No new positive tests for Covid-19 have been recorded in NHS Highland for 24 hours; news comes as number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in the region rose to 97

THERE were no newly-confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the NHS Highland area in the past 24 hours, official figures have shown.

The number of positive tests for the coronavirus in the NHS Highland area remained static at 324.

And the number of people receiving hospital treatment last night for confirmed or suspected Covid-19 dropped to five – down one from yesterday.

The news came amid a backdrop of 166 newly-confirmed cases of the virus across Scotland as a whole, which has now had 13,929 positive tests since the outbreak first began.

Sadly, the number of people who tested positive who have since died has edged close to the 2000 mark after 61 further deaths took the tally to 1973. Of those, 97 have passed away in the NHS Highland area – an increase of nine in the past week.

But the numbers of Scots in hospital for confirmed or suspected Covid-19 fell to 1534 - down from 1613 yesterday - and those in intensive care were down by 10, to 70.

In the north of the country, there were yet again no fresh cases of the virus in the Northern Isles or Outer Hebrides.

NHS Grampian reported an increase of 21, to take its number of positive tests to 1123. But its hospitals saw a slight fall in the number of Covid-19 patients - down two to 97 - and those in intensive care - down from 11 to nine.

NHS Tayside, meanwhile, reported 10 new cases of the virus to take its number of confirmed diagnoses to 1515. The number of patients in hospital with the virus was down two to 27.

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