All schools in Scotland are to close by Friday this week, Nicola Sturgeon has announced during a briefing at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh on Wednesday.
📣 @NicolaSturgeon has announced that, from Friday, schools and nurseries in Scotland will close to combat the spread of #Covid19.
— The SNP (@theSNP) March 18, 2020
Tomorrow, @JohnSwinney will set out more details to @scotparl - including steps to protect vulnerable children and those taking their exams. pic.twitter.com/8nokCZn3uZ
The First Minister said that schools have lost too many staff members to continue to remain open and the government is trying to work out the details of the situation.
She could not guarantee that the schools would reopen after the Easter break or before the summer holidays.
The government pledged a £350 million welfare and wellbeing support package for people who have been hit financially or through having to stay home to avoid "unnecessary contact".
Sturgeon's announcement comes as the Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams said that the Easter break would be brought forward and all schools would close by Friday at the latest.
There are now 227 confirmed coronavirus cases in Scotland and a third patient in Scotland diagnosed with Covid-19 has died.
