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.