Latest dramatic virus bulletins

yesterday, while positive tests soared by 85 to 584.

Across the UK, the death toll had its biggest daily rise yet, with 87 more dead – a total of 422 – and more than 8,000 confirmed cases.

In other developments yesterday, as Britain endured day one of lockdown:

A recruitment campaign was launched to find volunteers in good health to help vulnerable people;

3,300 retired staff agreed to return to Scotland’s NHS;

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman admitted that it could be next year before the coronavirus crisis is over;

Concerns were raised about the failure to provide a rescue package for those who are self-employed;

There was mass confusion about rules covering visiting partners or family members;

Supermarkets were besieged by online orders, causing their systems to crash;

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged building sites to shut down unless teams are constructing a hospital, following conflicting guidance from different UK ministers;

Prisoners could be released if Scotland’s jails are affected by staff shortages;

Emergency legislation giving new powers to police were approved at Holyrood and are expected to get royal assent today;

Scottish parliament business was cut back, with MSPs to sit on only one day a week.

Addressing MSPs at Holyrood yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘Staying at home has become the only way of slowing the spread of this virus, the only way of giving our NHS the chance to cope and the only way of saving lives. That right now must be the priority of each and every one of us.

‘The changes we are asking people to make to their lives, difficult though they are, are absolutely essential.

‘They are essential to help us slow down as much as we can the spread of this virus, they are essential to reduce its peak impact, they are essential to seek to avoid our NHS becoming overwhelmed, so that it can instead continue to provide treatment for all those who need it. And they are essential to save lives.’

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone yesterday refused to rule out forcing people to carry ‘papers’ as proof that they are moving around for legitimate reasons, such as being a ‘key worker’.

He said: ‘In the interim, we will be relying on the consent, the support, the compliance of the public, and the vast majority of the people of Scotland, we think, will do that.

‘Those that don’t, we’ll challenge them, and when the powers are enacted, we will have no hesitation in using those powers if people continue to defy what is very, very clear advice.’

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf warned that officers will arrest people and hand out fines to enforce the restrictions on movement.

He confirmed that failing to comply with guidance on the coronavirus outbreak will be a criminal offence. Mr Yousaf said: ‘This includes powers allowing the police in Scotland to support and enforce public health measures – including powers to detain people and put them in appropriate isolation facilities, if necessary, to protect public health.

‘The Bill also gives Scottish ministers the power to restrict or prohibit events or gatherings where incidence or transmission of coronavirus constitutes a serious and imminent threat to public health.

‘These measures are unprecedented but we must take this action now to save lives.

‘We are not doing so lightly and have taken this decision based on medical and scientific advice.’

‘Essential to save lives’