First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged people to stay at home for Hogmanay as Scotland recorded a further seven coronavirus deaths since Christmas and the highest daily number of cases since the pandemic began.

The latest figures show that seven Covid-19 deaths were recorded between December 25 and 29, though the Scottish Government noted that register offices have been closed over the public holidays.

It brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 4,467.

The number of cases continued to rise, with 1,895 new cases of Covid-19 reported on Tuesday December 29 – the highest daily number recorded.

The latest statistics show 122,786 people have now tested positive in Scotland, up from 120,891 the previous day.

Ms Sturgeon has warned people against partying indoors with other households at Hogmanay and she cautioned that more restrictions could be needed in Scotland.

She said: “We see quite a big jump in cases today from tests reported yesterday – 1,895 new cases. Now there may be a bit of a Christmas lag in that, but it is nevertheless indicative of a rising, or what appears to be a rising, trend of cases again.”

She added: “That really must make all of us yet again sit up and take notice of this. We also think that the new strain is contributing to faster spread of the virus, and so my main message to people really is to make sure that you are not visiting other people’s houses right now.

“That is the most important thing of all and, unfortunately, that includes Hogmanay and New Year.

“This year I know we are all desperate to kick 2020 into touch but we must do that safely, and the safest way to do that this year is to be in our own homes with our own households.”

She said authorities were closely monitoring the situation in Shetland, which has experienced a large number of cases relative to its population, and in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders where there have been “quite significant increases”.

Ms Sturgeon said she is thinking “very carefully” about added restrictions for Scotland.

The First Minister said decisions are “literally kept under review on a daily basis”.

She said: “We are looking very carefully at Shetland right now. Shetland on Boxing Day, as mainland Scotland went into Level 4, went into Level 3, which was a level above where its cases would suggest normally where it should be.”

Despite this “significant precautionary action”, Ms Sturgeon said “we don’t rule anything out”.

She added: “I said before Christmas that we are also looking at whether those areas in Level 4 whether we need to add any restrictions into Level 4 and these are things that we are thinking very carefully about.

“It is absolutely essential that we keep this as suppressed as we possibly can while the vaccination programme gathers pace.”

The First Minister added: “Right across Scotland, the message is we really cannot be complacent in the face of the virus.

“That was always the case but it is particularly the case now that we’ve got this new faster spreading strain.

“This is a time of year that I know people enjoy getting together, but that’s not safe to do this year and as we head into the Hogmanay and New Year period, I really do appeal to people stay out of the homes of others, celebrate the New Year in your own home, only with your own household.”

She said this will help protect the NHS, which is operating under “severe pressure”.

While the numbers of people in hospital and intensive care in Scotland is below peak levels in the spring, Ms Sturgeon said there is not “any room for complacency”.

Data published on Tuesday showed the daily test positivity rate is 14.4%, up from 12.2% on the previous day.

There are 1,092 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus. Of these patients, 65 are in intensive care.

The Scottish Government has placed all of mainland Scotland and Skye under Level 4 restrictions, while the other islands are in Level 3.