THE number of people who have died in Scotland after contracting coronavirus is 222, a rise of two from Sunday, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
She stressed this would not be a “true figure” and would be “artificially low” as officials change the way deaths are reported.
Work is currently being done to make the National Registers of Scotland (NRS) death reporting service one that works seven days a week, so Ms Sturgeon said more deaths were expected to be confirmed in the coming days.
Sturgeon said the figures would be “reconciled” on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, along with an NRS report on Covid-19 deaths in the community.
Speaking at a briefing at the Scottish Government headquarters in Edinburgh, the First Minister acknowledged it had been a “difficult 24 hours for the Government” after the resignation of former chief medical officer Catherine Calderwood over two trips she made to her second home in Fife – flouting her own guidance aimed at tackling Covid-19.
READ MORE: FM says 'it may have been easier' to sack Catherine Calderwood earlier
Speaking about Dr Calderwood, the First Minister said she was not aware of the first visit made by the former CMO to her second home in Fife, which she said took place last weekend.
She said: “The line that was issued on Saturday night reflected the information that we had at the time, a couple of hours after the query and up against a deadline, of the reason for her visit to her house in Fife that weekend.
“She later clarified that she had been there the weekend before and she made that clear at the briefing.”
READ MORE: Who is Catherine Calderwood? The doctor who held Scotland’s top medical job
The First Minister said that the reasons for Dr Calderwood’s trip to the home were “not actually important”, adding: “They did not give a justification for her breaching the guidance and the advice that was in place.”
Sturgeon said the issues facing the Scottish Government over the weekend were nothing compared to the hardship faced by those who had contracted coronavirus. and those treating them.
She said Dr Gregor Smith, who acted as Dr Calderwood’s deputy, would be taking over as interim chief medical officer for the foreseeable future.
READ MORE: Catherine Calderwood’s ‘very capable’ deputy to step up
In total, 3961 people have tested positive across the country and the number of patients being treated in hospital for Covid-19 is 1,599 including 199 in intensive care.
The First Minister also warned that the peak of the virus was still in the future, admitting that “there is almost certainly worse to come before we turn the corner of this virus”.
Speaking for the first time in his new role, Dr Smith looked to reassure people that the NHS is still caring for people, both with and without coronavirus.
He said: “If you have symptoms you’re concerned about, I don’t want you to sit at home worrying about them.
“Your NHS will remain here at all times.”
The First Minister also wished Prime Minister Boris Johnson well after he was admitted to hospital on Sunday night with coronavirus symptoms.
Scotland is in lockdown. Shops are closing and newspaper sales are falling fast. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of The National is at stake. Please consider supporting us through this with a digital subscription from just £2 for 2 months by following this link: http://www.thenational.scot/subscribe. Thanks – and stay safe.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel