Coronavirus in Scotland: New deaths recorded and 267 new positive cases

Nicola Sturgeon confirmed at her daily briefing the total of number of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours is 267.

That’s the same number as the preceding figure, but that is a coincidence, the first minister explained.

The 267 cases represents 3.6% of people newly tested and this takes the total number of positive cases in Scotland to 23,283.

Of the new cases, 105 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 40 in Lanarkshire and 45 in Lothian.

There are 51 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, up by three in 24 hours.

Of these patients, six were in intensive care, down one.

Deaths

One more confirmed coronavirus patient has died in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon announces.

It brings the total number of Covid-19 fatalities to 2,501.

The figures are lower than weekly statistics from the National Records of Scotland – which record people who have died with confirmed or suspected coronavirus – and show the death total stands at 4,236.

A total of five deaths relating to Covid-19 were registered between September 7 and 13, two in a care home and three in a hospital.

The statistics are published weekly and account for all deaths registered in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

They differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government because they include suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.

Furlough Scheme

The Scottish Government’s Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop also attended the briefing on Wednesday and said she would be writing to Chancellor Rishi Sunak asking him to reconsider the ending of the furlough scheme.

New statistics indicate more than two thirds of Scottish firms surveyed were still furloughing their workforce to some extent with an estimated 15% still on furlough.

She said: “Even though in some sectors a significant number of people have gone back to work the outlook is much bleaker in other sectors.

“For example in accommodation and food services an estimated 34.4% of staff were still on furlough and in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector 57.5% staff are still on furlough.

“Today, we’ve also published research by the Scottish Government’s chief economist showing that extending the furlough scheme back for eight months would reduce unemployment in Scotland by 61,000 for the first half of the year.

“The research estimates that the direct costs of extending the furlough scheme in Scotland is around £850 million over eight months.”

GDP down

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also highlighted the latest GDP figure which fell by almost a fifth in Scotland in the period for April to June.

She welcomed support from both the Scottish and UK Governments, “and in particular the UK Government’s job retention scheme”, but again made calls for an extension of the furlough scheme beyond the current end date at the end of October.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The economic emergency we’re dealing with is of course inextricably linked to and indeed caused by the public health emergency that we have faced in these past six months.

“Keeping the virus under control as effectively as possible is therefore the best way of keeping the economy safely and sustainably open.”

Testing was also raised as an important issue with the Arc Sports Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University on track to open on Saturday.

It will provide a walk-in facility for testing at the campus which Ms Sturgeon said “will be especially useful for the student population in central Glasgow”.

Deaths expected to “rise in the weeks to come.”

Nicola Sturgeon said: “While the number of deaths is much, much lower thankfully than was the case in the spring and early summer this year, nevertheless the need for me to report deaths is a more regular feature of these briefings now than it has been for quite some time.

“Unless we act to stem community transmission now it is highly likely that cases of serious illness and deaths will rise in the weeks to come.

“If community transmission continues to rise as night follows day we will see more cases of people in hospital and unfortunately more cases of people dying.”

The First Minister also pointed to France as an example where hospital cases and deaths were rising.