Thread by @theSNP

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Good afternoon, many thanks for joining us. I'll start, as usual, with a report on the Covid daily statistics."

NS: "The total number of cases reported yesterday was 800. This is 13.2% of people newly tested and takes the total number of cases to 33,706."

NS: "303 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. 167 in Lanarkshire. 164 in Lothian. The remaining cases, 196 of them, were spread across 9 other health board areas."

NS: "I can also report that 262 people are in hospital. That is an increase of 44 from yesterday. 25 people are in intensive care, which is three more than yesterday."

NS: "And I regret to say that two further deaths have been registered of people who first tested positive for Covid during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths under that measurement is now 2,532."

NS: "That total reminds us again of the potentially deadly impact of Covid and why we cannot be complacent about it. Once again I want to convey my deepest condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one - and particularly to those who have been bereaved recently."

NS: "I'm joined today by our National Clinical Director, he will say a few words shortly, however, I've just come from a meeting of the Scottish Cabinet, where we discussed plans for responding to the continued increase in Covid cases."

NS: "Let me say first of all, Cabinet did not reach final decisions on any further measures this morning. Further work is being done throughout the day and we will meet again tomorrow morning."

NS: "I will then make a statement to Parliament tomorrow where I'll give a more detailed update of the current situation and set out any decisions about further measures we've reached and the reasons for them."

NS: "What I want to do now, given the entirely understandable public anxiety about what the next few weeks might hold, is try to give you an insight into the Scottish Government's current thinking, and the issues we are grappling with in coming to decisions."

NS: "Perhaps most importantly of all, given talk of 'circuit-breakers' and speculation about what that might mean in practice, I want to let you know what we are not proposing to do at this stage, because I think that's equally important."

NS: "I should say, I gave the other party leaders in Scotland a similar update last night. I took their views on the current situation."

NS: "First of all, let me reflect. And I want to do this as frankly as I can. Back in April, I said I wanted, as far as possible, to treat you, the public, as grown-ups, and include you in the decision-making."

NS: "It's not always easy to do that for a government, but I want today to be as frank and open as I can about where we are now, and some of the difficulties that lie ahead for us.

NS: "And after seven months of decisions that have been extremely difficult for me and the government to take and even more difficult for you to live with, I appreciate that what I'm about to say might seem like a big statement to make."

NS: "But, in many ways, this is probably the most difficult decision point we have faced so far, and I want to try and explain why that is the case."

NS: "Right now, as our figures demonstrate, and like many other countries, we face a sharply rising rate of infection again. Not as sharply rising as it was earlier in the year, but nevertheless it is rising quite markedly."

NS: "The situation again, as you see from the numbers, is particularly pronounced in the central belt - in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Lothian, and now too we are seeing evidence of that in Ayrshire and Arran and Forth Valley."

NS: "But notwithstanding that it is particularly pronounced in the central belt of Scotland, it's important to recognise that cases are rising everywhere across the country."

NS: "And levels of infection now, in most parts of Scotland, are higher than we can be comfortable with. Most parts of Scotland, and mainland Scotland in particular, have infection levels of higher than 50 cases per 100,000."

NS: "If you cast your mind back to the time we introduced a local lockdown for Aberdeen, the level of infection that triggered that was around 20 cases per 100,000. So that gives you a bit of context on the rising situation we are dealing with right now."

NS: "We're also beginning to see spread from the younger age groups of the population into the older age groups, and again, as you've seen from today's numbers, the numbers being admitted to hospital and intensive care, and sadly, the number of people dying, are also increasing."

NS: "Now, it's important also to say, just for perspective and balance, that partly because we reduced the virus to such low levels over the summer, and partly - moreso, perhaps - because of the excellent work of Test & Protect, the situation is not out of control."

NS: "But the situation is a cause of increasing concern. To give an illustration of that, two weeks ago, when I announced in Parliament that people would not be able now to meet in each other's homes, we were seeing an average of 285 new cases a day."

NS: "That figure is now 729. That shows you, even in those two weeks, how the situation has accelerated. Of course, and this is an important point to stress, we've not yet seen the full impact of those household restrictions on our case numbers, and we are hopeful..."

NS: "..very hopeful that in the next few days, even without any further intervention, we will start to see these restrictions slowing the spread at which cases are rising."

NS: "But we cannot guarantee that will be sufficient, and the volume of new cases we're now seeing, combined with the prospect of further increases..."

NS: "is the reason - and I want to be very clear about this - that the government is receiving very strong public health advice that action over and above the existing restrictions is necessary."

NS: "And this is the point where I particularly want to level with you and just give you an insight into the decision-making process we are going through right now."

NS: "If this was a purely one-dimensional decision where the immediate harm caused by Covid was the only thing we had to consider, it is possible we would now be moving in the direction of measures much, much closer to the kind of lockdown we had in March."

NS: "But seven months in, this can't be and is not a one-dimensional decision. It is very much a multi-dimensional decision."

NS: "We have to carefully balance all of the different harms that are being caused by the pandemic. That includes, obviously, the direct harm of the virus, which we must reduce. That bit is not negotiable."

NS: "But also we must consider the considerable harm that is being done to jobs and the economy, which of course, we have limited power to mitigate, and which we know also have an impact on people's health and wellbeing."

NS: "And we have to consider the wider harms to health and wellbeing that the virus, and the restrictions deployed to control it, are now having on all of us."

NS: "And these wider harms weigh very heavily, and striking a balance that minimises all of them is not easy. After all, as I've said already, and as everybody knows only too well, we are now seven months into this pandemic."

