NICOLA Sturgeon has confirmed there were three deaths overnight from coronavirus, as new cases were recorded in all 11 of Scotland's mainland health boards.
The last time three deaths were reported in a single day was June 30.
It come as the First Minister indicated a further easing of lockdown restrictions in unlikely this week due to the spread of Covid.
Expressing her condolences at the daily briefing, she also said 176 people had tested positive for the virus in the past day.
She said more than half, 91, were in the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde area, with 32 in NHS Lanarkshire, 16 in NHS Lothian, and eight in NHS Ayrshire & Arran.
The remaining are spread across the other seven mainland health boards, meaning that every mainland health board in Scotland recorded a positive case in the last 24 hours.
Ms Sturgeon warned "Covid, unfortunately, is spreading again".
She said: "That was always likely to happen when we substantially lifted lockdown, but it means we have to think carefully about whether it's safe or possible to open up further at this stage.
"It's only fair that I signal now that while final decisions have not been taken, when we do our latest three-weekly review on Thursday, we may well not be able to go ahead with any further easing of restrictions at this time."
She added: "We are seeing warning signs here already. I have reported three deaths today. That's the first time I've had to do that in more than two months."
Ms Sturgeon said Scotland had just under 20 new cases per 100,000 as of yesterday.
She said: "I pointed out today that we have positive cases being reported in every single mainland health board area today.
"So apart from Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, every other part of Scotland is reporting cases today.
"And the reason I pointed that out...I think it is some time, perhaps, since we had a situation where every mainland health board [had] cases.
"There are usually some that report zero cases.
"That strikes me as being something we should take note of as well."
National clinical director Jason Leitch said Scotland has seen 1,000 new cases in seven days.
He said: "We're at the edge of what we can safely do while maintaining the prevalence at this rate, and we have to do better to get those numbers down."
Coronavirus restrictions have been tightened in Glasgow, West Dumbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and Renfrewshire following a jump in cases.
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