Category: Coronavirus

Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh on 20 April 2020.

Good afternoon everybody. Thank you once again to all of you for joining us for this daily briefing.

I want to start as I always do with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to the spread of COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can report there have been 8,450 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 263 since yesterday.

A total of 1,809 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – which is an increase of 12 from yesterday.

And a total of 169 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of five on yesterday’s figures.

However, in the last 24 hours, I am afraid that 12 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test of having COVID-19 – and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 915.

Once again, I want to express some caution about that figure. Although people can now register deaths over the weekend, we would still expect that the number of registrations on Saturdays and Sundays to be relatively low. So we should take that into account when considering the figure I have just given you.

And of course, it continues to be absolutely essential that we never, ever lose sight of the human reality behind these statistics. Each death represents a loved individual whose loss is a source of grief to their family and friends. And so – yet again – I want to extend our deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.

I also want to express our thanks – as I always do – to all of our health and care workers right across the country. You are doing extraordinary work, in the most difficult of circumstances, and our gratitude continues to be with you each and every day.

I have got two issues I want to briefly update on today.

The first is the help we are making available to people who are right now struggling to access food, either because you can’t leave the house, or have no family or immediate support – or because you might be facing financial difficulties.

The main message I want to convey today is an important one but a simple one – help is available.

So please, ask for support if you need it. I’m going to in a few moments read out a national helpline number, for those of you who might need to access that.

The Scottish Government has more than doubled our investment in grants through the Scottish Welfare Fund – from £35 million to £80 million – so that councils can provide grants to people on low incomes who need immediate help. And these grants provide people with funds directly, so that they can buy food and other goods that they need.

We are also putting in place specific programmes – and I want to go through some of the different arrangements in place for different people.

If you are one of the approximately 150,000 people who are in what we call the shielded group, the most vulnerable group – who are being told to isolate completely – then our text message shielding service, or your local authority helpline, or our national helpline, can help you to order free weekly deliveries of basic food and essential supplies.

Information is also available on the NHS Inform website.

So far more than 41,000 packages of food have been delivered. And people who have signed up in the last week while they may not yet have had their first delivery, will do so shortly.

The national helpline I have just mentioned – and I’ll give this number in a couple moments – is also there for those who might not be in the shielded group but potentially at risk in some other way – for example, people over the age of 70, people with disabilities, pregnant women, people who get the annual flu jab, and people who need support from mental health services.

The helpline, when you phone it, directs you to your local authority, and therefore it’s also a good way of finding out what assistance is available in your own area, and what support might best meet your circumstances – that might be a community care grant, or it might be food being directly supplied and delivered to you.

So the number of that helpline, which I’ve given at a previous briefing but want to emphasise again today, is 0800 111 4000. That helpline is available between 9am and 5pm every weekday.

It’s a free line, and since it has been launched it has been already used by thousands of people. Now, of course, due to the volume of calls, at sometimes you might find yourself placed in a queue, but please be patient and hang on, because we will get to you.

We are also providing additional funding for local authorities to make sure free school meals remain available.

Around 140,000 children across Scotland are currently being provided with free school meals – either within council and early years premises which are still open, or through direct cash payments, supermarket vouchers, or food being supplied to them.

And finally, we are working with community and third sector organisations.

This morning, for example, we have announced £350,000 of extra funding for the Wheatley Group, to provide 8,500 food deliveries in 17 different local authority areas. Each delivery will supply food to people in need that will do them for seven days.

And a further 18 schemes will share £400,000 to provide emergency food. These schemes will work with minority ethnic households, family support groups and mental health teams.

In all of this, it’s important to say that we are working closely with key partner organisations – such as local authorities, FareShare, the Trussell Trust and the Independent Food Aid Network – to make sure that what we are offering to people in this time of need is as coordinated as possible.

Now I realise that there is a lot of detail here that I’ve given, but the key point I ask you to remember is this straightforward one.

If you can’t access food for whatever reason – that might be because you are shielding, you might be self-isolating, or you might find yourself right now unable to afford food for your family – please contact your local authority directly or phone the national helpline.

And I’ll give the number again – 0800 111 4000.

Nobody should have to worry about access to food – so if you need help, please ask for that help and we will make sure that you get it.

The second issue I want to briefly update on relates to education. Of course for most children and young people, this week, today in fact, would mark the start of the summer term.

I said before that the decision we took to close schools, to suppress the spread of this virus and to keep them closed, is one of the hardest I have ever had to take as First Minister because I know how disruptive that is to the lives and education of our young people.

And I want to again thank children and young people for putting up with this disruption so well.

And I also want to say a special thank you to parents and carers across the country. I know that many of you are juggling looking after your children with work, and other caring responsibilities, and of course with the worries and anxieties that all of us have about this pandemic.

I know how difficult that is – so thank you for doing the right thing, for keeping your children at home, and looking after them there.

