New rules aimed at slowing transmission of the Omicron variant have come into force in Scotland, meaning all large public events have been cancelled.
The limits on the size of events were announced last week but came into force at 5 a.m. on Sunday.
However, many concerts, theatre shows and pantomimes were already cancelled ahead of the restrictions.
Boxing Day football matches in the Scotland’s top flight will be played in front of a maximum of 500 seated fans.
At the Celtic V St Johnstone match at McDiarmid Park, police said they dispersed a “small” group of fans who had gathered outside the Perth stadium.
After Sunday’s fixtures, the SPFL (Scottish Professional Football League) will then bring forward its winter break and fixtures will not resume until 17 January.
It said it was “very hopeful” capacity crowds could return to matches after the three-week cap on attendances over the festive period.
Attendance at all live public events for the next three weeks is limited to:
100 people for indoor standing events
200 people for indoor seated events
500 people for all outdoor events (seated or standing)
This effectively cancelled large Hogmanay parties including Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
The restrictions do not apply to private life events such as weddings.
Further restrictions prevent adult non-professional contact sports – such as five-a-side football – in indoor spaces.
Other measures announced by the first minister on Tuesday will take effect from 5 a.m. on December 27.
They include a return to 1m physical distancing in all hospitality and indoor leisure settings, which includes pubs, restaurants, gyms, theatres and museums.
Table service must also be used in places where alcohol is served to drink on the premises.
Nightclubs also have to close for a period of at least three weeks, though they can stay open if they operate as a pub with table service and distancing.
All of the measures will be reviewed after three weeks on Tuesday 11 January.
The new restrictions follow rising Covid case numbers fuelled by the new Omicron variant.
The most recent figures, released on Christmas Eve, showed 7 076 new cases of Covid-19, the highest daily total since August.
The figures also showed 10 deaths and a 14.7% positivity rate. (BBC)