Coronavirus: Sturgeon confirms UK move to delay stage, but schools won’t be closed (yet)
The UK has entered the delay phase of managing the coronavirus outbreak, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
Scotland now has 60 confirmed cases of Covid-19. As a result of the move from contain to the second stage, Sturgeon said anyone showing symptoms of the virus – specifically a fever and a persistent cough – should self-isolate without seeking medical attention.
“That shift from contain to delay clearly has implications,” she said. “From tomorrow, if you have symptoms that are indicative of having coronavirus you should stay at home, you should self-isolate, for a period of seven days.
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“Unless your symptoms don’t clear up within a few days, or if you feel they are deteriorating, you do not need to call your GP or NHS 24. You should simply stay at home on the basis of symptoms that are indicative of coronavirus.”
Tests will not be carried out as standard “for reasons that are obvious” but authorities will be carrying out “surveillance and sample testing” for research purposes.
Schools will not be closed currently, although she warned that would be kept under “very close” watch. If authorities are required to close them, it will be for a sustained period of many weeks. As such, the government is waiting until the outbreak starts to peak.
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However Scotland will be advising mass gatherings of 500 or more be cancelled because of “pressure” on public services at a time when they are likely to be “considerable”.
The Holyrood government should do what it can to “remove unnecessary burdens”, she added.
Sturgeon acknowledged that the scientific advise remained that mass gatherings were no more likely to spread the visit, but also said there was a “question of consistency” about messaging.
“Over the coming weeks we will be advising people in other ways, that their normal day-to-day life has to change then I think it is inconsistent to have a business-as-usual message about large public gatherings,” Sturgeon said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who chaired the COBRA meeting Sturgeon attended this afternoon, is expected to make a statement shortly.