The Scottish Government today has published some guidance to support continuity in learning while our schools remain closed.

This guidance builds on the work that has already been done by teachers and many others, and it focuses on three main areas.

It covers support for children and young people as they learn at home, including particular support for those who need it most – for example people with additional support needs.

It also covers support for parents and carers as you help children, and also support for teachers and school leaders.

We are very aware that this current situation is likely to have the biggest impact on the most disadvantaged children and young people in our society.

So we have already therefore provided local authorities with the flexibility they need to redirect the resources that we have given them aimed at closing the attainment gap, to help mitigate the impact of school closures on our most disadvantaged families.

And I think it’s worth stressing at this stage that nobody’s expecting children, parents and carers to recreate classrooms while schools are closed. We don’t think that’s either possible or desirable.

But we do want to protect children’s welfare, while enabling them to continue to learn. And today’s guidance sets out some further ways in which we are doing that. And if you are a parent or carer watching this I hope you will find that helpful.

Now I’m about to hand over firstly to the Chief Medical Officer and then to the Chief Nursing Officer, but before I do that, let me again say how tough I know all of this is.

But, again let me stress, that everything we are doing right now, everything I’m asking you to do and everything you are doing is essential.

Towards the end of this week, I will set out some of the factors that will guide our thinking for the future.

I want to be clear however, that the initial version of this work will not set out what measures will be lifted and when.

We’re simply not yet in a position to take those decisions in a properly informed way – and I will not rush to do anything that could risk a resurgence of this virus because to do that would risk overwhelming the National Health Service and it would put many more lives at risk.

But what we will start to do is set out, firstly, our objective – which is continuing to suppress the virus while considering how we can even gradually restore a semblance of normality to everyday life.

We will set out the factors that we need to consider as we do that and the framework in which we will seek to take these decisions.

But it will also be clear the work we set out later in the week, that living with this virus – as we will need to learn to do – is likely to mean some restrictions on everyday life in the form of social distancing for a while to come.

But as we consider the best way forward – and the very difficult decisions that that will entail – we will be as open as we can be about the balance we are seeking to strike and how we can best do that. This is something that effects all of us, so it is important that all of us are included in and are aware of that decision-making process.

But for now, let me once again end by emphasising the key public health rules that are in place now.

Please stay at home, unless you are going out for essential purposes – such as exercising once a day, or buying food or medicines.

If you do go out, do not meet up with people from other households, and stay two metres apart from other people. And wash your hands thoroughly and regulalry.

These restrictions, as I’ve said, remain really tough, and they get tougher as the days and the weeks go by. But they are essential, and most importantly of all they are making a difference. By doing the right thing, and by staying at home, all of us are helping to make that difference – we are doing our bit to slow the spread of the virus, to protect the NHS, and to save lives. So thank you, once again, to everyone for doing that.

Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh on 21 April 2020.

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you yet again for joining us for this daily update.

As usual I will start with an update on some of the key statistics about the spread and impact of COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at nine o’clock this morning, I can report that there have been 8,672 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 222 since yesterday.

A total of 1,866 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – that is an increase of 57 from yesterday.

A total of 166 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of 3 since the figure I reported to you yesterday.

Now while I would still urge caution in interpreting these figures, I do remain cautiously optimistic that firstly, while the numbers being admitted to hospital are still fluctuating on a daily basis, they do appear to be broadly stable – and secondly that the numbers being admitted to intensive care are, at this stage reducing.

And we shouldn’t forget how important that is. It’s not too long ago that we were seriously worried about the potential for our hospital capacity to be overwhelmed by now.

The fact that it is not, is down to the planning that’s been done in the national health service, of course, but more than that it is down to the high compliance with the lockdown restrictions.

So my thanks to all of you for helping us to ensure the NHS has been able to cope, although the work that they do is very difficult and very challenging.

It is of course in the nature of the virus that there will be a lag between numbers being admitted to hospital and intensive care reducing and the numbers sadly dying from this virus reducing. But I hope we will see the latter number also start to reduce in the next couple of weeks.

However, in the last 24 hours, I am afraid that 70 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed as having COVID-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 985.

I would remind you however, that registration over weekends, and this is a point you have heard me make often before, registrations over weekends still tend to be lower than during the week, so today’s higher figure will, at least in part, be a reflection of that.

I would also remind you that these daily figures are of people who have sadly died after testing positive for this virus.

Tomorrow, National Records of Scotland will again publish its weekly report, which will show the number of people who have died with either presumed or suspected COVID-19 as well, as well as those who have had a positive test confirmed.

And again, as I always do because it is really important always to do this, I want to stress that each of these deaths represents much, much more than a statistic.

They each represent an individual who was loved by family and friends, and whose loss is a source of intense grief. And so again I want to extend my sincere and deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.

I also want once again to thank all of our health and care workers. The entire country continues to be grateful to you, for the extraordinary work you are doing.

