HEALTH officials are happy for students to visit pubs this weekend after being banned from hospitality setting last week.

Last week, students were asked to stay away from pubs, restaurants and cafes in a bid to help suppress the spread of the virus on campuses.

But Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the temporary measure is not needed this weekend – but the First Minister stressed that students must follow the same rules that all Scots are currently subject to.

Earlier this week, Universities Minister Richard Lockhead confirmed that 759 students across Scotland have already tested positive for Covid-19 - adding that he expects more to contract the virus.

Mr Lochhead added: “Due to the incubation period of this virus and the testing that is taking place, we expect to see more positive cases in the coming days.”

The Scottish Government is considering whether targeted surveillance testing of students could be rolled out - but officials will concentrate their testing efforts on campuses by focusing on students who shows symptoms of coronavirus.

Speaking at her daily coroanvirus media briefing, Ms Sturgeon urged the entire public to think twice before deciding how often to visit pubs and other hospitality settings as cases continue to surge.

She said: "The advice for students this weekend is to follow the same rules as everybody else in hospitality.

"I think all of us now should just be thinking, I'm not saying to people don't go to pubs within the rules, but all of us should just be thinking about the amounts, numbers or interactions of that nature that we have at the moment an perhaps having fewer now that we would in normal times."

Scotland's national clinical director, Professor Jason Leitch, confirmed that following conversations with university and student leaders, he was satisfied that it was safe for students to visit pubs, so long as they stick to the nationwide rules.

He said: "We've put out new guidance, we've spoken to all the student associations, we've had a pause, which is what last weekend was – to kind of take a breath with the student population and say this is how serious this is.

"I had a call this week where I spoke to the president of the National Union of Students and the principals of the universities. The support in place is more, further and deeper than it was perhaps last week."

Professor Leitch added: "I am confident that the students now know that guidance. We're not suggesting they can do any differently, we're suggesting they have the same rules now as you and I.

"Of course, if they are self-isolating or they are positive, they should stay where they are and they shouldn't be out in pubs after 10pm, they should be in small groups. They shouldn't go back and have house parties."