SCOTLAND'S Health Secretary has refused to rule out keeping some areas under lockdown beyond December 11.
Jeane Freeman said "all options are on the table" and a decision will be announced on Tuesday.
UPDATE: Jeane Freeman has now retracted her comments - read the story here
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said level four restrictions in areas such as Glasgow will be lifted on December 11.
But Ms Freeman suggested some council areas could stay under the toughest rules and did not rule out this continuing over Christmas.
Appearing on the BBC's Politics Scotland, she was asked if all areas that are currently in level four will see rules relaxed.
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She said: "We will announce that on Tuesday. The First Minister will make her statement, Cabinet will discuss and reach a final decision on Tuesday morning.
"And right now, as is always the case in advance of these reviews, a great deal of work is going on, analysing the data, talking to colleagues in local authorities, taking senior clinical advice, all of which is designed to help us reach a judgement about what is the right thing to do, and we'll announce that on Tuesday."
Asked if some level four areas could remain in that tier, she said: "All options are on the table at this point, as you would expect them to be.
"That doesn't mean – people shouldn't read from that any decision one way or the other.
"The work goes on over the weekend so that we have the most up-to-date data, the most up-to-date clinical advice, then we take a decision as a Cabinet on Tuesday and the First Minister makes that announcement on Tuesday."
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Asked if some areas could be in level four at Christmas, Ms Freeman said it was important that ministers "take the right amount of time" to reach a judgement.
Eleven local authority areas moved to level four on November 20.
Restrictions will be eased for five days over Christmas across the UK to allow families to meet up indoors if they need to.
However Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly urged Scots not to do this if they can avoid it.
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