And it’s worth also making the point that there are not just health and care workers, although we understand the importance of the work they are doing, there are essential workers across a range of areas, who are going to work every day right now to keep the country moving, to keep the country going, to keep food on the table, to keep the lights on, and to each and every one of them, let me say thank you as well.

I’ve got three issues I want to speak briefly about today.

The first is that the Government’s Chief Economist, Gary Gillespie published the latest ‘State of the Economy’ report this morning. Gary is here with us today and will say a bit more about that in a few minutes.

This report confirms the fact that dealing with this public health emergency has in itself created an economic emergency.

It estimates that Scotland’s economic output could fall by a third during the current period of social distancing – an analysis which is broadly in line with last week’s projections for the UK as a whole from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The Labour Market Statistics on employment and unemployment, which have also been published today don’t fully reflect that impact yet, since they relate to the period up until the end of February, so a period before these restrictions took effect.

It is however likely that there has been a significant increase in unemployment since then. For example, since March 15 we know there have been 130,000 new claimants for Universal Credit in Scotland. To give some context to that, in the comparable period last year, that number was 15,500.

The Scottish Government’s immediate focus, working with the UK Government, has been on trying to mitigate the impact of the economic shock on people’s wellbeing, and on protecting the economy’s productive capacity for the future.

Our overall package of support for businesses in Scotland now totals more than £2.3 billion – that includes business rates relief for many sectors, and grants for small businesses.

The Economy Secretary will set out later today in Parliament today how £100 million of funding that we announced last week will be used to support people – for example, people who have become recently self-employed, who might not currently be eligible for other forms of support.

Fundamentally, and this is a point I have made previously, we recognise that in order to protect public health, the Government is making extraordinary demands on businesses and workers.

We are asking you to do unprecedented things, so we recognize that the responsibility and onus is on the Government, to equally do extraordinary things and provide extraordinary levels of support for businesses and workers, and we will continue to do everything we can to meet that challenge.

It’s also worth adding that the health of the economy is, of course, one of the things we must consider as we think about how to emerge from this period of lockdown.

The plans we will publish this week will set out some of the factors we will have to weigh up, as we work towards a point when we can allow some businesses to reopen, albeit with appropriate social distancing measures in place.

But the economic harm being caused by this virus is not in itself a reason to come out of lockdown early. Indeed, dealing with this public health emergency and continuing to suppress the virus is an absolute prerequisite for a sustainable economic recovery.

If we were to move out of lockdown too early, and then have to impose the same level of restrictions again, due to a further rapid rise in cases, that would in itself cause further, and possibly much longer lasting, economic damage.

So these are decisions that we have to strike the right balance on, for the good of the country overall, and that is what we will seek to do.

The work that I’ve mentioned we will publish towards the end of this week will set out in some more detail the principles that will guide us, as we seek to restore as much normality as we can to everyday life, without risking a resurgence of this virus that we know can, and is, doing so much harm.

That point is actually related to the second issue I want to briefly speak on. We have today amended regulations introduced three weeks ago, to restrict public gatherings and non-essential business activities.

Some of these amendments strengthen those regulations, to formalise what is already our established guidance – for example all businesses must take all reasonable measures to enforce the rule that workers are at least two metres apart from each other.

Police, as a result of these amended regulations, will now be able to enforce that power within workplaces – though as with the regulations already in place, we envisage that this will be done initially through dialogue and encouragement. We do not expect police to be routinely patrolling office blocks.

The legislation will also make clear that livestock markets and money advice services, such as foreign exchange services, can continue to operate – and that holiday accommodation businesses can manage online and telephone services for bookings. Not for this period but related to future dates.

However, let me be clear it is not yet possible to say when such establishments will be able to re-open.

I am very grateful, just as I am to every individual across the country who is complying with these restrictions, I am very grateful to all businesses who have acted responsibly by closing their businesses, or by ensuring safe social distancing.

I know how tough these restrictions are for business. However, I would reiterate that they are absolutely essential to public health.

The final issue I want to briefly cover is related to mental health. When I spoke to you last Tuesday, I said then that the Scottish Government would launch a new mental health campaign.

That campaign – the “Clear Your Head” campaign – starts today.

It highlights practical steps that all of us can take to look after our mental health better. For example sticking to a routine, staying active within the current guidelines, keeping in touch with people, and taking a break from news or social media from time to time.

It also points people to places where you can get help and advice. For example, NHS Inform and helplines including NHS24, Breathing Space, the Samaritans, and the Scottish Association for Mental Health.

What the campaign recognises is that the current lockdown is really tough for everyone. Everyone will be experiencing it differently but it is tough for everyone without exception. It is okay not to be feeling okay, at times right now.

So all of us need to look out for each other – to show kindness, compassion and solidarity even as we stay physically separate.

We should all also do what we can to look after our own mental health, and the campaign provides good advice on that.

