Scotland will toughen its coronavirus controls on international travellers but it also hopes to start relaxing its lockdown restrictions in early March, the head of the country's devolved government, Nicola Sturgeon, said.

Everyone arriving directly in Scotland from overseas will be required to quarantine, regardless of where they have come from, Sturgeon said.

“I can confirm today that we intend to introduce a managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of which country they have come from,” she told the Scottish parliament, according to a Reuters report.

Scotland will ask Britain's government to adopt a similar approach to minimise the risk of people with Covid-19 entering Scotland over the border with England and other parts of the United Kingdom.