Scots trapped in hotel by coronavirus are flown home

A group of 10 Scots who had been confined to their hotel in Tenerife since last week because of coronavirus have been flown back to the UK.

It is thought more than 100 people were on board the Jet2 plane which landed at Manchester.

The group should have left Tenerife last Monday but their flight was disrupted by sandstorms.

They were further delayed when the Costa Adeje Palace hotel was hit by a Covid-19 outbreak.

Jet2 said all the holidaymakers had tested negative for the virus. They have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days when they get home.

A spokeswoman said: "We are pleased to confirm that Jet2holidays customers at the H10 Costa Adeje Palace will be flying back to the UK with us on a dedicated flight this afternoon, following their negative test results for Covid-19 and subject to them showing no symptoms on departure.

"The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Public Health England will be advising customers about the steps they need to follow once back in the UK."

The Scots group included Stephen Diamond and his wife Lynn, from Provanmill in Glasgow.

Mr Diamond told BBC Scotland on Friday that the hotel guests were being "treated fine".

He said: "Everything's smashing. We're getting fed. We just go down to the foyer and there's people sitting there who'll talk to you if you want to know anything.

"The only thing is nobody's said how long we're going to be here... but everything else is great."

Confirmation that the group were flying home came after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland should prepare for a "significant outbreak" of coronavirus.

Ms Sturgeon said there remained just one confirmed case in Scotland, but warned future cases were likely in the "days to come".

A patient from the Tayside area was diagnosed on Sunday after recently travelling to Italy.

They are "clinically well" and being treated in hospital as a precaution, officials said.