NS: "We know that the ongoing restrictions have an impact on our mental, physical and financial wellbeing."

NS: "And I think people - and I include myself in this - generally just find it much harder to cope now with the implications of it all than we did back in the spring."

NS: "On the positive side, though, and again, I think it's important that we keep these issues in perspective - unlike in March, we now have Test & Protect, that is working well and as intended it is now taking a lot of the strain of controlling the spread of the virus."

NS: "So we need to take all of this into account, and while, as I said at the outset, we haven't reached final decisions on additional steps we might take, we've got some further consideration to do."

NS: "I hope it is helpful, in light of understandable speculation, for me to be clear about some of the conclusions Cabinet has reached about what we are not proposing to do at this stage, because of all these different factors we are weighing and taking into account."

NS: "Let me be clear. We are not proposing another lockdown at this stage. Not even on a temporary basis. We are not going to be asking you to stay inside your own homes in the way we did back in March."

NS: "While we have been asking people to think carefully about non-essential travel, especially overseas, and while restrictions on travel may sometimes be an option, and necessary for hotspot areas, we are not about to impose travel restrictions on the whole of the country."

NS: "We're not about to shut down the entire economy, we're not about to halt the remobilisation of the NHS. It is vital that our National Health Service is there for non-Covid conditions as well as there for anything that we have to deal with in relation to Covid."

NS: "And, apart from the October holidays, which are already planned, we are not proposing to close schools either wholly or partially. I hope all of that gives people some reassurance."

NS: "However, we are considering, as I've indicated already, what additional targeted steps we can take over the next couple of weeks in addition to the household restrictions currently in place..."

NS: "..to further stem the spread, while we continue to strengthen - which is an ongoing process - our overall resilience in terms of living with this virus. That's a testing system which is working well, but we continue to strengthen it."

NS: "And also making sure that around compliance with restrictions and with all of the FACTS advice, the regulations we expect employers to have in place, making sure that all of that is working well."

NS: "What further restrictions we need to do in the short term to help reduce the spread of the virus. And, inevitably, I know we talk a lot and I talk a lot about all of the science here..."

NS: "..and we will, if we announce further measures tomorrow, set out the rationale for them. But sometimes when we're talking about how to stem the spread of this virus, it is not complicated."

NS: "The assessment we make has to focus on the kinds of settings, other than our own homes, where people are most likely to come together and either get the virus, or pass it on to others."

NS: "So these are the decisions we are considering over the course of the day and we will set out tomorrow. Of course, in taking them, we're also mindful of the harm caused by isolation, in particular for people who live on their own."

NS: "We are considering, given some of what I said earlier on, the extend to which any measures would have to be taken nationally or regionally, or perhaps a bit of both."

NS: "And we're thinking of how we best mitigate the economic impact of any decisions we take, even within the limited powers the Scottish Government has."

NS: "So tomorrow's statement will seek to address all of these issues. Let me end where I started. None of this is easy. I'm not complaining about that - that is the job of government."

NS: "But, as I indicated earlier, this is actually the most difficult decision point yet. When we took the decisions back in March that just focused on locking down to stop the virus, none of the economic and social harm had been done."

NS: "We now have that to consider as well, so these decisions have to be very carefully balanced. And I know that many of you will be thinking - for goodness sake, just tell us what you want to do."

NS: "And many of you will be thinking - for goodness sake, just leave us alone."

NS: "All of that is understandable and I know that, while we are considering these issues, the media speculation about what we might and might not do - which, let me say, is entirely legitimate and understandable - that is not a complaint."

NS: "But that also, I know, contributes to a sense of anxiety. So what I've tried to do today is share more about the decision-making process, the factors we are trying to weigh, any conclusions we've reached so far, and what issues we are still considering."

NS: "I hope that approach is helpful, even if it doesn't always provide the instant, clear-cut answers I know everybody is keen to have."

NS: "But let me end on this point. Whatever the future holds, one thing will always be constant, and that is each and every single one of us has power over the virus."

NS: "And the best way for each and every single one of us to exercise that power, every single day, is to abide by all of the rules, regulations and guidance that is in place at any given time."

NS: "As usual, let me close with a reminder of what those are right now. None of us should be visiting each other's homes at the moment except for very specific exemptions such as care for a vulnerable person, or childcare, or if it's part of an extended household."

NS: "When you do meet outdoors or in indoor public places, the maximum group size is 6 from a maximum of 2 households. Work from home if you can. Download the Protect Scotland app."

NS: "And finally, remember FACTS. Whatever other restrictions and rules and regulations are in place, it is compliance with FACTS that are the most important thing any of us can do."

NS: "Wear face coverings whenever you're out and about, avoid coming into contact with other people in crowded places, clean your hands, clean hard surfaces, two-metres distance with people in other households, and self-isolate and get tested if you have the symptoms of Covid."

NS: "Thank you for listening, and thank you for sticking with this. I am acutely aware, every single day, not just as First Minister but actually as a citizen, how horribly difficult this all is, and how all of us just want desperately for it to be over."

NS: "It will be over soon, I hope. I can't tell you the date, but we will be looking back on it at some point soon. But right now, in order to get through it, we have to stick with all this. We have to keep making the sacrifices and remember that while these decisions..."

NS: "..are more difficult now than they have been, because there are more things we have to balance, at the heart of this is still a very simple but very important imperative, which is to try to reduce the risk of people dying unnecessarily from a very nasty virus."

NS: "So thank you very much for your patience, and your forbearance, and your sacrifice."