Professor June Andrews, a former Scottish government official, admitted the comments sounded 'horrific' but said they gave an honest assessment of the impacts of a Covid-19 pandemic.

It comes after it was revealed today that Prince Charles has the coronavirus and may have been contagious just 24 hours after last seeing the Queen.

It comes after the UK yesterday posted 43 coronavirus deaths, sparking hope that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's unprecedented lockdown was working to control the ever-worsening crisis.

A total of 1,408 people in Britain have died from coronavirus. England recorded 159 new deaths in the last 24 hours, while Wales reported 14, Scotland six and Northern Ireland one.

Statistics published by the Department of Health reveal a record high number of victims for the second day in a row and more than 4,000 people have been diagnosed in a single day.

Twenty-eight more patients died overnight in England. Six more patients died in Scotland, five in Wales and four in Northern Ireland.

England recorded 866 new deaths, while the other 87 were confirmed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The treatment of the Fred Olsen employees is being managed on board the 28,600-tonne vessel Black Watch in the Firth of Forth and there are no plans for anyone to disembark.

A number of offenders in Scotland charged with knife offences and violent assaults have been bailed to appear in court several months down the line - when they normally would be dealt with the next day.

The sharp fall adds to growing evidence that the peak of the UK's epidemic has blown over and that efforts now must be concentrated on stopping the spread of the virus surging to a second peak.

Data from the Office for National Statistics, which includes deaths which happen in care homes, shows 13,000 people had died by April 10 but the Government had only announced 9,000 by then.

Researchers from the University of Dundee will conduct trials of brensocatib - formerly known as INS1007 - to tackle lung inflammation caused by the virus.

Nicola Sturgeon today signalled she is willing to ease coronavirus restrictions in Scotland independently of the UK government as Northern Ireland also appeared set to follow suit.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today refused to bow to growing political pressure to set out how the UK government will ease the coronavirus lockdown.

The UK Government's team of top scientists believe there is no way for stylists to cut people's hair without risking spreading the virus.

Nicola Sturgeon today suggested people in Scotland could soon be allowed to meet a small 'bubble' of friends or family outside of their households under plans to ease the coronavirus lockdown.

ALISON BOSHOFF: When they got engaged in September, Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi released a sweet, starry-eyed statement: 'We can't wait to actually be married.'

Justin Bieber will officially be performing at the Kids' Choice Awards next Sunday. The 26-year-old pop act will treat his fans to a rendition of his single Intentions, which he released with Quavo.

It will feature appearances from Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Camila Cabello, Millie Bobby Brown, Ellen DeGeneres, BTS, Shawn Mendes, Lil Nas X and more.

Pregnant Millie Mackintosh has penned an emotional Instagram post revealing her anxiety about being pregnant and giving birth amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Made In Chelsea star Heloise Agostinelli has revealed she has been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

After answering fans' questions, she revealed her daughter was fine while her husband Scott Sullivan tested negative - meaning he has natural immunity

With the virus continuing to spread across the continent, threatening a host of major sporting events, UEFA have accepted that 'football must follow the orders of the individual countries'.

The match, to be staged in Rome's Stadio Olimpico, was thought to be under serious threat after the rapid spreading of the virus. But Six Nations chiefs say they expect the fixture to go ahead.

Mako Vunipola has been cleared to train with Saracens despite being stood down by England due to fears surrounding the coronavirus. 

It has been officially confirmed by the Six Nations that Italy's home match against England next Saturday has been postponed due to the coronavirus crisis.

Mako Vunipola has been named in the Saracens starting side to face Leicester Tigers this weekend despite being stood down from England duty over coronavirus fears.

The match between Scotland and France in the Women's Six Nations on Saturday has been postponed as a player has contracted coronavirus. The identity of the player has not been revealed.

Player's union chief executive Damian Hopley has urged rugby authorities to apply 'common sense' to the process of re-scheduling matches postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Fans have flocked in their droves to the few sporting events on show this Saturday as punters head to Uttoxeter racing while football fans go to non-League games amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Italy flanker Maxime Mbanda has swapped rugby for driving an ambulance 13 hours a day in a bid to help his nation's fight against coronavirus as they try to halt the spread of the virus.

The actor and the human rights barrister are splitting their donation six ways. Part of the funds will go to struggling Hollywood Industry members, while other funds will go to frontline health workers.

EXCLUSIVE: A Scottish Women's Rugby player being treated for coronavirus spent days training near to Team GB Olympians at their base in Loughborough before she was diagnosed.

Scottish Rugby Union chiefs have set aside £500,000 to help clubs struggling in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak after suspending the domestic season until at least March 29.

Neighbours throughout the complex in Waterloo, in Sydney's inner city, stepped outside on their balconies after hearing a mystery man playing the keyboard and singing the song.

Rand Paul, a GOP senator from Kentucky, has tested positive for coronavirus, his office announced Sunday. 'He is feeling fine and is in quarantine,' a tweet from his official Twitter account revealed.

Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois is pushing a bipartisan rules change to allow for remote voting after Sen. Rand Paul tested positive for the coronavirus.

Republican Senator Rand Paul admitted Monday he didn't qualify to be tested for the coronavirus even though he received one and got a positive result.

Sen. Mitt Romney flew home to Utah by private jet after learning that he was exposed to Sen. Rand Paul, who announced Sunday he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

President Donald Trump issued a mocking tweet Wednesday about the negative results of Sen. Mitt Romney's coronavirus test.

With the FDA-approval of faster tests that return results at the point-of-care, there's cause for hope that things will speed up, but a Columbia University expert explained why a five-minute test is a misnomer.

Republican Senator Rand Paul said he was not wearing a face mask because he already had the coronavirus and that immunity meant he couldn't transmit it to anyone else. 

The regional government in North Rhine-Westphalia, said there had been a spike in coronavirus cases after 150 of 1,200 employees  tested positive at a slaughterhouse in Coesfeld.

Retired teacher Beverley Attwood lives with her husband Bob in a picturesque cottage festooned with VE Day bunting in Brighstone, one of the prettiest villages on the Isle of Wight.

Google and Facebook have told most employees to keep working from home for the rest of the year as part of a response by the tech giants to the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Legendary magician Roy Horn has died. He was 75. Horn,one half of the longtime Las Vegas illusionist duo Siegfried & Roy, had tested positive for COVID-19.

EXCLUSIVE: The elderly patients sent back from hospitals, despite suffering from coronavirus, triggered outbreaks in care homes, tragically claiming the lives of other vulnerable residents.

Barack Obama (right), the former president, said on Friday that President Trump's (left) handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is one reason he will work hard to help Joe Biden defeat him in November.

Vice President Mike Pence's spokesperson Katie Miller, who also serves as a spokesperson for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, tested positive for the coronavirus.. 

Professor Tim Spector, a leading genetic epidemiologist, said the failure to class common symptoms in with the dry cough and fever has led to statisticians collecting data which is 'nonsense'.