Confirmed case ‘highly likely’ in Scotland in days: Medical officer

Scotland’s chief medical officer has said a positive case of coronavirus in the country is “highly likely” in the coming days.

As of yesterday, 16 people are known to have had negative tests north of the border for the virus.

Most of them were quarantined through self-isolation at home, although those with more serious conditions were taken to hospital.

A meeting was held on Wednesday, chaired by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, to discuss the spread of the virus and Scotland’s preparations for a contamination.

Chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood said yesterday: “It is highly likely we’ll have a positive case of coronavirus in Scotland in the coming days.

“The public can be assured that Scotland has well-established plans and is well prepared for these types of outbreak.

“We have a proven track record of dealing with challenging health issues and have established public health and infectious disease experts working round the clock.

“We have also activated our emergency resilience operation.”

It comes after Professor Yvonne Doyle, medical director and director of health protection for Public Health England, said the first UK case is likely to come from someone already in the country.

As of yesterday, a total of 161 tests had been carried out on people across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – all with negative results.

The UK Government said the risk to the population remains low.

A plan is in place for dealing with a confirmed case, as is usual for any virus outbreak.

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The public can be assured that Scotland has wellestablished plans and is well prepared. CATHERINE CALDERWOOD