But if you need help, please reach out for it. Support is available, and the campaign that will launch today will show you where and how you can access that support.

I’m about to hand over briefly to the Chief Medical Officer and then to the Chief Economist, who will say more about the State of the Economy Report.

Before I do that, however, just let me again emphasise our key public health messages.

Because it is really important if we’re to see that continued downward trend in people in intensive care, leading to that downward trend in the number of people dying, we must all comply with these restrictions.

Stay at home, unless you are going out for essential purposes, such as food or medicine, or exercising.

If you do go out, stay two metres away from other people, and don’t meet up with people from other households.

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.

By doing all of that you are helping us make sure that we suppress this virus and bring forward that time where we can restore some normality.

Now as I keep saying, and I will keep saying, these restrictions are tough, and they will get tougher, not easier. I know everybody is feeling that increasingly. But they are essential, and as some, if not all of the statistics that I’ve given you today show, they are making a difference.

By staying home, we are helping to slow the spread of the virus, we are as I have talked about already, protecting the NHS, and we are saving lives. So thank you once again to all of you for cooperation and compliance.

Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh on 22 April 2020.

Good afternoon everyone. Thanks for joining us for today’s update.

I’ll start as usual with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid 19.

As on the last two Wednesdays, this will have two parts – an update of the usual daily figures, but also a summary of the key points from today’s weekly publication from National Records of Scotland.

Now this inevitably means a bit more complexity, so please bear with me as I go through these statistics.

Let me turn firstly, to the daily figures.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 9,038 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 366 from yesterday’s figures.

A total of 1776 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 – that is a decrease of 90 from yesterday.

And a total of 155 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. That is a decrease of 11 on yesterday.

Let me again say that these figures for hospital admissions and admissions to intensive care are really encouraging and there are a cause for optimism, still cautious optimism, but optimism nevertheless.

In addition, as part of a package of new information we are providing on our website from today I am able, for the first time, to give a figure for the number of COVID-19 patients who have been discharged from hospital – indeed, that is information some of you have contacted me to ask that we provide.

So I am able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 1,813 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital, and I wish all of them well.

On a much sadder note though, I also have to report today that in the last 24 hours, 77 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed positive through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland as of this morning under that measurement, to 1062.

Now I have spoken before about the different ways in which we record figures, but it might be helpful to very briefly recap on that.

For our daily update figure – the one you have just heard me give – we report on deaths which have been registered where the individual who has died has been tested and confirmed as having Covid-19.

Those figures are the most accurate ones that we’re able to provide on a daily basis. But obviously they don’t capture all deaths from the virus.

So National Records of Scotland now produces a report each Wednesday which captures all deaths registered within a 7 day period, ending on the preceding Sunday. It includes – not just those with a confirmed laboratory diagnosis of the virus – but also deaths which are presumed to be linked to Covid-19 and mentioned on a death certificate.

The number of deaths covered under this reporting system is therefore larger than under the daily system, when you compare the two figures according to the same date. But it is the comprehensive one.

NRS published the third of its weekly reports today, just around half an hour ago. It covers the period up to Sunday 19th April – three days ago. At that point, according to our daily figures, if I can remind you, 915 deaths had been registered of people who had tested positive for Covid-19.

However, today’s report shows that by Sunday, the total number of registered deaths linked to the virus – confirmed and presumed – was 1,616.

651 of those were registered in the 7 days up until Sunday the 19th of April. That is an increase of 41 from the week before, when 610 Covid-19 deaths were registered.

These figures are extremely difficult to report on, and I know they will be difficult for you all to listen to. They are higher than any of us would ever want to think about. But this information is really important because it gives us as full a picture as possible of the toll the virus is having and how and where it is progressing.

There are two further points I want to highlight about today’s report. The first is that it again provides a breakdown of deaths by age, sex, location and health board area.

It shows that almost three quarters of those who have died were aged over 75 – however it also shows that much younger people do sometimes die as a result of this virus. That is an important reminder that all of us are potentially at risk so it’s therefore important for all of us to follow the guidance.

The report also provides information about the location in which people died. So far, 56% of those who have died died in hospital, 33% – 537 in total – have died in care homes, and 10% have died at home or in some other setting.

We know older people and care homes are particularly vulnerable to this virus.

But we must match that increased vulnerability with enhanced protection.

So I want to say a bit more today about the measures we have put in place to protect residents and staff in care homes.

Clear guidance on isolation in care homes has been in place now for some time and it is of course the duty of providers of care homes to make sure that guidance is followed.

The Health Secretary set out yesterday additional steps that we are taking.

NHS Directors of Public Health are taking enhanced clinical leadership for care homes.

A national rapid action group has been established, which will receive daily updates and ensure quick local action is taken to deal with emerging issues.

Testing for staff and residents is being expanded – as I set out here last week, all symptomatic residents of care homes will be tested.

