WEARING masks in schools could become a “possibility”, Nicola Sturgeon has suggested as Scotland recorded 71 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours.

The First Minister said scientific advice was constantly under review and face coverings would be discussed at a meeting of the education recovery group last night.

But she said there was no evidence that coronavirus among young people was being transmitted in schools.

Sturgeon told yesterday’s coronavirus briefing: “I do think there is a possibility that our advice on that may change. The deputy first minister is today chairing a meeting of the education recovery group where I’m sure that will be one of the issues under discussion.

“If and when we change guidance on any aspect of how we tackle this virus we will set it out in the normal way, as clearly as possibly.”

It comes as all staff and pupils at Kingspark School in Dundee were told to self-isolate after 12 cases of the virus were confirmed.

The school was closed on Wednesday evening for deep cleaning after a number of adults linked to the site tested positive for the virus. NHS Tayside said connected households are being asked to self-isolate “given the complex health conditions of the pupils who attend Kingspark”.

Staff have been told to self-isolate for 14 days from the date they were last in the school while pupils and their households must self-isolate for 14 days from Thursday, August 20.

Sturgeon said the total number of people who have tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the pandemic in Scotland is now 19,605.

The provisional information for the latest data is that there are 10 cases in the NHS Grampian area, 16 in the Greater Glasgow area, four in Lanarkshire and 31 in Tayside.

Sturgeon also addressed the outbreak in Aberdeen, which she said was “improving”.

She said there are now a total of 237 cases associated with the outbreak in the city.

Sturgeon said she hoped there would be a “firm timetable” put in place for easing restrictions on the city when a review is undertaken tomorrow.

She said: “I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone in the city of Aberdeen for complying so well with these restrictions.

I know how difficult it will have been.

“We all hope and are optimistic that Aberdeen will be on the road back – if not to complete normality then at least as much normality as the rest of the country very soon.”

Sturgeon also said 600 workers have been tested so far at the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Tayside after cases were confirmed there.

There have been 68 positive tests, 59 of those are employees and the other nine their contacts.