Five more coronavirus cases confirmed in Borders, taking total to almost 260

The 258 positive test results now confirmed in the region include an unspecified number of staff and residents at Saltgreens Care Home in Eyemouth.

Some 10,051 cases of the illness have now been diagnosed nationwide, up from 9,697 yesterday.

UK-wide, 143,464 people have tested positive for the illness, up 5,386 on the day before.

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 nearing two months 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 on Sunday, April 12; 204 on Monday, April 13; 208 on Tuesday, April 14; 215 on Wednesday, April 15; 220 on Thursday, April 16; 229 on Friday, April 17; 231 last Saturday; 237 on Sunday; 239 on Monday; 240 on Tuesday; 243 on Wednesday; 248 on Thursday; 253 yesterday; and 258 today.

The number of cases of Covid-19 in the Borders remains higher than in one of its neighbouring health board areas, Dumfries and Galloway’s total being 237, but is still well below the two others, Lanarkshire and Lothian being up to 1,187 and 1,730 respectively.

Altogether, 140 Scots, five of them in the Borders, are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, as of last night, with 131 having tested positive and the others awaiting results.

The disease’s death toll in the region went up to 28 yesterday, that being the second death in two days attributable to the disease after a nine-day spell without fatalities.

That was the longest the number of deaths caused by Covid-19, as the illness is also known, had remained static since its first five fatalities in the Borders were announced on Monday, March 30.

That figure rose to seven the day after, March 31; eight on Wednesday, April 1; 11 on Thursday, April 2; 14 on Friday, April 3; 16 on Sunday, April 5; 17 on Monday, April 6; 19 on Tuesday, April 7; 20 on Friday, April 10; 22 on Saturday, April 11; 23 on Sunday, April 12; 26 on Monday, April 13; 27 on Thursday; and 28 yesterday.

They are among 1,231 coronavirus patients killed by the disease in Scotland so far, up from 1,184 yesterday.

Across the UK, the number of patients killed by Covid-19 is up to 19,506, a rise of 684 on the day before.

Some 47,749 tests for the illness have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 37,698 returning negative results.

Saltgreens Care Home, in Chapel Street, is run by Scottish Borders Council, and the authority’s chief executive, Tracey Logan, is seeking to reassure relatives of its 34 residents that everything possible is being done to limit the spread of the infection there.

She said: “We understand this will be an anxious time for families of Saltgreens residents, but I would reiterate that stringent control measures are being undertaken to minimise the risk of infection.

“We have been working with colleagues from NHS Borders’ infection control team and they are confident that staff are working to the required standards.

“We will continue to follow the correct procedures and guidance to support the health and wellbeing of Saltgreens’ residents and staff at this time.”

Nicky Berry, director of nursing, midwifery and acute services for NHS Borders, added: “We will continue to work together with Scottish Borders Council to provide as much support as possible to residents and staff members at Saltgreens Care Home.”

There are no other confirmed cases of Covid-19 among care home residents in the Borders at the moment, according to a council spokesperson.

At her daily Covid-19 update yesterday, Scottish Government first minister Nicola Sturgeon hit out at US president Donald Trump’s suggestion that disinfectant could be injected as a cure for coronavirus, saying: “It is clearly not the case that ingesting disinfectant in any way, shape or form is a good idea.

“It is a very, very bad idea and extremely dangerous.

“The responsibility on leaders is not to stand up at a public platform and repeat things that you have perhaps half-heard and perhaps completely misunderstood and present that to the public in a way that the public might act on and that could be dangerous.

“None of us are perfect, and we will all make mistakes in this, but I think we all have to remember that very serious responsibility when we’re giving advice to the public.

“It must be good advice, informed by the best science.”

National clinical director Jason Leitch added: “I can be absolutely certain that I don’t need to advise the present first minister that injecting disinfectant into your body will be no help for coronavirus.

“I can categorically say, and it is genuinely a serious point at times of non-coronavirus and coronavirus, that disinfectant is for surfaces, not for bodies.”