Covid-19 patients discharged from hospital, should only be admitted or readmitted to a care home once they have had 2 negative tests.

In addition, other new admissions to care homes should be tested and isolated for 14 days – let me stress that this is in addition to and not a substitute for the clear isolation and social distancing measures the guidance sets out.

We are also helping to recruit students, and people who previously worked in social care, to work in the care sector as soon as possible. Nursing staff are also supporting care homes, where that is needed.

And we are increasing access to NHS personal protective equipment to care homes.

For example this week, and let me stress this is in addition to our other supply routes, we are delivering supplies of aprons, gloves and fluid-resistant surgical masks direct to care homes. In doing that, of course, we are giving priority to those with known outbreaks of the virus.

Finally, the Scottish Government, from today, is making more information publicly available about how the virus is affecting care homes.

The statistics that we publish at 2pm today will include

the total number of adult care homes that have reported a suspected COVID-19 case at any time;
The total number of suspected cases in care homes so far; and

the number of care homes that have current suspected cases. On this last point, I can tell you the figure today will show

that 384 care homes have a current outbreak, but let be me clear what that means. It means that these are care homes

that have at least one resident who has exhibited symptoms of the virus in the last 14 days.

We must remember, difficult though this is, that it is not unusual for people to become sick in care homes. Residents are often frail and nearing the end of their lives.

But that does not mean we consider any of these cases to be inevitable or that we don’t do everything we can to prevent them. Older people in care homes require as much – if not more – support and protection as anyone else in our society. We are working with care homes and other partners to provide that.

In doing that, we are helped hugely by the expertise and dedication of those who work in the sector, who are doing a remarkable job in incredibly testing circumstances. We are grateful to all of them.

The second point I want to briefly cover about the statistics is that the overall number of deaths registered last week is again much higher than the average for the same week in previous years – something that seems to be reflected in other countries at this time.

And while around three quarters of that difference this week can be attributed directly to Covid-19, more than 200 deaths cannot be explained in this way.

The data the NRS published today provides some explanation of that and indicated that some of the difference appear to be a result of more people dying of cancer, and dementia and Alzheimer’s. However clearly, this is an issue that we need to do further work on to make sure we understand it fully.

Now, I focus on the statistics in these updates because they are important.

And I set the reasons why they are important to us in understanding the spread of this virus and informing decisions about the way forward, and I’ll say more about the principles that will underpin our decision making tomorrow.

But I want to emphasise again that these death are not just statistics.

They were all people who were loved and cherished and who, for their family and friends, are irreplaceable. We should never forget that.

Just as we shouldn’t forget those left behind, grieving for their lost loved ones. My condolences are with all of them.

The final point I want to acknowledge is that listening to numbers like this is really horrible – reporting these numbers is really horrible, certainly the most difficult experience I’ve had as First Minister.

And I know listening to this might leave you with a feeling of powerlessness as well as an acute and deep feeling of sadness.

But I want to stress again that none of us are powerless, we all have some power against this virus. By following the rules, by staying home and by self-isolating when we have symptoms, we are all making a difference.

I know it’s hard to see progress when numbers of deaths that we are reporting are so grim.

But the other statistics I’m reporting on daily right now, particularly on hospital and intensive care admissions, do show that we are making progress – they are a source of optimism – and soon I hope a fall in the numbers of people dying will show that progress too.

By complying with the lockdown, we are protecting ourselves and others, and we are saving lives.

But even a very small easing up in that right now could send all of that progress very quickly into reverse.

So please, keep sticking with it.

Stay at home except for essential purposes. When you do go out, stay 2 metres away from other people, and do not meet up with people from other households. And wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

By doing this, we are all helping – and we are helping – to slow the spread of the virus, we are protecting the NHS – which has not been so far overwhelmed in the way we feared just a few weeks ago and despite these figures I am reporting to you today – and we undoubtedly all of us saving lives. So thank you once again to all of you for doing that.

So thank you once again for all that you are doing. This is hugely appreciated not just by me, and by the government, but the collective community. It is appreciated by everyone. Thank you very much for bearing with me though what I know was a complicated update today with lots of different statistics.

Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh on 27 April 2020.

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start as I always do with an update on some of the key statistics, in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can confirm that there have been 10,521 positive cases confirmed, which is an increase of 197 from yesterday.

A total of 1,762 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19, that is an increase of 27 from yesterday.

A total of 134 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is an increase of one since yesterday.

I should say at this point that despite these occasional fluctuations, overall these statistics for hospital and intensive care admissions still give us cause for cautious optimism.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 2,380 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been now able to leave hospital, and I wish them well.

On a much sadder note, I have to report that in the last 24 hours, 13 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus, and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement to 1,262.

