Nicola Sturgeon said the lockdown must stay in place until at least the end of this month.

She also said schools can start to return after the February break on the 22nd of the month.

Ms Sturgeon said there would be a full time return for Primary 1-3 and a part time return for senior phase secondary school pupils. But no more than 5-8% of a secondary school roll would be back at any one time.

READ MORE: Covid Scotland: Younger pupils being recommended to return to school first

On schools, she said: "I have to be candid, our room for manoeuvre is limited but government is determined to use every inch of headroom to get pupils back to school."

The First Minister said that she hopes there could be some careful easing of the full lockdown early in March. She said she will announce more details in two weeks time.

The First Minister said cases are falling but the measures had to remain to reduce the spread of the virus down further as the vaccination programme increases.

READ MORE: Coronavirus: the eight areas where Covid is still very high in Glasgow despite a fall in cases

Ms Sturgeon said: "If our progress continues, then I am cautiously optimistic that, as more and more people get vaccinated and with the protection of some of the additional measures that I will cover shortly, we may be able to begin looking towards a careful and gradual easing around the start of March."

The additional measures included enhanced quarantine, international travel restrictions and more testing and more people vaccinated.

There have been another 69 deaths registered and 1939 people were in hospital with the virus and 143 in intensive care.