According to new data released by the Scottish Government there has been an additional three cases of coronavirus confirmed in the north-east yet no change in the north of Scotland.
The fresh figures show a slight increase of people diagnosed with the virus in the Grampian area over the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, there has been no change in the Highlands and islands.
As of 2pm today, a total of 1,259 people have contracted the disease in Grampian and 337 across the Highlands since the pandemic outbreak began.
Totals in the islands remain at 54 for Shetland, seven on Orkney and six in the Western Isles.
As of 2pm today 109,031 people in Scotland have been tested for #coronavirus
93,743 confirmed negative
15,288 positive2,316 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/ObeDFOEIWs— Scottish Government (@scotgov) May 28, 2020
So far 109,031 people have been tested for Covid-19 in Scotland through NHS labs. Of these 93,743 were confirmed negative and 15,288 were positive.
As of last night 797 people remained in hospitals across the nation with 26 in intensive care and another 11 with suspected Covid-19 in intensive care.
A total of 2,316 people in Scotland have died due to the virus.
Coronavirus in Scotland – track the spread in these charts and maps
Easing lockdown – phase one
Scotland will move to phase one of a four-step plan to ease out of lockdown, Nicola Sturgeon announced at a Scottish Government coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh earlier today.
The First Minister said she would confirm some “careful but cautious” changes to the lockdown protocol.
Under phase one, garden centres, drive-thru food outlets and recycling centres in Scotland will be allowed to open while non-essential shops will be asked to remain closed.
The First Minister announced that teachers would be allowed to re-enter schools to prepare for the proposed return of schools on August 11.
People will also now be allowed to sit and sunbathe in local parks.
A legal limit will not be put on how far people will be allowed to travel for recreation but the First Minister said the “strong advice” of the Scottish Government was to stay within five miles.
She added: “We simply don’t want, in this phase, large numbers of people at tourist hotspots or beauty spots.
“Crowds of people, even if they’re trying to social distance, bring more risk than we judge is acceptable at this point.”
Ms Sturgeon thanked the Scottish public, saying the fact the changes could be made were down to compliance with lockdown measures, adding that a downward trend was “sustained and unmistakable”.
The transmission rate, known as the R number, remains between 0.7 and 1, although the First Minister said she could not be clear how low.
Ms Sturgeon said there were 19,000 infectious cases of the virus as of last week.
