Covid Scotland: New record case high as 7,113 cases recorded on Sunday

A record high number of covid cases have been recorded in Scotland since the pandemic began with 7,113 new cases reported in the latest Scottish Government figures.

Latest covid figures in Scotland (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images).

The Scottish Government noted that the record high new 7,113 cases on Sunday includes a larger than usual proportion of specimens that were processed more than 48 hours ago due to backlogs and delays in the covid testing system.

The figures are the highest daily figure recorded in Scotland since the pandemic began.

It is the third time in a week the record for new infections has been broken, as the Scottish Government warned the situation is “fragile” and said further restrictions could not be ruled out.

Commenting on Sunday’s figures, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are seeing a rising curve of cases in Scotland.

"It’s reassuring that vaccines are preventing the levels of serious health harms that case numbers like this would once have caused.

"However, we can’t be complacent and are monitoring carefully.”

A total of 13.5% of the 55,543 new covid tests that reported results on Sunday were positive.

There have been no new deaths of people who have tested positive, however, Register Offices are now generally closed at weekends.

Overall, 52 people were in intensive care and 507 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed covid.

A further 17,655 vaccinations were carried out in the past 24 hours.

In the vaccination process overall, 4,101,311 people have received the first dose of the covid vaccination and 3,655,287 have received their second dose.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The case numbers continue to be a cause for concern and our current situation remains fragile.

“Those who are eligible, and have not yet done so, should get vaccinated as this remains the single most important thing we can do to keep each other safe.

“We should all be testing regularly as this makes it less likely that the virus will be inadvertently passed on to others.

“And basic steps like wearing face coverings on public transport, keeping a safe distance from others and opening a window if you have someone in your house for ventilation can also play a key role in breaking off chains of transmission.

“All these measures can help ensure we maintain the progress that we have made, and to keep on living more freely.

“No one wants to see a return of formal restrictions, but we cannot rule anything out as cases continue to surge.”

Scotland recorded a total of 6,835 covid cases on Friday and 5,858 new cases on Saturday.

At the Friday covid briefing, the First Minister said the Scottish Government is “not currently considering a circuit-breaker lockdown”.

Health officials believe the surge in cases is driven partly by the return of Scottish schools after the summer holidays.

On Wednesday, data showed that about a third of Scotland’s new cases were in the under-19s age group.

The First Minister said that she hopes the JCVI will recommend the vaccination for all 12- to 15-year-olds soon.

Sturgeon said on Friday: “If I was making a plea to the JCVI, and it’s not for me to tell them what decision to reach and they’ve got to do that on the basis of the evidence, but please make it quickly.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.