New figures released by the Scottish Government shows there has been 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the region over the past 24 hours.
The number of people with the virus in Grampian has now risen to 1,152, an increase of 10 since yesterday. The Highlands has also experienced an increase in the same time frame, with a further three people testing positive – bringing their total to 331.
No new confirmed cases have been discovered in the islands as Shetland’s total remains at 54. There are seven cases in Orkney and six in the Western Isles.
There are currently 101 people receiving treatment in hospitals across the region, 96 in the north-east and five in the Highlands.
Of those, eight are being monitored in intensive care.
Coronavirus in Scotland – track the spread in these charts and maps
In Scotland 82,266 people have been tested through NHS labs for the virus. Of those tests 68,006 were confirmed negative, whilst 14,260 were positive.
A total of 2,053 patients have died from Covid-19 as of 2pm today.
‘We can’t live like this forever’
Speaking at her daily briefing in Edinburgh, Nicola Sturgeon said any possible changes to the lockdown would be set out in advance as the Scottish Government continues to monitor the situation very closely.
She told Scots: “We can’t live like this forever, so we need to get some normality back as we continue to suppress the virus.
As of 2pm today 82,266 people in Scotland have been tested for #coronavirus
68,006 confirmed negative
14,260 positive2,053 patients who tested positive have sadly died.
Latest update ➡️ https://t.co/bZPbrCoQux
Health advice ➡️ https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu#COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/M13sqPygFv— Scottish Government (@scotgov) May 15, 2020
She added: “Even when we can’t yet give firm dates on when things will open up again, at least we will seek to share with you the order of priority and further phasing.
“I am going to continue to err on the side of caution, err on the side of saving lives and reducing the number of people who might die unnecessarily.
“Next week I will share with you more information on the assessments we are making and the range of options we are now looking at, and also any further minor changes we might make in the short term.”
Praise for the Scottish people
The First Minister also hailed Scots for their “collective endeavour” in tackling the virus.
“You have all been making sacrifices, not just for our own sake but for the sake of each other as well,” she said.
“My ask of you is that we keep going for a bit longer.”
She said the restrictions were “tough” and could feel “much tougher” going into the weekend.
But she said: “These restrictions are essential for now, and crucially they are making a difference.”
