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Scotland could be bounced into a four-week national lockdown by the Treasury's decision to end the extended 80% furlough scheme at the beginning of December.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has floated the possibility of "a full lockdown" and described funding from Westminster as a "crucial point".
As Scotland moves into a new five tier system of restrictions the Scottish government could be left with the bill for supporting businesses forced to close if and when the highest tier is brought in at a later date.
The first minister said in a statement that her government will "carefully consider the impact" of the lockdown in England.
"A crucial point for us is whether support on the scale announced for English businesses is available for Scottish businesses now or if we needed to impose further restrictions later - or if it is only available if Scotland has a full lockdown at the same time as a lockdown in England," she said.
On Twitter she later said funding from the Treasury was "a key question".
When asked by Sky News about funding for Scotland's tier system, the Treasury Department declined to be specific, pointing instead to its earlier statement that said: "CJRS [The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme] is being extended until December."
Some public health experts in Scotland fear their carefully-planned regional restrictions are now in danger.
Professor Linda Bauld, the Bruce and John Usher Chair of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, thinks the lack of guaranteed funding has the potential to force the issue.
"The question for the Scottish government, and indeed for Northern Ireland and Wales, is if they needed to implement those kinds of measures again in the future, would furlough be available to them? And it may not," she said.
"There is a question as to whether the Scottish government might be forced to do something more dramatic during November to take advantage of that fiscal package."
Much of Scotland's central belt, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, is in tier three of the new restrictions, meaning licensed premises can open during the day, after three weeks of enforced closure.
For Stuart Smith, who signed a lease on the Fin and Grape restaurant in Edinburgh as restrictions were easing in July, the new uncertainty is worrying.
He has created new menus for his planned opening next week, but is now holding off ordering any food.
"If we're shut down then that is obviously a massive issue," he said.
"It's a huge, huge worry. We may get by, we may struggle though, but of course it would be pretty disastrous."
By Vivienne Nunis
Business reporter, BBC News
From Thursday, holidays both inside England and abroad will be banned until 2 December, as the government tries to stop a second wave of coronavirus from spreading.
The government has also said people must not travel to second homes either in the UK or abroad.
"Sadly... our message is people should stay at home," Cabinet Minister Michael Gove told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show.
However, people travelling for work or education are exempt from the new rules.
If you've booked a package holiday that includes flights and accommodation abroad, then you are entitled to a full refund.
However if you booked flights yourself and your airline chooses not to cancel them, you could lose your money, according to the consumer group Which?.
Johan Lundgren, chief executive of EasyJet, said "it is likely" that much of EasyJet's UK schedule will be cancelled during lockdown, with flying set to resume in early December.
British Airways said all passengers booked to travel during lockdown can change the date of their flights without being charged. Alternatively, they can cancel the booking and take a voucher that can be put towards future flights.
Many airlines urge customers not to try to contact them - they say passengers will be notified about changes to their bookings once more detail is made available from the government.
Meanwhile, TUI advised that customers will be refunded in full or offered a credit note for holidays or flights that can't take place.
Which? has warned that not all travel companies met their promises to refund passengers after the first lockdown began.
"Millions of people were left struggling to get refunds for cancelled flights and holidays when the government banned international travel back in March. Many still haven't been refunded," said Rory Boland, Which? travel editor.
"As travel restrictions are re-introduced in England, the government and regulator must do a better job of ensuring customers aren't again left to bail out companies through refunds being unlawfully withheld," he said.
The government is not requiring people already on holiday to cut short their trips.
"British nationals currently abroad do not need to return home immediately," said a government statement.
Those on domestic holidays in England don't need to rush home either. But the government warns that - because of the new coronavirus restrictions - restaurants and leisure venues will be closed from Thursday.
A government statement said: "Those currently on a domestic holiday will be allowed to finish their holidays, but are still subject to the requirements in England not to go out without a reasonable excuse".
Foreign nationals planning to arrive in the UK from abroad between 5 November - 2 December may still do so, however they will need to follow the appropriate lockdown rules in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Anyone arriving in England from abroad will need to quarantine for two weeks if they are coming from a country that isn't on the official travel corridor list.
The ban on upcoming holidays comes just days after the government added the Canary Islands to the travel corridor list, meaning holidaymakers could travel there without having to self-isolate on their return - a move that was regarded by some as a lifeline for airlines and tour firms already struggling from the pandemic.
"The UK Government should surely have seen a week ago that it shouldn't have been reopening travel corridors if there was a possibility that it would need to then completely reverse that decision and implement a lockdown," said Emma Coulthurst from the holiday price comparison site TravelSupermarket.
The first wave of coronavirus - and the travel restrictions that followed - have already caused huge financial damage to companies that rely on tourism.
Industry groups representing airlines and airports say financial support from the state is vital for their sectors' survival.
"Aviation has been devastated by the pandemic, and has essentially never had the opportunity to recover," said a joint statement by Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade and the boss of the Airport Operators Association, Karen Dee.
"A ban on international travel means airlines and airports, already hamstrung by quarantine, are closed businesses and will require financial support now - which other sectors like hospitality have received - alongside a comprehensive restart package."
EasyJet boss John Lundgren echoed those calls: "The government's own statistics show that activity in aviation is already 90% down on pre-pandemic levels, yet to date the government has still failed to provide any sector specific support," he said.
