THE First Minister is set to introduce a five-tier coronavirus lockdown system later this week, it has been reported.

People living in areas with the most severe Covid-19 outbreaks will face near-full lockdowns in the new system, The Telegraph wrote.

The system is said to include an upper “extreme” tier and a lower “tier zero” under which life would be like pre-pandemic normality.

In England coronavirus lockdowns are classed as “tier one”, which is medium, “tier two”, which is high, and “tier three”, which is very high. Restrictions vary between the tiers.

READ MORE: Covid in Scotland: Tiered lockdown system could begin on November 2

According to the newspaper in Scotland those living in areas with the highest level would face restrictions close to the kind of full lockdown we lived through in March, where there was a “Stay at Home” message and limits on travel.

The middle tiers are expected to resemble the English system.

Under current proposals it is not thought any area will be placed onto the top tier straight away, but central belt areas already facing tighter restrictions are likely to be put into the second-top category when the system is brought in on November 2.

Schools will not automatically close if their area is classed as the highest tier, but a “judgement” would be made on each area to decide if pupils should be sent home.

This afternoon Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce that the temporary “circuit breaker” restrictions on hospitality venues are likely to be extended for a week – after that, the new tiered system will replace the current rules.

The news comes after Sturgeon briefed opposition leaders last night in a meeting which lasted for hours.