Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Police Scotland has made a total of 76 arrests for non-compliance with social distancing measures, the justice secretary confirms.

However officers say the majority of these are of people they would be interacting with outwith the pandemic.

In addition, police have closed 27 non-essential businesses and issued 1,554 fixed penalty notices.

Mr Yousaf says for the most part compliance with regulations remains high - but he warns dispersal at the weekend had increased.

"We're going to continue to no doubt have to reiterate and reemphasise the importance of staying at home," he tells MSPs.

The Justice Committee is continuing to question Humza Yousaf on the implications of the coronavirus outbreak on Scotland's justice system.

Image source, Scottish Parliament/Twitter

Areas of discussion MSPs will touch on include:

• The virtual world is new normal in Scottish courts
• Early release for 'limited number' of prisoners
• Mobiles for prisoners after visiting suspended
• Police surgical masks 'provide no meaningful protection'
• Lockdown 'increasing' domestic abuse risks
• Police take 'common sense' approach to new powers

The consumer rights group Which? is calling on the UK government to take urgent action against the unfair pricing of essential items, accusing some sellers of “running amok” when charging customers online.

Examples of price-hikes include a bottle of hand sanitiser on sale for £100, and a digital thermometer on sale for nearly £300.

Amazon said ““There is no place for price gouging on Amazon.

"We are disappointed that bad actors are attempting to artificially raise prices on basic need products during a global health crisis and, in line with our long-standing policy, have recently blocked or removed hundreds of thousands of offers. We proactively remove offers that violate our policies.”

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Image source, Perth Picture Agency

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf says there will be a "significant backlog" of criminal and civil cases, the consequences of which will last for some time.

Margaret Mitchell wonders about resources for organisations to support prisoners upon release, warning there is a "very real danger" that without it individuals may reoffend.

Mr Yousaf agrees it will be important to engage with these bodies to ensure released prisoners have access to accommodation and health services. If there are resource implications we will look to address them, he adds.

On police absence rates, the justice secretary confirms as of yesterday 4.8% of staff were off for a Covid-19 related illness - down from a peak of 12.5% at the end of March.

Image source, Getty images

Background:

Scotland's prison authorities have been asked to release "a limited number" of prisoners early due to the coronavirus pandemic, MSPs were told earlier this week.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said jails were under pressure due to a "significant" number of staff being off and concerns about health and safety.

Some prisoners on short sentences with less than three months to serve will now be eligible to be released early.

Mr Yousaf said this was a "necessary and proportionate response".

He said action was needed now with the lockdown having been extended for another three weeks.

Ministers were given the power to release some prisoners early in emergency legislation passed at Holyrood earlier in April.

Read more here.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Justice Committee convener Margaret Mitchell gets the virtual evidence session with the justice secretary underway.

Ms Mitchell expresses condolences on behalf of the committee to the friends and family of the prison officer who has become the first in Scotland to die of coronavirus,

The man is believed to have worked in HMYOI Polmont near Falkirk.

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf also addresses the tragic death of the prison officer: "Can I take this opportunity to pass on my condolences to his family, his loved ones and colleagues, all of whom I know will be suffering the very great loss of a popular and much loved individual."

Mr Yousaf goes on to pay tribute to the work of all frontline workers in the justice sector.

You can stay here on the live page and watch the Scottish Parliament TV streaming of this committee. We'll bring you reports and analysis of the evidence session with Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf.

Angie Brown
Edinburgh and East reporter

Garden centres say they still have plants waiting to be sold, despite the impact of the coronavirus lockdown.

The industry warned last month that millions of plants may have to be thrown away after centres were forced to close under government restrictions.

But Matthew Bailey, general manager of Mortonhall Garden Centre in Edinburgh, said it was "ready to go" if the rules were relaxed.

And he stressed they had not been forced to destroy all their stock.

