Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Aberdeen lockdown restrictions will stay in place in a continued effort to control the spread of coronavirus.

The First Minister was due to review the Aberdeen situation after the local lockdown came into force one week ago.

Ms Sturgeon announced at the Scottish parliament that the number of cases linked to the cluster now sits at 177, with 940 contacts identified. 

She said: "It is not yet possible to lift any restrictions that we put in place in Aberdeen.

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"I know people in Aberdeen, who of course are today dealing with sever weather as well as Covid, will be disappointed with this decision, but I want to thank them for complying so well with the measures that we put in place last week. 

"I want to stress that nobody wants these restrictions to be in place for longer than is necessary.

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"They will be reviewed in one week's time and as soon as we can relax any of them, the we will do."

According to the First Minister, 19,126 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland to date. 

Of these, 24 were in the NHS Grampian area.