It is worth highlighting again, indeed it’s important that I do so, that although people can now register deaths on Sundays, we do know that from recent weeks that the figures that we report on Mondays, of deaths which were registered on a Sunday, tend to be relatively low. That means the figure I report tomorrow maybe significantly larger than today’s.

And of course, once again, I want to stress and indeed reflect on the fact that the numbers I read out here every day are not just statistics.

They are individuals whose loss is a source of grief and distress to family and friends. So once again, I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to thank as I always do, our health and care workers, who continue to do extraordinary work in the most difficult of circumstances.

And again, place on record my thanks to essential workers the length and breadth of the country, whose dedication each and every day is helping to keep vital services running.

Tomorrow, on international workers’ memorial day, the Scottish Government will join a minute’s silence at 11am to honour those frontline workers.

Particularly, though of course not exclusively, health and care workers, who have sadly lost their lives while working to tackle this pandemic.

I invite all of you at home, and those taking part in essential work across the country, to join us at that time tomorrow.

The silence will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have died as a result of their work to serve, care for and save others.

It will be a further reminder that, of all the duties government bears during a situation like this, the most vital is our obligation to help to keep care and health workers safe.

I want to stress again today that I and the Scottish Government are acutely aware of that responsibility, and will work each and every day to do everything we can to fulfil that obligation.

I have two things I want to comment on this morning. The first is to reflect a little bit more on some of the statistics I have just reported.

I know that it might not feel this way, since the numbers that I am reporting each day, particularly those on the number of people who are dying, are always far higher than we want them to be – but it is nevertheless the case that we are now seeing some real signs of progress.

The number of people in intensive care has fallen by around a third in the last fortnight, from the figure I would have reported to you two weeks ago today.

The number of people in hospital, which was rising sharply in the first 10 days of this month, has also now broadly stabilised and the trend there may also now be a downward one.

Our NHS, while working incredibly hard and in the most difficult of circumstances, has not been overwhelmed, which just a few weeks ago we really feared that it might be.

Of course, we are not yet seeing a definite fall in the number of people who are dying each day from the virus.

However, as we have always said, because of the way the illness progresses, that will be the last daily number that we do start to see declining, and we hope to see that in the next couple of weeks.

But we do have evidence that the actions that all of us, all of you watching at home are taking, are making a real and a positive difference.

Your efforts are working, so again today I want to thank you for that.

However, and I realise that this is a less welcome and much more difficult point for me to make, this progress remains very fragile and now is a time for all of us to exercise careful caution. It is certainly not a time to throw caution to the wind.

The margins we think we are working within, in respect to the reproduction number – that crucial R number that I spoke about last week, are very narrow.

At this stage, even a slight easing up in the restrictions in place now, could send the reproduction rate back towards or above one, and the virus would then start to spread very quickly again.

Within days of that, all the indicators that are suggesting progress now, would start to go in the wrong direction again.

That would mean more cases, more hospital and intensive care admissions and sadly, more deaths.

So for all our sakes, and to protect the progress that together we’ve made, all of the restrictions currently in place need to remain in place, for now.

The job is not done yet – we need you to stay the course for a bit longer.

Of course, we are now thinking about the ways in which we can begin to ease the lockdown a bit when it is safer to do so, although we can’t yet put dates on any of that.

And as I said last week, lifting lockdown will not be a flick of a switch moment. We will instead be considering gradual and careful variations.

It important and necessary to do that work now, and we are doing that work now, and as I said last week, I think it is really important to engage you in that work in an open and transparent way.

So I can confirm that in the coming days, I will say more about the different options under consideration, and how we are going about assessing those.

But let me stress again that the current restrictions are still in place. We have to stick with them for now, in order to be able to relax things in future.

As well as the impact on all of us as individuals, I absolutely understand the anxieties of business, and I am acutely aware of the social and health impacts of economic damage.

But let me make this point – a premature easing up on restrictions, if it led to the virus running out of control again, would not help your business or the economy. In fact, it would make the economic damage even worse.

That’s why I am asking businesses as well as individuals to continue to do the right things, as indeed the vast majority of you have been doing already, for which you have my deep gratitude.

So if you are a business on the list of those required by law to close, then obviously you should remain closed.

But if you are not in that category but chose to close voluntarily at the start of the lockdown, and are now thinking of reopening – our view is that you should not contemplate doing so, unless you can comply fully with existing guidance, and are able to change your working practices to ensure safe social distancing at all times.

The precautionary principle that I have spoken about before still applies, for the protection of your workers and for your customers.

And for all of us, not just businesses. If you are now going out and about a little bit more than you were at the start of the lockdown, then you really shouldn’t be.

Because you might be putting yourselves, and your loved ones at risk.

Fundamentally, the basic restrictions of lockdown continue to apply.

You should only leave home for essential purposes like buying food or medicine, or exercising.

If you do leave the house, you should stay two metres apart from other people, and not meet up with people from other households.