"A government financial support package for UK aviation companies must be provided now."
Last month, EasyJet warned it faces losses of more than £800m this year - the annual loss will be the first in EasyJet's 25-year history.
Keeping schools open could mean infection rates stay higher for longer and could result in an extended lockdown, a leading scientist has told Sky News.
Former chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport said the November restrictions were not as "severe" as the first time round, and that there was a "possibility" the restrictions may need to stay in place for more than four weeks.
In an interview with Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday, he warned: "It's unlikely this time to come down quite as fast as it did during the first lockdown because we have got schools open."
On Saturday, the prime minister said schools, colleges and universities will remain open between 5 November and 2 December when the rest of the country shuts down again.
But Mr Johnson has faced opposition from some in the education sector.
More than 70,000 teachers and support staff want schools to close - except for the children of key workers - according to the National Education Union (NEU).
Its general secretary, Kevin Courtney, said in a statement: "The government should include all schools in proposals for an immediate national lockdown and as a minimum be preparing for school rotas at the end of that period.
"It is clear from ONS [Office for National Statistics] data that schools are an engine for virus transmission.
"It would be self-defeating for the government to impose a national lockdown, whilst ignoring the role of schools as a major contributor to the spread of the virus.
"This would be likely to lead to the need for even longer lockdowns in the future."
Referring to the latest ONS figures, Mr Courtney said 1% of primary school pupils and 2% of secondary students have COVID-19.
His union's analysis of the data suggests infection levels in primary schools are nine times higher than they were when term started in September - and 50 times higher in secondary schools.
Professor Walport's comments were echoed by Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), who said transmission in secondary schools is "high".
He told BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show: "The big difference to the first lockdown is that schools remain open.
"Because we have delayed the onset of this lockdown it does make keeping schools open harder.
"We know that transmission, particularly in secondary schools is high.
"Personally I think this is definitely the lockdown to put in place now but if that transmission, particularly in secondary schools, continues to rise then that may have to be revisited in the next four weeks in order to get R below one and the epidemic shrinking."
But Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said on Saturday it is "very important" schools and colleges stay open.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has also consistently advocated for children to stay in school.
He said in August: "The chances of many children being damaged by not going to school are incredibly clear and therefore the balance of risk is very strongly in favour of children going to school because many more are likely to be harmed by not going than harmed by going, even during this pandemic."
Children's commissioner for England Anne Longfield added that closing schools would be a "disaster" for pupils' wellbeing and their education.
In Wales and Northern Ireland, schools were closed for an extended two-week half term as part of their respective "circuit breaker" lockdowns.
There were calls for similar action in England, but Boris Johnson said they should carry on as normal.
The month-long measures are due to come into force on Thursday until 2 December, but may last longer.
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Last night, Prime Minister Boris Johnson a month-long national lockdown, which will begin on Thursday and continue until December 2. But unlike during the first wave of the pandemic, schools, colleges and nurseries will remain open over the new four-week period. The spring and summer closure had a disastrous impact on students' education, with millions missing out on vital learning and vital exams heavily delayed or even cancelled in many cases.
Mr Johnson said last night: "We cannot let this virus damage our children's futures even more than it has already and I urge parents to keep taking their children to school and I'm extremely grateful to teachers across the country for their dedication in enabling schools to remain open."
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson tweeted: "PM is absolutely right. We must protect the NHS and very important we keep schools and colleges open.
"As the Chief Medical Officer has said, schools are the safest and best places to be, not just for children’s education, but for their wellbeing."
But teaching unions are already demanding schools be closed as part of England's second lockdown, claiming they were a "major contributor to the spread of coronavirus".
Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: "The Government should include all schools in proposals for an immediate national lockdown and as a minimum be preparing for school rotas at the end of that period.
"It is clear from ONS (Office for National Statistics) data that schools are an engine for virus transmission.
"It would be self-defeating for the government to impose a national lockdown, whilst ignoring the role of schools as a major contributor to the spread of the virus.
"This would be likely to lead to the need for even longer lockdowns in the future."
READ MORE: Doctors fear for the continued actions of the Government
"It would be incomprehensible if universities were allowed to continue to do this after the outbreaks we have seen on campuses across the country this term.
"Ministers must tell universities to move all non-essential in-person teaching online as part of any national lockdown."
This has sparked a backlash, with Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, raging: "The children that are affected most by the lockdown are the less privileged.
"By calling for school closures, the NEU is effectively promoting social division, which is pretty disgraceful."
Leading educationalist Professor Alan Smithers, of Buckingham University, said: "Closing schools in the first lockdown took an enormous toll on both the learning and mental health of children.
"Happily, children who catch the virus seem little affected by it so there is every reason to keep schools open.
"The NEU is showing an excess of caution and is getting the balance very wrong between keeping people safe and protecting young people's futures."
The Children's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield welcomed the announcement from Mr Johnson that schools will not have to close, warning it would be a "disaster" for children's well-being and education if they were forced to do so again.
She tweeted: "Suggestions that schools will stay open during a forthcoming lockdown are very welcome.
"We've always said that schools should be the last to shut & first to open.
"It would be a disaster for children's well-being and education if they were to close."
