Five new deaths in Scotland as Brazil has 4,195

Scotland has recorded a further five coronavirus deaths and 289 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to latest figures.

The latest official figures bring the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 7,619.

The daily test positivity rate was 1.5%, down from 2% on Tuesday, figures published by the Scottish Government yesterday showed.

It is understood the rollout of the Moderna vaccine has begun in Scotland and is being administered at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow.

There were 192 Covid19 patients in hospital in Scotland, down four in 24 hours.

Of these, 21 were in intensive care, no change on the previous day.

So far 2,593,932 people have received the first dose of a Covid vaccination and 479,239 have been given their second.

Meanwhile, Brazil has reported a 24-hour tally of Covid-19 deaths exceeding 4,000 for the first time, becoming the third nation to go above that daily threshold.

Many governors, mayors and judges are reopening parts of the economy despite lingering chaos in overcrowded hospitals and a collapsed health system in several parts of the country.

Brazil’s health ministry on Tuesday said 4,195 deaths were counted in the previous 24 hours, with the nation’s pandemic toll quickly approaching 340,000, the second highest in the world.

Only the US and Peru have had daily death tolls higher than 4,000.