And you should wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

As I say every day, I know that all of this is difficult, and I know that it gets more difficult with every day that passes but it remains essential.

As I’ve said many times, and again today, any easing up right now would risk us seeing the virus surge upwards again.

So please, please stick with it, so we can continue to make progress together, and accelerate hopefully, the stage at which we can begin a process of restoring some normality to our lives.

The other issue I want to very briefly update on relates to skills.

Skills Development Scotland have updated their ‘My World of Work’ website to help people find free courses.

This new service has been developed with the support of the Open University in Scotland, and it highlights free courses run by 12 providers in areas like digital technology, business studies, and languages.

In the coming weeks and months, we will expand the range of courses available, by working with colleges and universities.

We are also working with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, who are all developing similar initiatives, in order to highlight the courses they offer.

I‘m aware that doing courses like this may not be an option for everyone. If you have caring responsibilities, or if you have volunteered to help others, time to study might be pretty limited.

But for some people, maybe especially, though not exclusively, people who are currently furloughed, or have been made unemployed, it could make sense to develop new skills during this period.

We hope that this initiative will help people to do that, safely and free of charge.

It’s a good example of the importance of digital public services, and I’m grateful to Skills Development Scotland for establishing this site so quickly.

The courses are open to anyone. So if you are interested then go to myworkofwork.co.uk where you will find the free courses under the ‘Learn and train’ section of the main menu.

That concludes my update for today. Before I pass on to the Chief Medical Officer, and then the Health Secretary, I simply want to end by thanking again each and every one of you for doing the right thing, and staying at home.

I know it’s difficult, but it is as I hope I’ve demonstrated today, also making a difference.

The steps we are all taking are helping to slow the spread of the virus, as we wanted to do.

They are helping to protect the NHS as we wanted to do, and they are, notwithstanding the figures I have to report to you every day, helping to save lives.

So please stick with them, and thank you for doing so.

Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, at St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh on 24 April 2020.

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 9,697 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 288 from yesterday.

A total of 1710 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – that is a decrease of 38 from yesterday.

A total of 141 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is also a decrease of 7 since yesterday.

These figures for hospital admissions and intensive care are giving us real and growing cause for optimism that the current lockdown is working to suppress the virus. That’s the good news, perhaps the less good news is that also tells us why we must stick with these lockdown restrictions, because as I’ve said many times before standing here, any easing up on that at all right now would risk us putting all that progress into reverse and the virus quickly running out of control again. So please stick with the restrictions because as you can see they are working

I am also, in some other good news, able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 2,271 patients who had tested positive for the virus and been admitted to hospital have been able to leave hospital, and I wish all of them well.

However on a much sadder note, I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 64 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,184.

As I’ve said before, we provide these statistics for a very important reason, it helps tell us and tell you what is happening with the virus and how it is progressing across the country and what impact it is having. But the people behind these statistics could be the loved ones of any of us and that’s what I always bear in mind when I report the numbers to you every day. Each and every one of these statistics was a real person and across the country right now their deaths are being mourned by family members whose lives will never be the same again without them. So once again today I want to convey my deepest condolences to everyone who is grieving for a loved one as a result of this virus.

I also want to thank again – as I always do and always will – our health and care workers. Last night, I – along with thousands of people across the country – once again took part in the applause at 8 o’clock. It has become a regular – and very special – feature of our week and our Thursday evenings in particular. And it’s just one small way in which we show our appreciation, for the extraordinary work that all of you do and I again today I give my sincere thanks to all of you.

That Thursday night applause has also become a way for all of us in streets and communities up and down the land to briefly come together to share some kindness and show some solidarity. At a very grim and difficult time these really are special moments indeed.

Now, there a two issues I want to cover today before handing on to my colleagues and opening up to questions.

The first issues is just to recap the paper the Scottish Government published yesterday, on how we might begin to go through a process over the weeks to comes of restoring some level of normality to our everyday lives, while we also continue to contain and suppress the virus and minimise the harms that it does.

I can tell you today that since it was published – this time yesterday – more than 250,000 people have viewed the paper on the Scottish Government’s website. So thank you to those of you who have taken the time to engage with this and I would encourage those who haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet to take some time to read the document. I noted yesterday that most people will never read a government document but if you are ever going to do it at all this is the time. So please take some time to read what we set out, the principles that are going to guide us, some of the factors we have to take into account. And if you’ve got views that you would like us to consider in this next phase of our work then please don’t hesitate to tell us what they are.

As I said yesterday, this publication is an attempt to have grown up conversation with the wider public in Scotland. We want to be really frank with you every step of the way about the complexities and uncertainties of the decision that lie ahead. We need to be clear now that lockdown remains essential for the reasons I mentioned a moment ago, and that even as we are able to start to ease some of these restrictions, we’re going to have to do so very carefully, very cautiously – probably very slowly and gradually. We’re going to have to take what I described this morning as baby steps in doing this. We’ve got to try to seek a new normal, because how we are living our lives right now has consequences and can’t go on forever, but we have to recognised the virus has not gone away, so there will be changes in how we live our lives that will be necessary for some time to come, until science in the form of treatments and a vaccine offer new solutions to us.

