Frontline police officers are to get more protective equipment in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The equipment includes masks, gloves, boot covers and goggles.

About 630 of Scotland’s 17,259 police officers currently have the protective kits and the rest will be issued from next week.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said the force had been working round the clock in “challenging circumstances” to secure the extra equipment.

A family from Falkirk has produced a "public information" video on social distancing which has delighted dozens of followers on social media.

Henry Hepburn, editor for education magazine Tes Scotland, and his two creative daughters Ruby and Rosa scripted, filmed and edited the tongue-in-cheek clip - which involved Henry getting whacked with a swing ball.

Ruby, 11, was director and editor while Rosa, age six, was presenter - both girls attend Comely Park Primary in Falkirk.

Henry said Ruby was "gutted" to have missed her final days of Primary 7, but the reaction to the video had been a "really nice surprise".

Angie Brown
Edinburgh and East reporter

Some Edinburgh businesses have been taking precautions against thieves and vandals by boarding up their premises and asking the community to keep an eye on their shops while they lie empty during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Merlin pub in Morningside now “looks like it’s braced for a hurricane”, one passer-by said.

Owners of another city pub, Montpeliers, were seen removing all valuable alcohol from its premises in Bruntsfield.

Meanwhile, Greggs in Morningside Road has signs in its windows with a phone number people can call if they find the shop has been broken in to or damaged.

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland

Aberdeen may not follow Hearts in asking staff to take wage cuts, Pittodrie chairman Dave Cormack has said.

Cormack has urged the club's insurers to "do the right thing" and continue to cover them from 1 May for losses during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, even that would not significantly reduce the £5m shortfall he expects in the club's accounts.

Asked whether that meant inevitable wage cuts, Cormack said: "No. The last thing we're doing is panicking."

Image source, SNS

Former Scotland rugby international Rory Lawson has been describing his experience of Covid-19.

The 39-year-old former Scotland captain said it started as a tickly cough a few days after he returned to East Lothian from a trip to Cheltenham a fortnight ago.

Image source, PA Media

"On the Wednesday I was hit by a fever the like of which I have never had before," he told BBC Radio Five Live

"My temperature went to 39 degrees, I had the hot sweats, the shivers, I was in bed, I had full body aches, really put through the mill for a couple of days. Then the cough came off the back of that.

"My energy was absolutely rock bottom - the like of which I've never experienced before."

His partner and baby son Freddie also caught the virus - with the child being checked over at the Sick Kids Hospital in Edinburgh before being sent home.

While Rory is through the worst of it, he is still coughing and has not been able to taste or smell anything for six days.

NHS Highland is warning that some vulnerable people who receive care at home may have to cope with less help during the coronavirus pandemic.

The health board currently supports about 6,000 people in the Highland Council area who are considered to be at the highest risk from Covid-19.

NHS Highland said its workforce was under "extraordinary" strain, forcing it to make some “difficult decisions” such as fewer and shorter visits to those in need.

It is working with Highland Council and voluntary organisations to make sure those who need help the most continue to receive support.

NHS Highland said: "Whilst we are attempting to avoid disruption, it is to be expected that people may have to cope with less care to allow need to be met."

Image source, PA Media

Firefighters will be able to deliver food and medicines, drive ambulances, and retrieve bodies during the outbreak as part of an agreement between the Fire Brigades Union, the National Fire Chiefs Council and Fire and Rescue Service National Employers.

Crews will continue responding to emergencies such as fires and collisions, but can now provide additional services to help the UK tackle the pandemic.

Image source, James Green

A retired senior police officer has been stranded on a cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean for the last 12 days after passengers were denied entry to their final stop in Chile.

James Green and wife Sylvia, from Glasgow, were due to finish their cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse at San Antonio - but were told they would be spending another two weeks on board as the ship had to re-route to San Diego, California.

Many Scottish holidaymakers have expressed concern at being stranded abroad all over the world - but James is grateful to the firm for keeping up the care of passengers and making the extended trip feel "as normal as possible".

He said: "Celebrity have been outstanding, liaising with the various consulates of the various nationalities on board and trying to secure flights home. All of us have missed flights from Chile and with air travel impacted by the virus, we expect a flight to be one arranged by the FCO.

"The captain and cruise director have been fantastic throughout. This will not stop us cruising, We have some booked already in future."

