NICOLA Sturgeon has told Scotland to prepare for a “significant outbreak” of Coronavirus as she called on the public to help contain any spread.

The First Minister was speaking after taking part in an emergency COBRA meeting with Boris Johnson, stressing that “we would expect to see further cases confirmed in the days to come”. Ms Sturgeon stressed that preparations were being made to be ready for the "reasonable worst case predictions".

She said: “We are planning for the likelihood of a significant outbreak of Coronavirus in the weeks to come.

“We are still very firmly in what is described as the contain phase of Coronavirus. The contain phase, as with any infection outbreak like this, is very important. It is particularly important with Coronavirus because there is no treatment or vaccine yet for this infection.

“It is particularly important that we take all of the steps we can to contain the infection and do everything we can to prevent it taking hold within the community.”

Ms Sturgeon said that if the outbreak escalates, the “delay phase” could be initiated, where decisions to control the spread would be taken.

She said: “That would start when it is judged by the experts that the infection has taken hold within the community and the purpose of the delay phase is to slow down the spread of the infection and to lower the peak of the infection.

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“It is during that phase, not during the current contain phase, that decisions around, for example, the cancellation of large-scale events, would be taken.

“We are not at that stage yet and decisions about if and when we reach that stage and what the implications would be, it would be guided very firmly by the scientific advice that all four governments are receiving.”

A ‘four nations action plan’ will be published tomorrow, after being signed off at the COBRA meeting held this morning.

The First Minister also called on the public to play their part in helping to reduce the spread of Coronavirus.

She said: “It’s very important that the public is abiding by the public health and public hygiene advice that is available.

“It’s really important that advice on hand-washing, what to do when you are coughing and sneezing, is followed by the public.

“At this stage in particular, of dealing with an outbreak like this, the public has a big part to play and a very imp part to play, in helping us contain for as long as possible, the spread of this virus.”

Ms Sturgeon confirmed that the first patient in Scotland, confirmed to have the virus yesterday, is not seriously ill.

READ MORE: Scotland registers first confirmed coronavirus case... with more predicted

She said: “The patient is not seriously ill at this stage. They are in hospital as a precautionary measure. It is likely that as we see further cases confirmed, unless there is a clinical need for a patient to be admitted to hospital, the advice to them would be to self-isolate and recover at home.

“Contact tracing for that patient started last night and is underway, given that we are in the containment phase of this infection.”