The first minister will now update the media on all the latest Coronavirus developments in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon will be joined by the chief medical officer and the health secretary, when the latest statistics from the outbreak in Scotland will be revealed.

There are currently 2,310 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Scotland, although the actual number of cases is likely to be well over 100,000.

Yesterday it was confirmed 76 people had died with Covid-19 in Scotland.

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Downing Street has said it still plans to hold the COP 26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow next year, after the event was postponed due to coronavirus.

The prime minister’s spokesman said the UK was “working with international partners on a precise date, but it absolutely remains our intention for it to be held in Glasgow.”

The spokesman added that it “remains a hugely important event” but that it was felt that it made “practical sense” to postpone and hold it next year.

Dozens of world leaders had been due to attend the COP26 gathering that was set to run in Glasgow from November 9 this year.

Read more here.

Giancarlo Rinaldi
South Scotland reporter, BBC news website

The region's health board has released its latest figures for Covid-19 cases.

It said there were currently 28 patients who had tested positive being treated in its hospitals with a further 25 suspected cases awaiting results.

It said 11 people had now died but 10 patients had recovered and been discharged.

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Serco, the operator of Northlink ferries and Caledonian Sleepers, is looking to government to compensate for the impact on its revenue from reduced passenger traffic.

Northern isles ferries are constrained in the passengers they are allowed to accept, and they’ll operate less frequently from this weekend.

The company has updated investors on the effect of the economic shock worldwide. Some operations by the private provider of public services are getting busier, including those in cleaning and hospital services.

Others, including its leisure centres, have been forced to close.

For those in countries under lockdown, we've been advised not to go out and stay at home. But why is it so important? We break down the numbers for you, and what the rules are like in the UK.

David Delday
BBC Scotland

The operators of livestock markets throughout Scotland say that lessons learnt through the outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 and 2006 have allowed them to continue trading during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Auctions look much different to the way they did before coronavirus but, importantly for farmers, they are still taking place, allowing stock to be sold at an important time of the year.

Only pre-registered buyers are allowed to attend while farmers can’t stay and watch their cattle and sheep being sold.

Inverurie-based Aberdeen and Northern Marts has also introduced a new live online bidding system which allows people – the likes of the over 70s, who can’t attend sales – the opportunity to make purchases at home.

Last year about 2.7 million animals were sold by auction for a total of almost half a billion pounds and their continued opening is vital to continuation in the food supply chain.

Cattle prices have remained fairly steady since the outbreak began but lamb prices have plummeted by well over a third because of the collapse of the hospitality sector and key export markets.

Farmers are worried that this will lead to both financial problems and animal welfare issues in the long-term – many will have to keep on stock they planned to sell and find somewhere to keep them.

BBC Radio Scotland

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The Royal College of Nursing in Scotland is calling for more testing of frontline NHS workers.

Speaking on Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live, Ros Shaw said having so many staff off at once is a huge worry and nursing is short-staffed.

More than 14% of NHS Scotland staff are currently off work, according to the Scottish government.

While pleased with improvements made on testing, the senior officer with RCN Scotland said it could have been taken forward a bit quicker.

"It's absolutely vital as many nurses and healthcare workers as possible can be tested," she adds.

Sickness absence is having an impact on patient care, with Ms Shaw revealing one care home with 60 residents currently only has one registered nurse.

Kevin Keane
BBC Scotland energy correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The oil and gas sector has launched a survey of companies to work out the scale of recent job losses.

Industry body Oil and Gas UK said jobs are being lost because of a combination of Covid-19 and the low oil price.

It is also concerned that supply firms are struggling to get access to financial help because their turnover exceeds £45m. That issue has been raised with the UK government.

The total workforce operating offshore has dropped since the coronavirus crisis began from 12,000 to about 9,000.

Meanwhile Unite, the trade union, has welcomed moves to take non-essential maintenance staff out of the Grangemouth refinery and petro-chemical complex.

The first minister will update the media on all the latest Coronavirus developments in Scotland from around 2pm this afternoon. We'll bring you extensive coverage as ever.

We expect Nicola Sturgeon to be joined by the chief medical officer and the health secretary, when the latest statistics from the outbreak in Scotland will be revealed.

There are currently 2,310 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Scotland, although the actual number of cases is likely to be well over 100,000.

Yesterday it was confirmed 76 people had died with Covid-19 in Scotland.

Image source, bbc

Allan Cameron, a consultant in acute medicine at a Scottish hospital, writes about the reality of life for those at the heart of this outbreak.

"Each day, the Scottish test figures bring us mixed news. There are more cases of Covid-19 identified, but we also seem to have an increase in testing capacity.

"For anyone who works in the NHS, I can't tell them anything they don't already know, but there will also be some of you stuck at home wondering what's happening in the local hospitals.

"Covid-19 is now commonplace on our wards, and has made profound changes to how we work at an incredible pace.

"I was working on the newly-repurposed Covid-19 high dependency unit over the weekend and it is already filled with people who are very unwell."

Read more from Dr Cameron here.

The initiative comes from Scotland's national book town - Wigtown - at the "ideal time for children to exercise their imaginations".

There are three categories - for children aged five to seven, eight to 11 and 12 to 18., external

The event also has the backing of arts organisation DG Unlimited and Scotland's National Centre for Children's Literature in Dumfries.

Entries are open to children and young people living in Dumfries and Galloway and the closing date is 26 April.

Image source, PA Media

More than 14% of NHS Scotland staff are currently off work, according to the Scottish government.

About 41% of those absences - equating to 9,719 people - are related to coronavirus, official figures show.

The total work force of NHS Scotland is about 166,000 people.

NHS Scotland said nursing and midwifery staff had been hit hardest by absences related to coronavirus, with 4,354 off work. Administrative services were hit second hardest, with 1,903 staff off.

Ros Shaw, senior officer with the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland is about to appear on Radio Scotland, listen here on the live page with us.

Read more on the story here.

BBC Radio Scotland

With today's media briefing from the Scottish government not getting underway until 2pm, Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live will focus on the following:

• More than 14% of NHS Scotland staff are currently off work. BBC Scotland's Health Correspondent Fiona Walker will have the latest from outside an NHS testing facility in Fife.
• Ros Shaw, senior officer with the Royal College of Nursing in Scotland will give his perspective on efforts to tackle the pandemic

Image source, Getty Images

Also on today's programme:

• Professor Tim Spector who developed the Covid Symptom Tracker App
• financial advice on loans and a look at home schooling
• all the latest from both BBC Scotland's science correspondent Kan Macdonald and our business and economy editor Douglas Fraser
• Jackie Wylie, the Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland on 'Scenes for Survival'