Coronavirus: Schools in Scotland and Wales to close
Nicola Sturgeon has announced that schools in Scotland will close in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Schools will be shut from Friday and may not open after the Easter break, and could stay closed for the whole of the summer term, the First Minister said.
Sturgeon said Holyrood was still working out what this meant for key workers, including medical staff, to keep them working throughout the crisis.
Support for those who qualify for school meals will continue and the government is looking at how to support pupils taking exams this year, she added.
The fine detail is still being worked out, and full details will be published tomorrow.
The First Minister said there was “a mix of science and practical reality” behind the move, adding it was “a really difficult decision”.
Sturgeon added: “We have been trying to take a four nations approach… but it will not necessarily be that all parts of the UK will be in the same parts of the infection curve.”
More to follow…