First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has asked all restaurants, cafes, pubs and cinemas in Scotland to close.
Speaking in a televised address on STV from Bute House in Edinburgh, she said the number of cases of Covid-19 are set to rise sharply.
She said everyone must act now to slow the spread of the virus, adding that we must also reduce the number of people we meet and come into contact with.
Ms Sturgeon said Covid-19 is now “the biggest challenge of our lifetime” and that we are “entering stormy waters”.
She told Scots: “I will do my utmost to lead us safely through – but I need your help.
“There’s no doubt difficult days do lie ahead but I close on a note of hope and belief,” she said, adding that “with compassion and kindness and dedication and expertise of our NHS we can and will get through this”.
She said her own sister and sister-in-law work for the NHS, and the debt of gratitude owed to NHS workers is “enormous”.
And she encouraged people to support local businesses but not to panic buy.
Finishing with a message to older people, Sturgeon said: “A crisis like this will have an impact on well-being and mental health.
“To older people, we are asking you to stay away from your grandkids, from the people you love.
“That’s hard. But it is for your protection, so you can stay around to see them grow up.”
