The first minister tells the chamber the government is continuing to learn lessons to protect care home residents - this includes routine testing of care home workers.

The potential winter risk of flu at the same time as coronavirus is being reduced, she says, by extending eligibility for the flu vaccine to everyone over the age of 55, social care workers and those who live with ‘shielded’ people.

The first minister warns we must be prepared for any second wave if it happens.

The NHS is already restarting procedures that had to be paused.

However, it is also maintaining hospital and ICU capacity to deal with covid if necessary, says Ms Sturgeon.

"That includes keeping the NHS Louisa Jordan open through winter," she says.

The government is also replenishing stocks and strengthening supply chains to ensure there is PPE for health and care workers.

"I can announce today a significant enhancement to Test & Protect," says the first minister.

"Later this month, we will launch ‘Protect Scotland’, our new proximity tracing app.

"The app will provide an additional means of notifying and giving advice if you’ve been exposed to someone who has tested positive - even if you don’t know them and they don’t know you."

Ms Sturgeon encourages everyone to download and use the app as soon as it becomes available.

The first minister turns to the detail and, firstly, to the necessity of suppressing and hopefully eliminating covid.

"While nothing can be ruled out, we want to do everything possible to keep covid under control without another national lockdown," Ms Sturgeon says.

"This means building and supporting public health infrastructure that can break the chains of transmission and keep outbreaks contained."

She pledges to continue to expand testing capacity and to make it more accessible.

• By the end of October, 11 new walk-in testing centres will open across Scotland.
• Over the course of winter, this will rise to 22.

The first minister stresses the importance of equality, wellbeing and tackling child poverty in the programme for government.

"At its heart is the new, game-changing Scottish Child Payment," she says.

"The programme for government sets out plans for a stronger, more resilient, more sustainable economy, with a laser focus on creating new, good, green jobs," says the first minister.

Ms Sturgeon adds: "It guarantees opportunities for young people - and it refuses to accept that their generation will carry the economic scars of Covid into adulthood.

"It strengthens and reforms public services, including our National Health Service.

"And it takes the first step on the road to a National Care Service."

The first minister says: "We will not simply hunker down and wait for this storm to pass."

Ms Sturgeon insists this is a time to be ambitious and calls for a "stronger, greener, fairer future".

She says we are being reminded every day of the pandemic of the resilience of our human spirit and the power of human compassion and the ingenuity of human intellect.

"We must harness all of that for the future," she says.

The Scottish government's full programme for government 2020-21 has been published and can be found here., external

The first minister now turns to her programme for government for 2020/21.

Nicola Sturgeon says: "This is not a normal business as usual programme for government."

"Suppressing Covid is our most immediate priority and it will remain so for some time."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirms a further 154 people have tested positive for Covid-19, which was 1.2% of newly-tested individuals.

This takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 20,632 people.

66 of these cases are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde which is "causing us some concern", Ms Sturgeon says.

264 patients are in hospital with a confirmed case (up six), with six being treated in intensive care (up one).

No deaths were registered in the past 24 hours of people who tested positive, meaning the total remains at 2,494.

Image source, PA Media

The first minister will put economic recovery at the heart of today's programme for government statement.

Nicola Sturgeon has said she wants to see Scotland "rebuild an economy that is stronger, fairer and more sustainable".

The statement will begin with an update on the coronavirus pandemic in Scotland.

Stay with us for the latest on the statement, reaction and analysis.

Image source, PA/DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

The first minister also looks set to signal moves towards the creation of a national care service for Scotland.

The plan is likely to form part of her programme for government, which she’ll announce at Holyrood this afternoon.

Ms Sturgeon's likely to indicate that Scotland will do the ground work now on a care service to complement the NHS.

Her statement will, of course, primarily focus on efforts to tackle coronavirus – but she’ll also set out plans for a new, environmentally sustainable economy when the virus is suppressed.

Nicola Sturgeon is to put a "national mission to create jobs" at the heart of her plans for the year ahead in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The first minister is to prioritise jobs and training for young people in her annual "programme for government".

She said she wanted to see Scotland "rebuild an economy that is stronger, fairer and more sustainable".

Opposition parties have called for more investment in transport, childcare, housing and support for local firms.

The number of people in work in Scotland has been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown, with a sharp rise in those claiming benefits and more than 700,000 staff placed on furlough.

• Read more here
• This virus cannot define our futures' - Sturgeon

The Scottish Greens have set out a five-point plan for better housing - including action to end homelessness, cap rents and improve energy efficiency - which they say will "kick start a green recovery".

And the Scottish Lib Dems have called for a "needle sharp" focus on economic and social recovery, including faster progress on free childcare, better support for local businesses hit by lockdowns, and testing for international students as they arrive in Scotland.

Image source, Getty Images

Scotland spent £15.1bn more on public services than it raised in taxes last year, according to Scottish government statistics.

This public spending deficit was £2bn higher than the previous year, and represented 8.6% of the country's GDP.

The figures cover the financial year to 5 April 2020, so do not reflect the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The deficit for the UK as a whole rose from 1.9% of its GDP to 2.5% for the same period.

Read more.

Image source, PA Media

Scotland's economic growth is forecast to contract by 9.1% in 2020, according to the latest predictions.

The coronavirus pandemic has seen KPMG revise its Gross Value Added (GVA) forecast for Scotland down from a 6.8% drop.

The accountancy firm is also forecasting a GDP decline of 10.3% for 2020 for the whole of the UK.

However, both economic measures are expected to see a recovery in 2021 - increasing by 8.2% and 8.4% respectively - if a working Covid-19 vaccine is available by April.