Country's coronavirus-related death toll falls for the seventh week
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomed new National Records of Scotland (NRS) figures which show the number of Covid-19 related deaths has fallen for the seventh week in a row.
Just 70 more deaths from either confirmed or suspected Covid-19 in the seven days up to Sunday while there were no new deaths in the Highlands in news that is likely to further strengthen the case for easing the lockdown.
An announcement on that is expected tomorrow when the First Minister has hinted she will signal the staggered move into phase two of the route map out of lockdown that could see pubs reopening beer gardens and people able to visit indoors.
Ms Sturgeon also discussed details of the test and protect system with 992 new cases of the virus discovered since the end of May and of those contact tracing for 891 of those cases has been concluded.
She said: “Since yesterday there have been an additional 21 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed which takes the total number now to 18,066, a total of 965 patients are currently in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid-19 which is a decrease of 21 since yesterday.
“Unfortunately, in the past 24-hours nine deaths of patients who have been confirmed as having the virus have been registered and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement 2462.
“National Records of Scotland (NRS) has also just published its more detailed weekly report report, those figures report deaths that have been confirmed by a lab test and also cases where the virus was entered as a suspected or contributory cause of death.
“The latest NRS report covers the period to Sunday June 14 and at that point according to our daily figures 2848 deaths of people who tested positive for the virus have been registered.
“Today's report showed that by Sunday the total number of registered deaths with either a confirmed or presumed link to the virus was 4070, of those 70 were registered in the seven-days up to Sunday.
“That is a decrease of 19 from the week before and this is the seventh week in a row in which the number of days from the virus has fallen, the total number of excess deaths which is the number of the five-year average for the same time of year also decreased again at 32 in the most recent week.
“Deaths in care homes made up 50 per cent of all deaths linked to the virus last week however the number of Covid-19 deaths in care homes reduced again from 42 to 35.
“However, as I said the weekly number of Covid-19 deaths has now fallen for the seventh week in a row and they are now at less than and one ninth of their peak level, excess deaths and care home deaths also continue to fall.
“Tomorrow, I expect to confirm that we can move from phase one to phase two of our plan to emerge from lockdown and I will set out much more detail about that tomorrow.
“However, we will continue to move in a cautious and phased way because the more we hammer down this by this now the more normality we can ultimately get back in all aspects of our life.
“Our test and protect system is vitally important to our plans to emerge safely from lockdown, Health Protection Scotland has just published data on that system and it shows that since May 28 a total of 992 cases were reported in which the individual tested positive, contact tracing has already been completed for 891 of those and is ongoing in others.
“In total 1239 contacts have been traced so far and I would remind everyone watching that if you have symptoms of Covid-19 you should book a test immediately and follow the advice on self-isolation.”
