IT felt at times like we were out of the woods and life was back to some sort of normal. 

However, following a spike in Covid-19 cases across Greater Glasgow and the Central Belt, a string of strict new restrictions will be rolled out today. 

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon laid out her "targeted" plans in the Scottish Parliament as she looks to slow down the virus, which saw 1027 positive cases recorded yesterday. 

READ MORE: Coronavirus RECAP: Pubs and restaurants across central Scotland closed from Friday

More than 600 of those occured in Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire with a total of 377 people in hospital across the country. 

The measures have been rolled out nationwide, but, given the prominence of the virus in the Central Belt, more restrictions are in place for 3.4 million Scots. 

Here is what you need to know: 

Hospitality 

Because of higher levels of infection in the central belt, the Scottish Government are introducing stricter restrictions in the following five healthboard areas - Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.

In these areas, all licensed premises - with the exception of hotels for residents - will be required to close indoors and outdoors, though takeaways will be permitted.

Glasgow Times: https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18781181.glasgow-pubs-restaurants-packed-ahead-two-week-ban/https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18781181.glasgow-pubs-restaurants-packed-ahead-two-week-ban/

Cafes will be able to stay open until 6pm to support social isolation as long as they don't serve alcohol. 

The Scottish Government will offer financial compensation of £40m to the businesses impacted by these decisions. 

Contact sports and gyms

Contact sports will be suspended for two weeks for people aged 18 and over with the only exception being professional sports; individual sporting bodies (such as the Scottish FA) will clarify where the line is. 

Youth football, for instance, may continue in the Central Belt but teams may not play sides outwith their own health board. 

Glasgow Times: Professional sport teams, such as the Glasgow Warriors, may continue to playProfessional sport teams, such as the Glasgow Warriors, may continue to play

In the central belt, snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will be closed from the 10th of October.

Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed in gyms - although the current rules will remain in place for under 18s and gyms can remain open for individual exercise.

Travelling

Nicola Sturgeon has said that people shouldn’t cancel any half-term breaks that they have planned but is advising not to travel outside of your health board region if you don’t need to. 

People in other health board areas should not travel to Greater Glasgow & Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire & Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley unless they need to.

Glasgow Times:

The first minister says that although there are not any mandatory travel restrictions, people in the Central Belt should not travel outside their local area and others shouldn't visit there "unless they need to".

Outdoor live events

Ms Sturgeon confirmed that "outdoor live events will not be permitted in these five regions for the next two weeks."

Will schools stay open?

Nicola Sturgeon stated that the Scottish Government is not proposing to close schools.

Will the hospitals and doctors stay open?

The First Minister said that the NHS will stay open for conditions that aren’t related to Covid-19.

She said on Tuesday: “We are 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 everything we have to deal with in relation to COVID.”