A TOTAL of 500 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in Scotland but there are still no confirmed cases in the country.

The update comes as the first case was confirmed in Wales and two more were identified in England – bringing the total number in the UK to 19.

The outbreak of this strain, known as Covid-19, started in the Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this month.

China has reported nearly 80,000 cases and almost 3,000 deaths.

Outside China, there have been cases in nearly 60 countries with more than 80 deaths.

On Thursday, it emerged schools have been issued with advice to prep staff on preventing the spread of infections by Health Protection Scotland (HPS).

Earlier this week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also chaired a Scottish Government resilience meeting with attendees including Health Secretary Jeane Freeman.

Scotland’s chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood previously said the Government and NHS were working on “containment first” and then – if coronavirus was discovered in this country – a range of measures to try to limit the number of people infected.

She also suggested people could be banned from gathering in large numbers to contain any spread.