Nicola Sturgeon: New coronavirus restrictions 'amount to lockdown' for Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon has said new Covid-19 measures mean Scotland is essentially in “lockdown”.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said new coronavirus restrictions "amount to a lockdown".

"I am not going to sugercoat it in any way," she said. "Coronavirus is the biggest challenge of our lifetime."

She said the new measures are "not done lightly".

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Picture: Andy Buchanan/PA Wire

"Stay at home," she said. "That is the message I gave yesterday and I am reinforcing that message now."Coronavirus latest

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Ms Sturgeon said funerals will now be "restricted to immediate family only" as the First Minister echoed Boris Johnson's instructions for people to stay at home and a ban on gatherings.

She said she wanted people to think of the new measures not as "guidance or advice" but as rules.

"I fully expect the vast majority of people to do the right thing," she said, but added that later this week emergency powers will allow the measures to be enforced.

Ahead of the new powers being introduced, police will give "strong advice" to those in breach of the measures, she said, and they will soon follow that up with enforcement, which will "likely take the form of fines".

Ms Sturgeon warned the restrictions unveiled t by Prime Minister Boris Johnson may last beyond just three weeks.

“This is for the protection of each and every one of us,” Ms Sturgeon said last night

“Stay at home – that is the clear message I gave yesterday and I’m reinforcing that message now ... the advice is clear, it is strong and it is firm.”

Ms Sturgeon added: “I fully expect that the vast majority of people will do the right thing and I thank you in advance for that. However, later this week emergency legislation will give us power for enforcement. We will use those powers of enforcement if that is necessary. It is no exaggeration to say that lives depend on all of us complying.”