Coronavirus: Two more die in 'devastating' loss says Sturgeon

Two more confirmed coronavirus patients have died in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

Nicola Sturgeon said the deaths served as a warning that the threat of Covid-19 has not gone away.

The deaths are the first to be newly registered of people who first tested positive in the previous 28 days since July 16, the First Minister said. They take the toll under this measure to 2,494.

Speaking at First Minister’s Questions at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon said: “I think all of us have become used to hearing news of no deaths under these daily figures.

“These two new deaths today are, of course, devastating for those who will be grieving the loss but they should also be a reminder to us that the threat of Covid hasn’t yet gone away.”

She said 67 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 19,988.

The First Minister added of those who tested positive, 249 were in hospital, up six in 24 hours. Of these, two were in intensive care, a rise of one.

Separate figures from the National Records of Scotland showed that by Sunday August 23 there had been 4,222 deaths where coronavirus was either confirmed or suspected.That includes six deaths over the period of the week to August 23, Ms Sturgeon said – three more than the previous week. Four of those deaths were in care homes, she added.

She went on to state the total deaths recorded last week from all causes was 40 higher than the five-year average for the same time of year – though the First Minister stressed this figure could “fluctuate”.

Ms Sturgeon also updated MSPs on the “main clusters” of coronavirus in Scotland. There are now 156 positive cases linked to the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Coupar Angus, she said, with 138 workers and 18 of their contacts affected.

The total was up by four from the previous day, with all four new cases workers in the factory.

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