Coronavirus: Sturgeon recommends mass events ban but not school closures
(about 1 hour later)
People in Scotland should prepare for major changes to their lives as the response to the coronavirus is stepped up, the Scottish secretary has warned.
The Scottish government is to advise that gatherings of more than 500 people be cancelled from next week.
Alister Jack said it would not be possible to contain the virus for "very much longer".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said this was to free up emergency services, including police and ambulance crews, to deal with coronavirus.
The first case of coronavirus transmitted within the community was detected in Scotland on Wednesday.
Ms Sturgeon said the move was an attempt to "protect" the "resilience" of essential staff.
There are 36 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Scotland, according to Scottish government figures.
She added it was not necessary to close schools and universities yet, but said that advice would remain under review.
The UK government is expected to announce later that it is stepping up its response to the spread of the coronavirus.
It is anticipated the UK will switch to tactics aimed at delaying its spread, rather than containing it, when the government's emergency committee meets.
There are now 460 confirmed cases in the UK and eight people have died.
Mr Jack told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There is no doubt that we are not going to be able to contain it for very much longer. So we will then have to delay it so that the peak isn't so great.
"If you flatten it down, if we make it that the curve stretches longer, it puts less pressure on the NHS."
Asked if people in Scotland are going to have to prepare for major changes to their lives in the coming days, Mr Jack answered: "Yes, I'm afraid they are."
The Scottish government confirmed on Wednesday that one of the latest cases in Scotland could not be traced to people who had travelled to affected areas such as northern Italy,
The global outbreak has now been labelled as a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
How is coronavirus affecting Scotland?
There has been a co-ordinated "four nations" response to the spread of the virus in the UK.
Scotland's national clinical director, Jason Leitch, has defended the approach taken so far, saying that the UK authorities had not been "complacent".
In a tweet, he wrote: "For those in equal number suggesting we're overreacting and not acting fast enough we are doing neither.
"The balance of which population interventions and their timing is crucial. We are not complacent."
However, several GPs have contacted BBC Scotland to say that they have still not been issued with the correct protective equipment recommended for health workers who come into contact with patients showing coronavirus symptoms.
The equipment includes fluid resistant surgical masks, gloves, aprons and eye protection.
Ms Freeman said all health boards in Scotland had been asked to issue GPs with protective equipment and she would investigate any individual cases reported to her.
