Nicola Sturgeon: Covid-19 deaths in Scotland rise by 64

The First Minister has confirmed that 64 more people have died from coronavirus.

Speaking from St Andrew’s House, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told reporters that the death toll from Covid-19 had reached 1,184 – an increase of 64 since yesterday.

Ms Sturgeon said the number of people who had tested positive for the virus was 9,697. The figure has jumped by 288 since Thursday (April 23).

1,710 people have been hospitalised with the virus, a decrease of 38. 141 of those patients are being treated in intensive care units across Scotland.

Fist Minister Nicola Sturgeon. (Photo by Jane Barlow-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Ms Sturgeon said that, on a positive note, she was able to confirm that 2,271 people who had been hospitalised with the disease had since recovered enough to be discharged.

She said the hospitalisation figures were “giving us real and growing optimism” that the lockdown was working. But she said it also proved that we “must stick with” the restrictions, despite the challenges, or “risk us putting all that progress in reverse.”