Nicola Sturgeon news briefing RECAP: 267 positive cases of Covid-19 in last 24 hours, with one further death

Slovenia and Guadeloupe added to quarantine list

Slovenia and Guadeloupe added to quarantine list

One more confirmed coronavirus patient has died in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

It brings the total number of Covid-19 fatalities to 2,502.

Speaking at the Scottish Government’s daily briefing, the First Minister said 23,776 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland, up by 203 from 23,573 the day before.

This is 4.4% of newly-tested individuals.

Of the new cases, 69 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 29 in Lanarkshire and 30 in Lothian.

There are 61 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up by nine in 24 hours.

Of these patients, five were in intensive care, no change on yesterday.

Nicola Sturgeon says the government is in talks with airports. On testing passengers, she says: "we continue to consider it”.

On the subject of further curfews, Ms Sturgeon says: I can't stand here and rule anything out"

Action is needed now to prevent a rise in coronavirus deaths in the coming weeks, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister spoke as one Covid-19 death was recorded in Scotland over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 2,501.

She said 267 positive cases of the virus had been recorded over the same time period, bringing the total to 23,283.

This is 3.6% of newly tested individuals.

Speaking at the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon said: “While the number of deaths is much, much lower thankfully than was the case in the spring and early summer this year, nevertheless the need for me to report deaths is a more regular feature of these briefings now than it has been for quite some time.

“Unless we act to stem community transmission now it is highly likely that cases of serious illness and deaths will rise in the weeks to come.

“If community transmission continues to rise as night follows day we will see more cases of people in hospital and unfortunately more cases of people dying.”

Nicola Sturgeon says there is a prioritisation in the Scottish government's testing strategy:

People with Covid symptoms

Priority access for people in schools

Care home staff

Groups of NHS patients and staff are also routinely tested

The Scottish Government’s Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop also attended the briefing on Wednesday and said she would be writing to Chancellor Rishi Sunak asking him to reconsider the ending of the furlough scheme.

New statistics indicate more than two thirds of Scottish firms surveyed were still furloughing their workforce to some extent with an estimated 15% still on furlough.

She said: “Even though in some sectors a significant number of people have gone back to work the outlook is much bleaker in other sectors.

“For example in accommodation and food services an estimated 34.4% of staff were still on furlough and in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector 57.5% staff are still on furlough.

“Today, we’ve also published research by the Scottish Government’s chief economist showing that extending the furlough scheme back for eight months would reduce unemployment in Scotland by 61,000 for the first half of the year.

“The research estimates that the direct costs of extending the furlough scheme in Scotland is around £850 million over eight months.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also highlighted the latest GDP figure which fell by almost a fifth in Scotland in the period for April to June.

She welcomed support from both the Scottish and UK Governments, “and in particular the UK Government’s job retention scheme”, but again made calls for an extension of the furlough scheme beyond the current end date at the end of October.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The economic emergency we’re dealing with is of course inextricably linked to and indeed caused by the public health emergency that we have faced in these past six months.

“Keeping the virus under control as effectively as possible is therefore the best way of keeping the economy safely and sustainably open.”

Testing was also raised as an important issue with the Arc Sports Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University on track to open on Saturday.

It will provide a walk-in facility for testing at the campus which Ms Sturgeon said “will be especially useful for the student population in central Glasgow”.

Nicola Sturgeon said: “While the number of deaths is much, much lower thankfully than was the case in the spring and early summer this year, nevertheless the need for me to report deaths is a more regular feature of these briefings now than it has been for quite some time.

“Unless we act to stem community transmission now it is highly likely that cases of serious illness and deaths will rise in the weeks to come.

“If community transmission continues to rise as night follows day we will see more cases of people in hospital and unfortunately more cases of people dying.”

The First Minister also pointed to France as an example where hospital cases and deaths were rising.