NICOLA Sturgeon has confirmed she is considering a cross-border travel ban to and from high-risk coronavirus hotspots within the UK. 

The First Minister said the country is at a "precarious" point in the pandemic.

She has now written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson requesting an urgent meeting of officials to ensure "coherence" in the approach adopted across the UK.

It comes after the Welsh Government said it will ban people from high-risk areas in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from travelling to Wales.

Travel to and from local lockdown areas in Wales is already restricted, unless a person has a reasonable excuse such as work or education.

Ms Sturgeon said ministers "cannot rule out having to go further" than the tough measures already in place north of the Border. 

She said: "For example, the approach to travel being adopted by the Welsh Government mitigates spread of the virus from high to low prevalence areas, not just within each of the four UK nations but also, where necessary, between the four UK nations, [and] needs to be considered here too - and is being considered here too."

The First Minister has already asked Scots to avoid travel to high-risk areas within the UK. 

In particular, she has warned against travel to Blackpool, highlighting the fact that 286 people who have tested positive for coronavirus reported recent travel to the seaside resort.

In her letter to the Prime Minister, Ms Sturgeon said it was a "live issue for Scotland". 

She said she is keen to establish whether it is possible to agree a four-nations approach to the issue. 

She added: "Under the additional temporary measures across the central belt of Scotland we have issued guidance cautioning against unnecessary travel into and out of each of the health board areas covered and against non-essential travel to and from areas elsewhere in the UK that are subject to 'local lockdown' measures."

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman previously said travel bans are “in the mix” of options being considered by officials.

She told the BBC: “We do all know that one of the risks that we face is the importation, if you like, from one part of the country to another – that includes Scotland as well.

“The First Minister has written to the Prime Minister, urging that we adopt a four-nation approach in terms of travel and travel restrictions.

“We hope that we can do that because, as we’ve always said and always tried to do, having a four-nation approach where we can makes more sense and is easier than for people to understand what it is we are asking them to do.”