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• Deputy First Minister John Swinney says Covid cases are "holding at a concerningly high level" and could increase
• He says he cannot rule out tougher Covid restrictions
• The Scottish government is considering extending the vaccine passport scheme to more indoor hospitality and leisure settings
• The government hopes to increase home working, see how ventilation can be improved, and see whether the use of face masks can be extended
• The use of face coverings in high schools remains under review
• Allowing to use proof of a negative lateral flow test for entry into hospitality venues is under consideration
• Only 0.1% of pass holders for COP26 have so far had a positive lateral flow test result
• The vaccine booster programme is on track and all those over 50 should have been offered a third dose by early next year.
• The range of Covid vaccines recognised for international travellers will be expanded

That's all from this live page today. Please join us again next time.

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On the ����ý Scotland coronavirus update programme, Dr Nick Phin, of Public Health Scotland, raises concern about the number of pregnant women who have not had a Covid jab.

The Scottish government has run a campaign to say vaccines are the best way to protect against the risks of Covid in pregnancy.

But Dr Phin says the number of pregnant women not getting the jab is "very concerning".

He says: "Almost 100% of the women with Covid in ICU are unvaccinated - that is a deeply worrying statistic."

Dr Phin adds that over 83% of pregnant women diagnosed with Covid are unvaccinated.

A nurse who worked in ICU through the pandemic has said she had to leave the profession because the pressure was too much to bear.

Former critical care nurse Chloe Burke told ����ý Scotland she felt selfish leaving but did not see another option.

She said many of her colleagues had told her they would leave too if they had other jobs to go to.

Unions have warned of the impact of staffing shortages with a 7% nursing and midwifery vacancy rate.

Read more.

The prospect of an extension to Scotland’s vaccine passport scheme will be of “significant concern” to the hospitality industry, Daniel Johnson warns.

The Labour MSP says Mr Swinney suggesting it was a possibility was unfair on the trade given the controversy surrounding the introduction of the scheme.

Mr Swinney says the Scottish government judgement on any extension will be “driven by the pandemic” with infection rates and hospitalisations key.

The deputy first minister says the idea of being able to offer proof a negative lateral flow test for entry into hospitality venues is under consideration.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, says Mr Swinney's statement marks the start of the "steady creep" of things like vaccine certification into the rest of our lives.

He believes that vaccine passports "will not save Christmas".

Mr Swinney responds that the government is trying to take "necessary and proportionate steps".

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Any move to introduce further Covid restrictions is the "wrong approach" says Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross.

Mr Ross says the vaccination programme should be the “main weapon against the virus”.

John Swinney counters by saying it is important that the Scottish government is "open and honest" on the measures which may be needed to reduce the number of Covid cases in the coming months.

The use of face coverings in high schools remains under review, Mr Swinney adds.

The deputy first minister says COP26 poses a risk of Covid spreading between delegates and to or from the local population.

As of 5 November, he says the cumulative test positivity results for Blue Zone pass-holders, based on lateral flow tests, was about 0.1%.

He adds that this will continue to be monitored for the rest of the conference and that a further update will be given at the end of the summit.

He says a "comprehensive and exceptional package of mitigation measures" has been in place to prevent Covid from spreading.

In addition to vaccination, measures include a robust testing regime, contact tracing, hygiene measures and ventilation.

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The range of Covid vaccines recognised for international travellers is to be expanded.

Travellers who have been vaccinated with Covid vaccines manufactured in China and India will be eligible for quarantine-free travel to Scotland and the rest of the UK.

In addition, children under 18 years of age will now follow the rules for eligible vaccinated travellers, whether or not they are yet fully vaccinated.

This means they will no longer need to do a Covid test before departure.

Mr Swinney says the vaccination programme is "on track" and "continuing at considerable pace".

More than one million booster doses have now been administered, and he says the government is looking at how capacity can be increased.

For example, he says it is looking at establishing additional clinics, particularly at evenings and weekends.

He adds that letters are now being sent to those aged 60-69 and those with underlying health conditions.

They are being invited to appointments at local community clinics, which will run throughout November.

From mid-November, an online booking portal will open for adults over 50; those aged over 16 who are unpaid carers; and household contacts of immunosuppressed people – with the aim of offering vaccines to everyone over 50 by early next year.

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Deputy First Minister John Swinney tells MSPs that the most recent peak in new cases was around the start of September, and that since the spread of Covid has not reduced.

He says the number of new cases is "holding at a concerningly high level", and he has reason to suspect case numbers may further increase in the weeks ahead.

Because of this, he says he "cannot rule out strengthening the baseline protective measures" to "head off any prospect of future lockdowns".

Measures the Scottish government are considering include:

• extending the Covid certification scheme (vaccine passports) to more indoor hospitality and leisure settings
• seeing how ventilation can be improved
• seeing how home working can be increased
• and seeing whether the use of face masks can be extended.

The Scottish government Covid-19 data for 9 November:

• A total of 2,233 new cases have been reported in the last 24 hours
• Of the 19,459 new Covid-19 tests that reported results, 12% of these were positive
• A total of 20 new reported deaths of people who have tested positive for Covid-19.
• On vaccinations, a total of 4,324,440 people have received their first Covid jab and 3,918,528 have received their second dose.

Covid cases in Scotland are still largely flat, though the slight rise is continuing.

Outbreaks in Orkney and the Western Isles put them at the top of the local authority rates chart for the first time as they have the highest rates per 100,000 across Scotland.

Image source, PA Media

Frontline NHS staff in England will have to be fully vaccinated against Covid, the UK government is expected to announce later.

A deadline will be set for next spring to give unvaccinated staff time to get both doses, Whitehall sources told the ����ý.

The government's decision follows a consultation which began in September and considered whether both the Covid and flu jabs should be compulsory for frontline NHS and care workers.

The Scottish government is not expected to follow suit.

Read more.

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John Swinney is due to update the Scottish Parliament with the latest information about the Covid pandemic in Scotland at 14:20.

You can follow his statement and questions from opposition politicians on the ����ý Scotland channel using the tab above.