Scotland announces its third death as infection toll passes 2,600

The UK has today confirmed almost 700 more cases of the killer coronavirus in the biggest daily spike yet as fears of a crisis continued to grip Britain, Daily Mail Online. 

More than 2,600 patients have now been struck down with the deadly infection on British soil, with the number of cases jumping by 36 per cent overnight. 

However, the true toll is likely to be hundreds of times bigger because the NHS has controversially decided to only test patients in hospitals.

The decision prompted the wrath of the World Health Organization, who warned that the only way of tackling the pandemic was to find every infected patient. 

It comes after a third patient in Scotland died of coronavirus, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced.

The fatality means the country has seen two deaths in as many days after an elderly person being treated by the health board in Glasgow died yesterday.

Ms Sturgeon also announced schools would close because they are now seeing too many teachers and staff taking time off for them to function normally.

She announced in a speech this afternoon that all schools and nurseries would close from Friday this week and that she could not promise they would open again before summer. 

She said the country was 'heading into stormy waters' and that the decision was a 'really difficult decision' but that it was now inevitable.

England remains the worst-hit country in the UK, with more than 1,500 confirmed infections and 67 deaths.

But there have been around 200 confirmed in infections in Scotland and now three deaths; 136 cases and two deaths in Wales; and 62 cases in Northern Ireland. 

Announcing the death this afternoon, Ms Sturgeon said: 'It is with sadness this afternoon that I have to confirm the death of one more patient.'

She said her thoughts were with the families of those who have died.