The total number of coronavirus cases in Scotland has reached 3,345 as a further 23 cases have been confirmed across the Highlands, Islands and Grampian.
The latest Scottish Government figures showed that there had been 46 deaths since yesterday, taking the national total to 218.
There are four new cases in Grampian, taking its total to 177, while the Highlands total has risen by 13 to 85.
Four fresh cases in Shetland and two new in Orkney increase the islands’ total to 47, with no new cases recorded in the Western Isles remaining on three.
The latest statistics were released by the Scottish Government today.
The national total has risen by 344 from 3,001 to 3,345.
Yesterday Nicola Sturgeon warned the coronavirus peak is still some time away during her daily brief.
The First Minister said: “I want to be very clear that nothing I have seen gives me any basis whatsoever for predicting the virus will peak as early as a week’s time here in Scotland.”
Update on #coronavirus testing
As of 2pm today 20,798 Scottish tests have concluded
17,453 confirmed negative
3,345 positive218 patients who tested positive have sadly died.
Our latest update ➡️ https://t.co/kZjGNz2EDe
Health advice ➡️ https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu#COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/sKNJUB7pXf— Scottish Government (@scotgov) April 4, 2020
She said Scottish Government’s targets on testing are proportionally equal to what is being done in the rest of UK, although the expansion to allow 3,500 tests per day in Scotland is slightly higher proportionally.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said they plan to carry out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day in England by the end of April.
The Scottish Government is looking at how antibody testing – which can tell if a person has previously had the virus – can move Scotland out of lockdown, although the test does not currently exist in a “reliable form”, Ms Sturgeon added.
