NICOLA Sturgeon is to give an update on the pandemic today amid growing fears over the impact of COP26 on Covid cases, pressures on hospitals and whether a new spike in infections could trigger the return of more restrictions.

The First Minister will hold the televised briefing to journalists at Atlantic Quay in Glasgow, along with the National Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch and Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone this afternoon.

Last week one of Sturgeon’s key health advisers predicted the arrival of thousands of delegates to Glasgow’s climate conference will fuel the spread of Covid-19 and prompt the return of pandemic restrictions.

READ MORE: Scotland 'faces a four-fold Covid spike at COP26 in a best-case scenario'

Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and a member of the Scottish Government’s Covid-19 advisory group, said COP26, which is to be attended by up to 25,000 delegates from 200 countries, risks reversing the downturn in virus case numbers.

Any fresh curbs could include capping the number of people allowed to attend indoor gatherings or the possible reintroduction of social distancing rules.

Sridhar said she was “not underplaying at all the significance of climate change” but that she was worried about the impact of the in-person conference in Glasgow on the ability to control of the virus.

The summit is taking place at “probably [the] worst timing ever in a pandemic”, Sridhar said, as winter approaches and socialising increasingly takes place indoors with less ventilation as venues close windows to retain heat.

“A mass event (with major movement of people in & out) with an infectious virus will cause an increase in cases,” Sridhar tweeted.

“While in the case of Covid will put stress on limited health services. Which triggers [the] need for further restrictions.”

According to the latest official figures, published yesterday, 20 coronavirus deaths and 2153 new cases were recorded in the previous 24 hours.

On Tuesday the First Minister told MSPs the situation was fragile as she announced that some NHS hospitals in Scotland are currently "at capacity".

She told Holyrood COP26 will "inevitably" pose a risk of transmission of Covid-19.

But the First Minister told MSPs work has been done by the Scottish Government and United Nations to mitigate the effects.

She said: "The hosting of COP26 would always have been a significant challenge for the UK and Scottish governments and Glasgow City Council.

"However, the fact it is happening amidst the global pandemic makes it even more so.

"It is inevitably the case that it poses a risk of increased Covid transmission.

"I want to assure Parliament and the public, however, that the Scottish Government has been working closely with the United Nations and the UK Government to mitigate these risks as far as possible."

Some 25,000 delegates will be attending COP26 and are not required to be vaccinated. In addition some 100,000 people are expected to descend on Glasgow for protests and demonstrations.

But those from outside the common travel area will have to show proof of a negative test and those on the red list will have to stay in managed quarantine.

Delegates in the COP26 "blue zone" will have to carry out daily lateral flow testing and follow hygiene mitigations.

The briefing will take place at 3pm today.

A total of 9119 people in Scotland have died who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days.

There were 932 people in hospital on Wednesday with recently confirmed Covid-19, up seven on the day before, with 58 in intensive care, up one.