Nicola Sturgeon has urged Scots not to travel to Blackpool after the English city was linked to nearly 290 coronavirus cases north of the border.
The first minister said that a separate incident management team had been set up to deal with those who have travelled between the town and Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon advised those who were looking to travel to the town not to do so, especially to watch this weekend’s Old Firm match in a pub.
She said: “I need to advise you that trips to Blackpool are now associated with a large and growing number of Covid cases in Scotland.”
She added: “Blackpool is being mentioned in Test and Protect conversations far more than any other location outside of Scotland.
“Even more specifically, because we know this is an issue and I want to be very clear about this – do not travel to Blackpool this weekend to watch the Old Firm match in a pub.
“I know that many people look forward to trips generally, to Blackpool in particular in the autumn.
“For some of you, and I know many people who fall into this category, it’s almost an annual ritual.
“But I’m asking you, if you can avoid it, please do so this October.
“And if you do go there – if you have to go there – please be very careful.”
According to the first minister, 342 people who were contacted by Test and Protect in the last week after having contracted coronavirus reported travel outside of Scotland, 252 to somewhere else in the UK and 94 had been to Blackpool.
Kirsty Licence, Chair of the Incident Management Team looking into cases associated with Blackpool, said: “We are seeing a high number of cases of Covid-19 amongst residents of Scotland who have recently travelled between Scotland and Blackpool.
“We know Blackpool is a popular destination, especially for holidaymakers from the west of Scotland.
“Many of these cases have travelled using group transport, especially coach, but also private transport, and many are of middle and older ages with increased risk of suffering from very severe Covid-19 illness.
“Our data shows the numbers of Scottish cases who visited Blackpool shortly before their illnesses substantially exceeds those having visited any other place in the UK.
“Over the past month, since 14th September, when Blackpool was first noted on a case there have been 286 cases in Scotland whose records note recent travel to Blackpool.
“These cases highlight the risk associated with travelling to areas with high rates of infection. People in Scotland should not be travelling to or from the health board areas under local restrictions except for essential reasons.”
There have been 1,429 new Covid-19 cases in Scotland in the past 24 hours, and 15 deaths.
The new cases represent 16.4% of newly-tested individuals.
Half of the people reported in today’s Covid-19 death figures were under the age of 80 and a “small number” were under 60.
Speaking at the coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, the first minister warned that coronavirus affects people from all age groups.
She said: “Please do not ever think that this virus only poses a risk to the lives of the very elderly.
“It poses a risk to all of us and I’m asking everybody again to take and treat that risk extremely seriously.”
Ms Sturgeon echoed calls made by Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford to restrict people from areas of high prevalence of Covid-19 travelling to other UK nations.
She said she would be writing to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “seek urgent talks” on the issue.
The first minister added that she also supports Mr Drakeford’s calls for a Cobra meeting to be held “in early course”, to “discuss collectively between the four nations what further steps we can all take at this stage to suppress the virus”.