Tougher rules 'likely' for the Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders looks 'likely' to be placed under tougher coronavirus restrictions this week.
The rate of infection in the Borders is no longer consistent with Level One status - which it only entered seven days ago.
The area's infection rate is now at 97 per 100,000 people - up from 37 in just in ten days.
In a joint statement, NHS Borders and the council warned the area's infection rate is no longer consistent with that of level one of Scotland's coronavirus alert system.
This has caused the cancellation of some NHS services, including routine planned operations, until the end of the year. Urgent and cancer procedures will still go ahead.
Leader of Scottish Borders Council, Councillor Shona Haslam, has called for the area to be put under tighter restrictions.
Speaking to ITV Border, Ms Haslam, said: "We're likely to move up a level, I don't know what that level will be at the moment.
"At the moment we're looking at level two, but if our cases continue to rise we might be looking at harder restrictions next week.
"The figures started to rise on the day we went to level one - so it's not being in level one that has caused this, and that's a really important point to stress.
"We're continuing to work on it, we're continuing to try and understand but we're just asking people to be vigilant."
Chief Executive of NHS Borders, Ralph Roberts said: “After living with restrictions for months I fully understand that people want to take advantage limited additional freedom that being in level 1 has given us. However the reality is that cases of COVID are rising and if this continues then it is inevitable that further controls will need to be put back in place."
The NHS board is urging everyone to think carefully before mixing households over the Christmas period.
"The virus poses the same threat now as it always has", said Ralph Rogers. "I would ask people to consider whether they are continuing to follow the same level of precautions as they were earlier in the year.
“Winter places a great deal of pressure on health and care services every year, and that is without including the impact of this deadly virus.
"The actions we all take now will have an impact in the coming months so please follow the rules and remember that you should not meet anyone who is not a member of your household indoors, in their home or in another person’s home.
"These rules are really important if we are to keep each other safe and allow time for the COVID vaccination programme to take place over the coming months."