Coronavirus: 'I'm not keeping anything back', says Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon has said she will not keep information from the public as the Scottish government works to slow the spread of coronavirus.

"It is really important to give a balance of information and to try to inform people without scaring people," the first minister said.

The UK government said on Monday that all non-essential social contact and travel should stop.

The announcement marked a change of course in the UK's virus strategy.

It came after a warning that 250,000 people could die in a "catastrophic epidemic" if the UK government did not change its advice.

There are now 195 confirmed cases in Scotland, up 24 since Monday, and two patients have died after testing positive for Covid-19.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, Ms Sturgeon said she would be "as open, frank and transparent as possible" with the public.

Asked whether the sudden change of advice could lead to concerns the government was holding back information, she said: "If I came on here and tried to get into every detail of all of the information I'm looking at on NHS preparedness then I would overload you and we would not have time to do it.

"But I'm not keeping anything back and I will not be keeping anything back."

Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government was working to increase the number of intensive care unit ventilators in Scotland to a minimum of 700 "over the next few weeks".

She said this would be done by freeing up existing capacity and machines already on order.

The ventilators are crucial for treating patients who become seriously ill after being infected with Covid-19.

More than 1,500 people have tested positive for the virus across the UK - but the actual number of cases is estimated to be between 35,000 and 50,000.

The latest advice from the UK government, issued on Monday, is that entire households should self-isolate for 14 days if one member has symptoms - either a new cough or fever.

Britons are being asked to avoid public transport, stop going to places with a high concentration of people and work from home if possible.

They should also avoid all non-essential foreign travel for the next 30 days, the UK government said.

It is anticipated that coronavirus cases in the UK will begin to double every few days.

Schools in Scotland remain open, though attendance is reported to be low in some areas and most activities, clubs and trips have been cancelled.

Dozens of sporting and cultural events have also been called off. The latest closures from around the country include: