Scotland's government on Wednesday ordered pubs to shut for just over two weeks in its two biggest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, to curb a rise in coronavirus cases. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the new measures, to last for 16 days from Friday, were designed as "short, sharp action to arrest the worrying increase in infection". The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader had previously ruled out a two-week "circuit-breaker" national lockdown later this month to cut close-contact transmission. In most of Scotland, indoor hospitality venues such as pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will only be allowed to operate between 6:00 am and 6:00 pm, serving food but not alcohol. Outdoor venues will be allowed to stay open until 10:00 pm and sell alcohol. But in five areas across the so-called "Central Belt", from Glasgow in the west to capital Edinburgh in the east, all licensed indoor and outdoor premises will be shut from October 9-25. Takeaways would still be permitted, Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament, calling the decision "difficult but necessary". Some one million people live in Edinburgh and Glasgow combined, while most of the country's 5.5 million people live in the Central Belt. "We know that more than one-fifth of people contacted by test and trace report having visited a hospitality setting," said Sturgeon. "Significantly restricting licensed premises for 16 days temporarily removes one of the key opportunities the virus has to jump from household to household." If the UK's other devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland follow suit, it could put pressure on the national government in London to do the same for England, given a similar spike in positive cases. Opposition parties have said the early closing of English pubs at 10:00 pm has had little effect on cutting transmission rates. Sturgeon announced funding of £40 million ($51.5 million, 44 million euros) for businesses affected. Other measures included a call to restrict use of public transport, the planned wider use of face coverings indoors and reintroduction of two-metre social distancing in shops. "Without them (the restrictions), there is a risk the virus will be out of control by the end of this month," she added. "But with them, we hope to slow its spread." srg-phz/jit/tgb