First Minister focused on getting schools reopened amid warnings over impact of 'cruel virus'
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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned people to expect fluctuations from week to week in the number of Covid-19 deaths confirmed because of the very low numbers of people currently dying from the virus.
She was speaking after there was a slight rise of just two deaths compared to the previous seven-day period, confirmed by National Records of Scotland earlier today.
“These figures are a reminder of the continuing impact of the pandemic and of the fact that despite the progress we have undoubtedly made we should never underestimate how cruel a virus this can be."
The First Minister also warned that the government’s central focus over the next three weeks is the safe reopening of schools which she said leaves very little scope for further immediate relaxation of the lockdown.
She said “The most recent statistics on Covid-19. I can report that an additional 22 positive cases were confirmed yesterday. That represents 0.7 per cent of those who were newly tested yesterday and takes the total number of cases in Scotland now to 18,580.
“My provisional information is that 14 of the 22 are in the Glasgow and Clyde Health Board area and I have also been advised that a possible cluster of cases is currently under investigation by Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
“I'm very pleased to say that yet again during the past 24-hours, no deaths were registered of patients confirmed through a test in the previous 28 days as having Covid-19 so the total number of deaths under that measure remains 2491.
“Today's National Records of Scotland report shows that the total number of deaths registered with either a confirmed or presumed link to the virus was 4201, of those eight were registered in seven days up to Sunday and is an increase of two from the week before.
“Obviously any increase in deaths at however small it might be is regrettable and very unwelcome but when we have very low levels, as thankfully we do right now, fluctuation is to be expected.
“These figures are a reminder of the continuing impact of the pandemic and of the fact that despite the progress we have undoubtedly made we should never underestimate how cruel a virus this can be.
“I hope that I can confirm tomorrow the pausing of shielding at the end of the month and as you know it is our central objective for the next three weeks to get schools back full-time from August 11.
“Ensuring that those changes that can take place without raising the prevalence of the virus too far is not going to leave us very much room for many other immediate changes.
“I know that what sometimes appear to be anomalies right now about what is and what is allowed and is not allowed can be confusing, I would assure you that there are rational explanations for what might appear on the surface to be inconsistencies.”
