockdown of March last year," she said.

"And because it is now spreading faster, that means even tougher restrictions are necessary."

She added: "We are now seeing a steeply rising trend of infections.

"Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.

"The evidence is now compelling that the new variant is up to 70% more transmissible than previously circulating strains, and that it may add as much as 0.7 to the R number."

IN FULL: Nicola Sturgeon's statement on tougher lockdown restrictions

A second major change was on outdoor gatherings, reducing the number of people allowed to meet up from six to two.

She said: "As of now, up to six people from two households are able to meet outdoors. Given the greater transmissibility of this new variant, we consider it necessary to restrict that further.

"From tomorrow, a maximum of two people from up to two households will be able to meet outdoors.

"Children aged 11 and under will not be counted in that limit, and they will also be able to play outdoors in larger groups, including in organized gatherings.

"However, for everyone else – including 12 to 17 year olds – outdoor exercise should only take place in a way which is consistent with the 2 people from 2 households rule."

She said the measures were needed to ensure more people did not fall ill and die and that the NHS was not overwhelmed.

The National: Nicola Sturgeon delivered an update in the Scottish Parliament Nicola Sturgeon delivered an update in the Scottish Parliament

READ MORE: Another 1905 people test positive for Covid-19 in Scotland

On the new stay at home order, told a hushed Scottish Parliament chamber: "The first measure is that our fundamental advice, for everyone, is to stay at home. That is the single best way of staying safe.

"We consider that this stay at home advice is now so important that, from tomorrow, it will become law, just as it was in the lockdown last year."

The First Minister said the measure would mean that it will only be permissible to leave home for an essential reasons, for example, caring responsibilities, essential shopping, exercise and being part of an extended household.

She added: "In addition, anyone who is able to work from home, must do so. It will only be a reasonable excuse to leave your home to go to work, if that work cannot be done from home.  

"We are asking people and businesses to take this really seriously – as we all did in March, during the first lockdown – because the situation is at least as serious now as it was then."

READ MORE: Scotland's nurseries and schools to remain closed until February

She said the government would also be asking more businesses in certain sectors to close in level 4 - which applies across the whole of mainland Scortland.
She said that while people would be able to leave their homes more than once a day for exercise, the rule on outdoor gatherings will change.

The First Minister also reminded Scots that strict travel restrictions remain in place across the country.

"From tomorrow, if you live in a level 4 area – as the majority of us do – you cannot leave your home except for an essential purpose. When you do go out, stay as close to home as possible and stay away from crowded places," she said.

"And it remains the case that no-one is allowed to travel into or out of Scotland unless it is for an essential purpose."

She added that premises which will need to close as a result of these changes will included ski centres, showrooms of larger retailers, and clinics offering cosmetic and aesthetic procedures.

In addition, the move to home working has brought challenges for workers and employers. I am hugely grateful for the way in which businesses and their staff have responded to that challenge.

This is just the fifth time Parliament has been recalled and the second time within the last four weeks, after it sat on December 30 to consider the post-Brexit EU trade deal

Previously, it was convened after the deaths of Donald Dewar in October 2000 and the Queen Mother in April 2002.

It was also reconvened following the release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, in 2009.