Nicola Sturgeon says 100,000 Coronavirus death rate is "worst case scenario"

NICOLA Sturgeon has described a 100,000 Coronavirus death toll across the UK toll as a “worst case scenario”.

However, the First Minister told the Sophie Ridge show this morning that the numbers were not “forecasts”.

It was claimed UK Government ministers had warned councils to brace themselves for a six figure death rate from the global infection.

One official was quoted saying: “The central estimate of deaths is about 100,000.

"Everyone has been focusing on the worst case but this is what the experts actually expect to happen. Some of those people would have died of other flus."

Sturgeon, who sits on the Cobra committee chaired by the Prime Minister, was asked by Ridge if the 100,000 figure is accurate.

She replied: “We are looking at the scientific worst case scenarios right now. We’ve heard other figures in the past number of days that up to 80% of the population could be infected, although the vast majority mildly. So these kind of figures are very much worst case scenarios.”

She added: “We are looking at worst case scenarios, and these kind of figures are broadly, in terms of the worst case scenario figures that we face. But these are not forecasts.”

People wearing face masks on Buchanan Street in Glasgow. (Daily Record - Tony Nicoletti)

Her comments came a day after the number of Coronavirus cases Scotland came to 16.

In total, 1,664 of the 1,680 tests in Scotland have come back negative.

The rest of the UK is dealing with 206 cases of the illness, a rise of 43 on Friday morning's total of 163.

Sturgeon also told the show she would like the UK Government's Budget to deliver more funds for the NHS.

“The pressures that are likely to come from Coronavirus in the weeks ahead will mean that we need to see additional resources, so I very much hope that the Budget has positive things to say about that.”

She continued: “I certainly hope we will see a relaxation of Universal Credit rules. We don’t want people who are being advised to self-isolate, to minimise the risk of passing the risk on to others, to be sanctioned on their benefits.”

Sturgeon also said preparation for COP26 - an international climate change conference in Glasgow - are “intensifying”.

However, in the context of Coronavirus, she said:

“Events that are coming up in the months to come will be under review.”