The UK lockdown has been extended by at least another three weeks as the death toll soared to over 13,700 across Britain.
Addressing the daily Downing Street coronavirus news conference, Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb announced the strict measures will continue across the country.
He said: “Any change to social distancing measures now would risk a significant increase in the spread of the virus.”
He added that the lifting of restrictions would “threaten a second peak of the virus” which would threaten both public health and the economy.
Ministers agreed the need to prolong social distancing measures following meetings of the Cabinet and the Government's emergency committee Cobra, amid signs the epidemic in the UK is beginning to peak.
The news came as the Department of Health said the Covid-19 death toll in hospitals in the UK had reached 13,729 as of 5pm on Wednesday, up 861 on the figure the day before.
779 people have now died from coronavirus in Scotland - an increase of 80 deaths overnight.
The number of confirmed cases has risen to 7,102 up 354 from Wednesday.
A total of 196 Scots are in intensive care receiving treatment, it has been confirmed.
Of the confirmed positive cases, 1,799 people are in hospital which is an increase of 51.
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