SCOTLAND'S coronavirus lockdown will continue for at least another three weeks, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.

Ahead of a similar announcement expected from the UK government this afternoon, the First Minister said the “clear advice” was to maintain restrictions into May. 

Relaxing them ahead of conclusive evidence that the virus had been sufficiently suppressed could lead to an "extremely damaging" resrgence, she said.

She said a “test, trace and isolate” strategy would play a “key part” in the transitional exit from the lockdown, but would require more testing capacity and personnel.

She also suggested there would be more intrusive technology in people’s lives which raised privacy issues, an apparent reference to the phone apps used by some Asian countries. 

The Office of Budget Responsibility this week warned the UK economy could shrink by 35 per cent if the long down lasts into the summer.

Speaking at the second First Minister’s Questions session conducted online, Ms Sturgeon also revealed the number of deaths in Scotland involving a laboratory-confirmed case of Covid-19 had increased by 80 overnight to 799.

The number of confirmed cases was up 354 to 7,102 and the number of people in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 was up 51 to 1,799, including 196 in intensive care, up one.

The number of deaths involving suspected as well as confirmed laboratory cases is understood to be over 1000.

Asked about a potential exit strategy by Green co-leader Alison Johnstone, Ms Sturgeon said: “Unfortunately lockdown is going to continue beyond this week.

“Cobra [the UK emergency group] will meet later on, and other governments have to reach their own decisions.

“My clear advice is that we must continue the lockdown measures for at least another three weeks. 

“While we are increasingly confident that these measures are working, we are not yet confident enough that the virus has been suppressed sufficiently to lift any of these measures, because the risk of doing that would be a resurgence that would be extremely damaging.”

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