Coronavirus latest: Nicola Sturgeon says schools and nurseries across Scotland are likely to close by the end of the week

Schools across Scotland are likely to close at the end of the week and may not open again before the summer holidays, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

In a briefing on the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the First Minister said that it was ‘inevitable’ that schools and nurseries will close, and she expects that to happen by the end of the week.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I want to be as open and transparent as possible.

“My view is that it is now inevitable that we will close schools and nurseries.

“My planning assumption now is schools will close to pupils at the end of this week and I wanted today to give parents notice of that now.”

Ms Sturgeon said that parents ‘should not assume’ schools and nurseries would reopen after the Easter break and that she ‘cannot promise’ that they will reopen before the summer holidays.

Schools have now lost too many staff to continue as normal, she said.

She said she wanted to reassure teachers and school staff that the government would work with them as they know what is best for children.

She said the Scottish Government is still working out the finer detail of what this will all mean.

Schools across Wales are also set to close from Friday onwards, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that a decision on English schools would be ‘imminent’.

In her briefing, Ms Sturgeon also confirmed a third death in Scotland from the coronavirus.

She said the total number of positive tests for Covid-19 was now at 227.

Ms Sturgeon said: “It is with sadness this afternoon that I have to confirm the death of one more patient.”

She said her thoughts were with the families of those who have died.