in self-catering holiday accommodation is confusing. 25 september – extra police patrols are introduced at weekends to ensure pubs, bars and restaurants adhere to the 10 pm curfew. first minister nicola sturgeon says that students are not to blame for the covid-19 outbreak after some claimed they were being "singled out" because they were told not to visit pubs and restaurants. 26 september – scotland's national clinical director jason leitch says the covid-19 pandemic is now "accelerating" after a further 700 cases were confirmed over the last 24 hours. the university of glasgow gives its students a four-week rent rebate on their accommodation because of the covid-19 pandemic. 27 september – the scottish government issues new guidelines to students affected by covid-19, including advice that they may visit their parents if there is a "reasonable excuse" such as a family emergency. figures published by public health scotland indicate that the covid-19 outbreak in scotland is now being driven by infections among teenagers, with 43% of the infections reported on 24 september being among those aged 15–19. deputy first minister john swinney confirms contingency plans are under way for possible changes to the timetable for the 2021 scottish parliament election. 28 september – the scottish government issues advice to students that they may return home if they are struggling in student accommodation because of the covid outbreak, but education minister richard lochhead says he does not expect a "mass exodus". 29 september – a pub near the university of aberdeen is identified as being a common factor in a covid outbreak at the university where 62 people have tested positive. 30 september – seven covid-19 deaths are reported in scotland, the highest daily total since 17 june. october 2020 1 october – poland, turkey and the caribbean islands of bonaire, st eustatius and saba are removed from the quarantine exemption list with effect from 4 am on 3 october, while the azores and madeira are added. the scottish government reviews the covid restrictions, but does not add any additional rules. first minister nicola sturgeon says she will not hesitate to introduce tighter restrictions if they are needed to it. snp mp margaret ferrier makes a public statement apologising unreservedly for two breaches of covid-19 regulations after travelling to westminster while experiencing symptoms and attending parliament, then travelling home by train after a positive test. she is also suspended from the snp. 2 october – the metropolitan police launch an investigation into the actions of margaret ferrier. a further 775 positive covid cases are recorded, along with four deaths. a match between kilmarnock and motherwell is called off after a number of the kilmarnock side test positive for covid-19, requiring the whole team to self-isolate. bus manufacturer alexander dennis announces 70 job losses, on top of 200 previously announced because of the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. 3 october – a further 764 covid-19 cases are confirmed in scotland with four deaths. speaking on bbc radio scotland, scottish football association vice-president mike mulraney, suggests the delay in returning spectators to stadiums is "political, rather than clinical". his comments are supported by spfl chief executive neil doncaster. 4 october – with a further 758 positive cases of covid-19 confirmed, deputy first minister john swinney warns that further restrictions may be put in place to tackle the virus. 5 october – as a further 697 cases of the covid-19 are reported, with 218 people as inpatients and 22 in intensive care, the first minister is set to meet advisers and ministers to discuss new measures, including the possibility of a two-week "circuit breaker" to stem the escalation of cases. 6 october – police launch an investigation into why the principal and vice-chancellor of the university of aberdeen made a trip to the vale of glamorgan in south wales on 2 october; the area is the subject of a lockdown. 7 october – as scotland records more than 1,000 new covid cases in a day, the scottish government announces that bars and restaurants in the central belt must close from 18:00 on 9 october, the closure remaining in place until 25 october; licensed premises in other areas can remain open for outdoor service only. education secretary john swinney announces the cancellation of national 5 exams for 2021, which will instead be replaced with teacher based assessment. msp neil findlay claims "shambolic" test and trace procedures have led to a covid outbreak at a care home in west lothian involving at least 50 people. 8 october – first minister nicola sturgeon confirms that all cafes in scotland can remain open through the tighter restrictions period, including licences premises providing they do not sell alcohol. deputy first minister john swinney and national clinical director jason leitch warn that tighter covid restrictions could mean a return to supermarket queues of the type seen in the early stages of lockdown. 9 october – at 6 pm, pubs and restaurants begin their two-week closure. 10 october – restrictions are imposed at glasgow's barlinnie prison after four members of staff and two prisoners test positive for covid-19. tonnes of unused ice cubes are dumped outside the scottish parliament by bar and restaurant workers in protest at new covid-19 restrictions. an outbreak of coronavirus at the redmill care home in west lothian has caused the deaths of seven residents with another 32 residents and 25 members of staff also testing positive for covid-19. christie and co, the main agent for the purchase and sale of pubs, says that pubs are being given a lower market value because their price is being based on profits during the covid-19 pandemic. 11 october – fergus ewing, the cabinet secretary for rural economy and tourism, warns there is "no guarantee" pubs will reopen on 25 october. a further 956 new cases of covid-19 are recorded, the first time the figure has dropped below 1,000 in five days. 12 october – the scottish government announces plans to draw up a three-tier covid restrictions system similar to the one announced for england. the rules for care home visits are relaxed, with visiting time limits expanded from 30 minutes to four hours. hand holding is also permitted. 