Coronavirus cases confirmed in Borders up six to 237

That increase overnight, taking the total for the region to 237, was revealed in a daily update issued by the Scottish Government today, April 19.

As of Friday, those being the latest figures available from NHS Borders, there’d been no increase in the death toll claimed here by Covid-19, as the disease is also known, for the fourth day running, and it remained at 26.

The first five fatalities in the Borders attributable to the virus were announced on Monday, March 30, and that figure rose to seven the day after, eight the next day, 11 a week ago last Thursday, 14 a week ago on Friday, 16 last Sunday, 17 on Monday, 19 on Tuesday, 20 on Friday, 22 on Saturday, 23 on Sunday and 26 on Monday.

They’re among a death toll of 903 nationwide, up 10 from 893 yesterday, and 16,060 across the UK, up 596 on the day before.

Altogether, 8,187 cases of the illness have been confirmed nationwide, up 367 from 7,820 yesterday.

Across the UK, 120,067 people have tested positive for the illness, up 5,850 on the day before.

Some 39,612 tests for coronavirus have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 31,425 returning negative results.

It’s well over a month now since the first two cases of the illness were confirmed in the Borders on Wednesday, March 11, and over a month and a half since Scotland’s first case, in Tayside, was announced on Sunday, March 1, after spreading across the world from Wuhan in China.

That figure went up to three on Friday, March 13; five on Saturday, March 14; seven on Sunday, March 15; eight the following Thursday, March 19; nine on Friday, March 20; 10 on Saturday, March 21; 11 on Sunday, March 22; 12 on Monday, March 23; 15 on Wednesday, March 25; 23 on Thursday, March 26; 28 on Friday, March 27; 35 on Saturday, March 28; 50 on Sunday, March 29; 63 on Monday, March 30; 77 on Tuesday, March 31; 87 on Wednesday, April 1; 93 on Thursday, April 2; 100 on Friday, April 3; 110 on Saturday, April 4; 130 on Sunday, April 5; 139 last Monday, April 6; 149 on Tuesday, April 7; 160 on Wednesday, April 8; 167 on Thursday, April 9; 177 on Friday, April 10; 189 on Saturday, April 11; 199 last Sunday; 204 on Monday; 208 on Tuesday; 215 on Wednesday; 220 on Thursday; 229 on Friday; 231 yesterday; and 237 today.

The number of cases of Covid-19 in the Borders is higher than in one of its neighbouring health board areas, Dumfries and Galloway’s total being 229, but is still well below the two others, Lanarkshire and Lothian being up to 1,022 and 1,344 respectively.

Altogether, 174 Scots, six of them in the Borders, are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, as of last night, with 170 having tested positive and the others awaiting results.

At a briefing in Edinburgh today, Scottish Government health secretary Jeane Freeman said: "It is with sadness that I can report that a further 10 cases have been registered of people who had tested positive for Covid-19 who have died. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measure, to 903.

"Those figures should be treated with some caution. While people can now register death at weekends, we expect that registration numbers will still be relatively low over the weekend, and this should be taken into account when looking at today’s figures.

"And of course, although it is important to know these numbers, we should never think of the number of deaths as simply a statistic. Each death represents an individual whose loss is a source of great sorrow to many, and I want to extend my deepest condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones.

"As health secretary, I also want to once again thank those working in our health and care sector for the incredible work that you do.

"That thanks is due to all staff, not just to the doctors and the nurses but also to the porters, paramedics, cooks, care workers, cleaners and many others in our health service and our social care sector.

"Your work right now is more essential than ever to the health of our country, and all of us owe you a huge debt of gratitude.

"It remains the case that the best way for all of us to help our health and care workers is to follow public health guidance, so please stay at home, unless it is for essential purposes such as exercising once a day, or buying food or medicine.

"These restrictions are tough – and they probably seem especially tough on sunny weekends, and the more weeks that pass that we do them – but they do continue to be essential. They are the way in which all of us, each one of us, can slow the spread of the virus, protect our NHS and save lives."

The Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley MSP added: "I want to say something about reports in the media today of plans for a three-stage approach to lifting lockdown and to claims that schools may open in the next few weeks.

"These are not plans that the Scottish Government has seen, and from what we have read, they are not plans we would currently endorse.

"We have committed to publishing later this week our initial thinking on how Scotland plots our way forward. This will focus on the issues that have to be weighed up and the changes that will be required for society to adapt as safely as possible to the presence of the virus.

"We confirmed only three days ago, that the current lockdown remains in place for another three weeks. We will use that time to assess the evidence and the options before we make any further decisions.

"In the meantime, we need people to continue to use that time to stay at home, to abide by the rules, to practise social distancing and to continue to slow the spread of the virus."