Drivers will be able to stay with their vehicles on ferries, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has announced.

The change is designed to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The temporary relaxation of safety rules applies to freight drivers on all roll on/roll off ships and car passengers on domestic vessels.

It will be up to individual ferry operators to apply to the MCA in order to make the changes.

Image source, Police Scotland's Air Support Unit

On Thursday evening, Police Scotland's Air Support Unit tweeted that they had issued tickets to four to young people who were gathering in Pollok Park in Glasgow.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone told BBC Scotland that younger people were undoubtedly getting a bit "stir crazy" having to remain at home.

He said that when the police find groups of youths the first approach is to encourage them to go home and this has worked so far.

Read more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-52061936

Work is under way in Glasgow and Edinburgh to move rough sleepers into emergency accommodation to protect them from coronavirus.

The councils have secured hotel rooms and repurposed student flats to allow homeless people showing symptoms of the virus to self-isolate.

It comes after additional funding was provided by the Scottish government.

The Simon Community has been involved in helping vulnerable people on the streets.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Funerals are "becoming much more simple", according to a Glasgow funeral director, who has spoken of the backlog of services due to delays in the death registration process.

Deaths must be registered before funerals can go ahead, but people can no longer do this in person due to the coronavirus - it will be done electronically now that new emergency legislation has been introduced.

Family numbers at funerals are now limited to around 25, so long as they are well spread out, while coffins are now being carried by funeral director staff.

Don Maguire, head of Anderson Maguire funeral directors, also said that his firm no longer offered a limousine service, to minimise contact between staff and families.

He said he hoped the backlog of services would be addressed swiftly so that his firm could deliver "the same dignity and the same care" in every circumstance.

Scotland's chief constable Iain Livingstone has told BBC Scotland he welcomes the new powers to enforce the coronavirus lockdown rules but says his officers will take a common sense approach

He said:

• The new powers are extraordinary but so is the threat we face
• The majority of people are complying but the powers are there for people who do not
• His officers will take a common sense approach using reasonable communication and engagement before enforcement
• Young people are a particular worry because they might go stir crazy
• He is concerned that police officers are not getting the childcare they need

The Scottish Police Federation has complained that officers are category two in the key workers list meaning they are struggling to get access to local authority childcare.

The chief constable told Good Morning Scotland this was a concern.

He said his staff were stepping forward to do their duty and had anxiety like all other parts of the community.

"We have raised this at the highest ministerial level. I know there is lots of work getting done centrally and through the local authorities but it is a monumentally challenging time," he said.

The chief constable was asked whether young people still congregating in groups in parks and other remote areas was a problem as one police force had reported.

He said he did agree that younger people were undoubtedly getting a bit stir crazy having to remain at home.

Mr Livingstone said he would encourage them to use the multitude of methods of digital communication, citing the House Party app that allows multiple contacts.

He said that when the police find groups of youths the first approach is to encourage them to go home and this has worked so far.

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone was asked on Good Morning Scotland how the public could prove they were going about their necessary business when out and about.

He said the police had a good relationship with the public across Scotland.

Mr Livingstone said officers would always act in a reasonable and fair manner.

He said there needed to be "common sense" applied and officers would use communication and engagement to decide whether there was a problem.

The chief constable thanked the public for their co-operation so far.

He said the compliance levels had been "fantastic" so far.

Mr Livingstone said the overwhelming majority of people were supportive of the measures in place.

However, he said there would be some who did not comply.

"Therefore, I do welcome the fact there is now a lawful framework to enforce these guidelines if they are needed."

Image source, Getty Images

Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone told Good Morning Scotland the new powers given to police to coronavirus lockdown rules were "extraordinary".

He said they were extraordinary powers because we face an extraordinary threat.

"We have a level of enforcement given to the police service of Scotland that I never envisaged," he said.

They are very robust but they are there because of the threat we face, he said.

New coronavirus enforcement powers are needed for "the fight we are in now", Mike Russell has said.

The cabinet secretary for the constitution, Europe and external affairs told Good Morning Scotland there was "no desire to penalise people for no reason".

They would only be required, "if people are doing the wrong thing," Mr Russell added.

The SNP minister said he was keen to get the new law "out of way as quickly as possible" once the crisis had abated.