13 october – cumbria police warn fans of celtic and rangers against crossing the border into england in order to watch a forthcoming derby match between the two teams on pub televisions. nhs western isles says that car sharing is a factor in a covid-19 outbreak in the western isles. 14 october – people are warned against travelling to blackpool after the town is linked to a "large and growing" number of scottish covid-19 cases. 15 october – first minister nicola sturgeon says there will be no return to normal when covid restrictions requiring pubs and restaurants to close expire on 26 october. 16 october – new rules are announced for face coverings, requiring them to be worn in workplace canteens from monday 19 october, but they will no longer be required at wedding ceremonies. the scottish government establishes a £40m fund for hospitality businesses affected by closures due to the covid outbreak, but industry leaders say it is not nearly enough. 17 october – bosses at the redmill care home in west lothian confirm eleven covid-19 deaths have occurred at the complex. 18 october – the scottish government confirms a delay to the publication of covid-19 test results was caused by a "testing capacity issue" at the lighthouse laboratory in glasgow, and that 64,000 tests were routed elsewhere. 20 october – as scotland prepares to introduce an english-style tier system for covid restrictions, first minister nicola sturgeon says she will do everything she can to keep schools open. 21 october – the temporary restrictions affecting hospitality businesses in the central belt are extended until 2 november to coincide with the introduction of a new tier system of covid measures. 22 october – jason leitch, scotland's national clinical director, says that the idea of a normal christmas is "fiction" and that people should prepare for a digital christmas. 23 october – first minister nicola sturgeon unveils scotland's new five-tier covid-19 system, due to come into effect from 2 november. a scottish premiership match between st mirren and hamilton academical, scheduled for the following day, is postponed to a later date after a number of the hamilton players are unable to play due to positive covid tests. 24 october – deputy first minister john swinney says that efforts are under way to enable students to travel home for christmas. the scottish government issues guidelines discouraging guising (the act of going door-to-door) and parties over halloween and bonfire night. 25 october – following a warning from the national clinical director that people should prepare for a digital christmas, john keenan, the bishop of paisley, calls for a 24-hour "circuit-breaker" that would allow families to spend christmas together, comparing it to the christmas truce during world war i. deputy first minister and education secretary john swinney says that a staggered return to university for students in the new year will form part of the strategy to get them home over christmas, as well as the use of test and trace. 26 october – deputy first minister john swinney says that students may not be allowed home for christmas if the spread of covid is not under control. 27 october – first minister nicola sturgeon confirms that pubs and restaurants serving alcohol may reopen from 2 november, with the introduction of the new five-tier system of restrictions. pubs in tier 2 can open until 8 pm, and pubs in tier 3 until 6 pm. 28 october – car sharing is linked to a spate of 1,000 new coronavirus infections within a week. a report exposes that over 113 patients were discharged into care homes after having tested positive for covid-19. council leaders in north and south lanarkshire urge first minister nicola sturgeon not to place the areas into tier 4 restrictions after she suggested this may happen. 29 october – first minister nicola sturgeon confirms north and south lanarkshire, and dundee, will join the central belt in tier 3 restrictions, while most of the rest of scotland will be placed into tier 2; the highlands, orkney, shetland, the western isles and moray, where covid cases are relatively low, will be placed in tier 1. sturgeon warns that scotland could return to nationwide lockdown if people break regulations that prevent travel in or out of areas with level 3 restrictions. 30 october – senior pupils and their teachers are being advised by the scottish government to wear face coverings in classrooms, if they are in the new level three and four restriction areas. 31 october – first minister nicola sturgeon warns against travel to england as a four-week lockdown is announced there. november 2020 1 november – first minister nicola sturgeon, and douglas ross, leader of the scottish conservatives, seek clarity from the uk government on the extension of the furlough scheme, which has been extended until december because of england's second lockdown, and suggest it should be available for scotland should a second lockdown be required there. prime minister boris johnson announces that the furlough scheme will be available for future lockdowns in scotland. 4 november – first minister nicola sturgeon says the scottish government is "actively considering" putting into law a travel ban that would levy fines on those travelling in and out of covid hotspots without a valid reason. 5 november – first minister nicola sturgeon says that tough restrictions on household mixing and hospitality businesses are starting to have an effect. 8 november – as a further 1,115 covid cases are recorded, professor linda bauld, a leading public health expert, says that pandemic is "stable" in scotland, with restrictions having affected its growth. the islands ferry mv isle of lewis, which travels between oban and barra, is given a deep clean after three people who travelled on the ship are reported to have contacted covid. 10 november – the scottish government announces that fife, angus and perth and kinross are all to be moved from level two to level three of scotland's five-tier covid measures system from friday 13 november, while from the same day, up to six people from two separate households can meet up indoors or outdoors in shetland,