"We did give hundreds of flowering house plants away when the lockdown was announced to hospitals because we wanted them to be seen while they were flowering - but we still have thousands more high quality plants left," he said.

Read more

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Caller Dominic explains at the end of February his bowel cancer screening result came back saying further investigation was required. However at the end of March he was told all colonoscopies had been put on hold.

Dominic explains he spoke to a cancer nurse for reassurance, who advised that if he displays symptoms to get in touch.

95% of people who have to go from further testing after a screening do not have cancer, but there is still a chance I'm in the 5% he says. He adds the point of screening is to catch it early, not waiting for symptoms.

Image source, Getty Images

Prof Sikora says an endoscopy should happen within the next month and Dominic should not have any negative affects from that short delay.

But he warns that if we are waiting six months before services restart, "there will be a huge backlog" of patients to get through which could cause further delay.

The For the Love of Scotland event raised £40,000 for protective equipment.

Fiona Stalker
BBC Scotland reporter

Demand at a food bank in the north east of Scotland has quadrupled in the past few weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic, BBC Scotland has learned.

Aberdeen's Community Food Initiatives North East (CFINE) distributed more than 50,000 meals last week.

It sent another 30,000 to other organisations it works with in the area to give out to the vulnerable.

The lifeline service said it is running short of supplies such as tinned foods and cleaning products.

Image source, CFINE

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Oncologist Professor Karol Sikora says normally the NHS would expect to see 30,000 new cancer patients in April - but by the end of this month that number is expected to be just 5,000.

Earlier this week Scotland's interim chief medical officer voiced fears that people with cancer symptoms are not coming forward due to the coronavirus crisis.

Prof Sikora asks Kaye: "Where have they gone? People have got cancer, it's not that they haven't got cancer in April, it's that they're not getting diagnosed because the system is blocked to them."

Image source, SPL

Prof Sikora says it is important for the NHS to "get things moving as quickly as possible", as when the "floodgates" open there could be more patients that usual.

This delay must be reduced so the cancer is not given time to grow, he adds.

The oncologist also urges people to get in touch with their GP if they are concerned because they can be fast-tracked into treatment and the big cancer centres in Scotland are still open for business.

Mornings with Kaye Adams
BBC Radio Scotland

Radio Scotland's Mornings with Kaye Adams has begun. Here's what the programme is looking at today:

• Phone-In: has coronavirus put you off seeking medical assistance for other reasons? Attendance at A&E has fallen by more than half and there are concerns about a fall in cancer diagnosis too, so has it put you off seeking help?
• the all important numbers: 0808 5 929500 or text: 80925
• you can also email kaye@bbc.co.uk
• Children In Need and Comic Relief come together tonight for the Big Night In - Kaye will hear about the support both charities offer to kids fleeing from domestic violence
• and.....how's your sex life in lockdown? Psychopherapist Rachel Morris answers your queries on that topic!

Tourism businesses in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park could lose £200m this year, it has been claimed.

James Fraser, chairman of the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, said about 1,200 jobs were also at risk as a result of the shutdown.

The national park usually has about four million visitors a year.

Mr Fraser said: ’’In the 40 years I have been involved in the tourist industry I have never witnessed a situation as bad as this."

Image source, Gett

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Jason Leitch said the Scottish government would be taking steps "as soon as we can" to address concerns about treatment for other serious illnesses that have been suspended during the coronavirus outbreak.

He said it was possible that hospitals could be divided into Covid and non-Covid sections or buildings to deal with that issue.

Image source, Getty Images

Good Morning Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland

Jason Leitch says that the Scottish government's framework for an exit from lockdown will be a "crucial step" in the conversation with the public about what happenes next.

Nicola Sturgeon will set out later a paper that will chart a way forward "beyond the coronavirus lockdown".

Mr Leitch said there would be no dates or a timeline attached, but added that it would give some detail about what the future might look like and what the ministers think society will need to do to protect itself from the virus.

Image source, Getty Images