Schools in Scotland and Wales have announced they will close their doors from Friday in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said schools have lost too many staff due to the virus that they can no longer be in operation.

It is expected that the UK government will announce similar action during Prime Minister Boris Johnson's daily press conference about tackling COVID-19 this afternoon.

Johnson has already announced the importance of self-isolation, advising people not to go to pubs, clubs, restaurants, theatres and other social gatherings.

Confirmed cases in the UK have now jumped to 2,626, up from 1,950 on Wednesday.

A total of 71 British people have died from the virus.