So this really is about all of us and its impact on the lives of each and every one of us and that’s why it’s important everyone feels part of this process.

What’s important to me as First Minister, in contrast to the uncertainties that politicians usually like to express, is that I can also be frank with you about the uncertainties and the complexities of the decisions that lie ahead. Those decisions will make demands on all of us and the lives that we lead so I want that process to be as open as possible. And the paper that we published yesterday, which so many of you have already taken the opportunity to read, is the start of that process.

As I said yesterday, in the days and few weeks ahead, we will set out more detail on the different options we will consider, as well as the modelling and scientific advice that underpins and informs our decisions. And of course, as we develop and assess those options, we will continue to engage as widely as possible, across the different sectors and groups of society.

Lastly, I want to reemphasise an important point. It’s one that I made yesterday it and it’s one I’ve made already in my remarks to you today.

Moving on from where we are now will only be possible only if and when we get the virus under control and we have more confidence that is the case. And so it remains absolutely vital that all of us continue to comply with the public health guidance and rules that are in place.

To reiterate, that means staying at home, unless you are going out for essential purposes – such as exercising once a day, or buying food and medicines.

It means that if you do go out, do not meet up with people from other households, and please stay two metres apart from other people.

And it means wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

By following these rules, we can continue, as we are doing right now, to slow the spread of this virus. And we can hasten the day, when we return if not to complete, but to some semblance of normality in our everyday lives.

The second item I want to update you on, is our work to ensure that Scotland’s NHS has the supplies that it needs to care for people in this time.

Over the past month, the Minister for Trade Ivan McKee has been leading work to ensure that any shortages are overcome – and that supply chains can continue to meet demand.

That has involved at times sourcing equipment from alternative supply chains. And where necessary, we have looked overseas to source the equipment we need.

For example, last weekend, a major consignment of PPE arrived at Prestwick Airport, from China. It included 10 million fluid-resistant face masks, as well as equipment for use in intensive care units and laboratories.

I can confirm that, just an hour ago, another of those consignments arrived at Prestwick. It includes 100,000 testing kits, as well as another 10 million face masks.

Of course, alongside international procurement, we’re also working to boost Scotland’s domestic supply lines.

About a month ago, we put out a call to action, to Scotland’s businesses. We asked them to support the flow of supplies and equipment, to our health and social care sector.

To date, more than 1,600 businesses and individuals have answered that call. And I want to thank each and every one of them.

We are working hard to assess and coordinate each of those offers, as quickly as possible. And in doing that, we are prioritising the support that is needed most.

Our work with Calachem – a company based in Grangemouth – is a good example. Calachem have now produced 20,000 litres of hand sanitiser. The sanitiser was manufactured using denatured alcohol from Whyte & Mackay. It was bottled by the Stonehaven-based company, McPhie. And deliveries of the product – to our front line services – will begin from next week.

The Scottish Government has formed this supply chain, in an incredibly short space of time. It will produce 560,000 litres of hand sanitiser, over the next four weeks. And that will be enough meet the needs of Scotland’s entire health and social care sector.

Another example is the work we’re doing with the firm Alpha Solway. They are currently manufacturing 20,000 face visors per day, at their factory in Annan. And in total, they are supplying an order of over one million visors, to our NHS.

These businesses – and many more like them – are doing hugely important work. Rightly and properly we will continue to talk about getting supplies of this kind of equipment to the front line, but I thought it was useful today to give you an insight into the work that’s being done to ensure these supplies keep flowing and the we have sufficient of them to get through this crisis. So these companies and many more in addition to the ones I’ve mentioned today are playing a critical part in our overall collective national endeavour in Scotland to tackle this crisis and I want to put on record today my heartfelt thanks to each and every one.

Let me close today by saying something about this weekend. I’m conscious that it will be the fifth weekend, since Scotland went into lockdown. And I know that they only get harder, as time goes on.

I also know that this weekend will be particularly difficult for Scotland’s Muslim communities – who are now observing the holy month of Ramadan. It will be tough not to be able to host people in your home, or visit friends and family, or attend your local mosque. And the Justice Secretary, who is himself observing Ramadan, will say a bit more about that, shortly.

However, I want to end by emphasising the sacrifices we’re all making, are having a positive impact. We have a long way to go, I shared some of that with you yesterday, but it is equally true to say that we are seeing hopeful signs and so it’s vital that we stick with it – and build on the work we’ve done, so far.

By doing that, we are slowing the spread of this virus, we are protecting our NHS, and despite the horrible statistics I report to you on a daily basis, we are saving lives. So I want to thank all of you, once again, for playing your part and doing that.