The Scottish Parliament should be closed if Edinburgh is hit with the COVID-19 coronavirus, a bacteria expert has said.
MSPs quizzed the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body (SPCB) on Thursday about the steps it was taking to consider the implications of the outbreak.
Responding on behalf of the SPCB, Ruth Davidson said officials were monitoring the situation and recognised that should the number of coronavirus cases increase it may have a significant impact.
Bacteria expert Hugh Pennington told the Daily Record earlier this week that Holyrood bosses should consider closing the parliament if an outbreak hit Edinburgh.
Professor Pennington said the two-factor fingerprint system, installed to boost security, may also have to be disabled in a bid to fight the spread of the virus.
He said: “We do know that it is an important way this virus gets about - touching surfaces that have been contaminated by someone else.”
MSPs and staff provide a biometric card and a fingerprint scan to access the gated building, with potentially hundreds touching the same surface each day.
Ruth Davidson told MSPs the fingerprint readers present no more of a risk of cross-contamination than door handles.
Hand sanitiser has also been placed at each entrance, she said.
However, Prof Pennington added that temporary closure of Holyrood would be preferable: “It wouldn’t be beyond the wit of man to close the Parliament for a couple of weeks.
Closure would mean the passage of legislation being delayed and scrutiny of the Government being held up.
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson told Edinburgh Live: "We are monitoring developments closely, and are in regular contact with other UK legislatures and the Scottish Government. This includes representation in the Scottish Government Resilience Room (SCoRR).
"We recognise that mitigation steps may need to be increased in the future as risks change or emerge, and the Scottish Parliament will respond accordingly, in line with official advice.”
At a UK level, talks about the emergency closure of the House of Commons have already taken place between the Speaker and the Chief Medical Officer.
An estimated 3000 people work in the building and it also attracts many visitors each day.
