Nicola Sturgeon: No plans as yet to close schools and nurseries due to coronavirus

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the Scottish Government is not ready to call for the closure of schools and nurseries to tackle Coronavirus.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister.

It comes as the First Minister told MSPs that the country is now poised to move into the "delay phase" from the current "containment phase”

She said to expert a big rise in cases of Covid-19 later today.

Ahead of the latest announcement at 2pm of how many people in Scotland have been diagnosed with coronavirus, Ms Sturgeon said she expects a "sharp rise in cases".

Responding to Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw, Ms Sturgeon added: "We may also see further evidence of community transmission of coronavirus.

"That underlines the seriousness of the situation we are all facing."

The Scottish Government's national clinical director Jason Leitch had previously said community transmission of Covid-19 - when the source of the transfer could not be traced - would be a "trigger" for the move from the contain phase to the delay phase.

Ms Sturgeon pledged any additional money coming to Scotland's NHS from Wednesday's UK Budget will go towards supporting the health service's efforts to tackle the infection.

More to follow...