THIRTEEN deaths were recorded among people who recently tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland over the last 24 hours, the First Minister has said.
Speaking at the briefing in Edinburgh this afternoon, Nicola Sturgeon said cases have fallen by a third in two weeks but still remain higher than the Government would like.
Some 1604 positive cases were reported yesterday, accounting for 9.2% of all tests carried out.
Seven fewer people are in hospital than the day prior, with 529 receiving treatment across the country.
Meanwhile 47 people are in intensive care, which is an increase of two on the previous day.
The total number of deaths recorded under the Scottish Government’s official measurement, where a person dies within 28 days of a positive test, is now 7813.
So far, 3,984,433 people have received the first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination, up 2483 on the previous day, and 2,995,086 have received their second dose, an increase of 16,340.
Sturgeon addressed the JCVI decision not to recommend vaccinating all young people aged 12-17. She said the Scottish Government has always followed their advice “for good reason”, but is “acutely aware” that other countries are vaccinating young people between 12 and 17.
She added her CMO is writing to the JCVI asking that the benefit of vaccinating youngsters is kept under review.
The First Minister also urged Scots to remain vigilant about Covid-19 during the briefing.
She told viewers: “Vigilance and care remain very important.
“Restrictions were eased yesterday as part of a gradual process, but restrictions were not abandoned yesterday.
“Important measures and mitigations do remain in place and we continue to ask people across the country, and I do so again today, to treat the threat that Covid poses seriously at this stage.”
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