UK-wide Covid crisis talks to take place on Tuesday

The Prime Minister will chair UK-wide crisis talks on coronavirus on Tuesday morning with new restrictions expected this week.

Boris Johnson is due to speak to Nicola Sturgeon later on Monday, the First Minister having expressed frustrations over delays in a Cobra meeting taking place.

Sturgeon and the leaders of the UK’s other devolved nations have been calling for a meeting of the emergency committee to coordinate the next steps as Covid-19 continues to spread.

The Scottish Government learned of the plans during discussions with Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove on Saturday.

Initially at her daily briefing on Monday, Sturgeon said: “It is frustrating that we still don’t have a precise time for that”.

However, once it was confirmed it would take place on Tuesday morning, she said: ” I think that’s very positive and I’m pleased about that.”

At the briefing, a further 255 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours were confirmed – representing 6.3% of newly tested individuals.

Sturgeon warned that “Covid is spreading again in Scotland” and that “doing nothing in the face of this rapid spread is not an option”.