Lockdown ‘helping to stabilise’ Covid-19 cases

LATEST estimates show the R number in Scotland has “probably fallen during the last week”, according to Scotland’s deputy first minister.

The R number – the average number of people infected by each person with Covid-19 – is now estimated to be “around one”, John Swinney told the Scottish Government’s daily briefing.

This shows the current lockdown measures are “at the very least helping to stabilise case numbers”, the deputy first minister added.

However, he said the number of infections occurring remained “concerningly high”.

Mr Swinney said Scotland has recorded 89 deaths from coronavirus and 1,636 positive tests in the past 24 hours.

It brings the death toll under this measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 5,468.

Mr Swinney said 168,219 people have now tested positive in Scotland, up from 166,583 the previous day.

The daily test positivity rate is 7%, down from 7.5% on the previous 24 hours.

There are 2,004 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up one in 24 hours, and 161 patients are in intensive care, up five.

Mr Swinney added that 334,871 people have received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

Meanwhile, a new Scottish Government information campaign has been launched which encourages people to get the vaccine as soon as they are eligible.

The “roll up your sleeves” campaign stresses the importance and safety of the vaccine, while setting out the details of the priority list.