Thread by @theSNP

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "The total number of cases reported yesterday was 858, 4.4% of all tests reported, and the total number of positive cases is now 109,296."

NS: "1,012 people are in hospital, 19 fewer than yesterday, and 50 people are in intensive care, 1 more than yesterday."

NS: "I also regret to report that, in the past 24 hours, a further 30 deaths were registered of patients who first tested positive over the previous 28 days, and the total number of people who have died under that daily measurement is now 4,203."

NS: "Again, my condolences are with everyone who has lost a loved one."

NS: "We'll also shortly publish the latest estimate of the R number, we expect that it will show that the R number has risen slightly this week and is now around 1 again, as opposed to just below 1."

NS: "This underlines the importance of having taken a cautious approach to this week's levels review and also why we have reinforced our guidance to people ahead of the Christmas period, and I want to briefly re-emphasise to people what that guidance is."

NS: "Firstly, the safest way to spend Christmas this year is to stay within your own household and your own home and my strong recommendation is that that is what people should do if at all possible."

NS: "Any interaction you do have with another household should, if possible, be outdoors. However, if you consider it essential to meet indoors with someone from another household, and pragmatically, we recognise that some people might..."

NS: "..you should limit both the duration and the numbers as much as possible. The five-day period over Christmas is a limited window - not a period of time that we think it is safe to meet for."

NS: "My recommendation to anyone who considers it essential to form a bubble is to not meet up with people in it on any more than one day in the Christmas period, and to keep the duration as short as possible."

NS: "People should also limit numbers as far as possible. 3 households and 8 people is a maximum that tries to account for the fact that families come in all shapes and sizes - but the smaller, the better."

NS: "Please ensure you keep a safe distance from others, wash your hands and surfaces and keep windows open."

NS: "Lastly, we recommend against travel from high-prevalence to low-prevalence parts of the UK, and that includes advising against travel to or from Scotland and Tier 3 areas of England."

NS: "The five-day window of opportunity over Christmas is a pragmatic recognition that some people may not be willing to leave loved ones alone, and therefore it is an attempt to put some risk-reducing boundaries around that."

NS: "But let me reiterate that our clear advice is that the safest way to spend Christmas this year is to stay within our own homes and households and to keep any interaction with other households outdoors."

NS: "We now have a real prospect of vaccination within weeks for many and within months for most. All of us, therefore, should do all we can to keep each other safe until then."

NS: "And finally, Christmas aside, let me just briefly remind everyone just how important it is to stick to the general rules and guidance."

NS: "The postcode checker on the Scottish Government's website is there if you don't know what the rules in your area are, but please don't visit each others' homes, stick to the rules on travel, and follow FACTS."

NS: "Face coverings, avoid crowded places, clean hands and surfaces regularly, keep two metres distance rom people in other households, and self-isolate and get tested if you have symptoms."

NS: "As always, doing all of these things is the best way of protecting ourselves, our communities, and each other - and of protecting the NHS as we go further into the winter."