No increase in Covid-19 cases in Borders, leaving total at 327 for third day running

That standstill statistic comes after a rise of one on Wednesday, June 10, ended a five-day run without any new cases of the disease being announced.

Those five days without further diagnoses followed another increase of one last Friday, June 5, ending a week-long run with no new cases.

That was the longest to have gone by without any new cases since the first diagnoses here were confirmed three months ago on Wednesday, March 11.

The 327 cases of Covid-19, as the disease is also known, confirmed here are among 15,709 nationwide, up 27 overnight from 15,682.

Across the UK, 292,950 people have tested positive for the disease, up 1,541 on the day before.

It’s now well over three months since Scotland’s first case, in Tayside, was announced on Sunday, March 1, after spreading across the world from Wuhan in China.

Following March 11’s initial diagnoses, the number of cases in the Borders rose 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 on 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 on Saturday, April 18; 237 on Sunday, April 19; 239 on Monday, April 20; 240 on Tuesday, April 21; 243 on Wednesday, April 22; 248 on Thursday, April 23; 253 on Friday, April 24; 258 on Saturday, April 25; 259 on Sunday, April 26; 269 on Monday, April 27; 272 on Tuesday, April 28; 279 on Wednesday, April 29; 281 on Friday, May 1; 283 on Saturday, May 2; 284 on Sunday, May 3; 285 on Wednesday, May 6; 286 on Thursday, May 7; 292 on Monday, May 11; 294 on Tuesday, May 12; 297 on Wednesday, May 13; 298 on Thursday, May 14; 304 on Friday, May 15; 310 on Saturday, May 16; 313 on Sunday, May 17; 316 on Monday, May 18; 317 on Tuesday, May 19; 322 on Wednesday, May 20; 323 on Tuesday, May 26; 325 on Friday, May 29; 326 on Friday, June 5; and 327 on Wednesday, June 10.

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 261, but is still well below the two others, Lanarkshire and Lothian being up to 2,028 and 2,794 respectively.

The death toll claimed in the region by coronavirus has not risen since last week, remaining at 38, as of Tuesday.

Figures issued by the National Records of Scotland on Wednesday, taking into account all fatalities attributed to coronavirus and not just among those previously tested and found to be infected, put the death toll for the region at 68 as of Sunday, up six on last week, however. That’s 30 higher than the Scottish Government figure of 38 at that time.

It’s now over two months since the first five fatalities among Covid-19 patients here were announced on Monday, March 30.

That figure, going by Scottish Government calculations, 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, April 23; 28 on Friday, April 24; 29 on Monday, April 27; 30 on Wednesday, April 29; 31 on Thursday, April 30; 32 on Tuesday, May 12; 34 on Tuesday, May 19; 35 on Tuesday, May 26; and 38 on Tuesday, June 2.

They are among 2,442 coronavirus patients killed by the disease in Scotland so far, up three overnight from 2,439, and 41,481 UK-wide, a rise of 202 on the day before.

Altogether, 15 Scots, none of them in the Borders, are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, along with another eight suspected to be infected but awaiting test results.

Nearly 133,900 tests for the illness have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 118,185 turning out negative.

Giving an update in edinburgh today on the Covid-19 outbreak, first minister Nicola Sturgeon reported: “There have been 15,709 positive cases confirmed through our NHS laboratories, and that is an increase of 27 from yesterday.

“A total of 914 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents an increase of five overall from yesterday. However, the number of confirmed cases within that has reduced by 20.

“A total of 23 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, and that is an increase of two since yesterday.

“In the last 24 hours, three deaths were registered of patients confirmed through a test as having the virus. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,442.

“Even as we see these figures decline – thankfully so – it is nevertheless really important that we don’t lose sight of the fact that they are not just statistics. They all represent unique loved individuals whose loss is a source of grief to many people, so, once again, my condolences are with everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.”

Ms Sturgeon also warned of tough times ahead for Scotland’s economy, saying: “Today’s gross domestic product figures show that in April the UK economy contracted by more than 20%. That is, by some distance, the largest decline on record, and it confirms the scale of the economic crisis that has inevitably been caused by the health crisis that we face.

“We expect to see a significant impact on employment and a rise in unemployment, and, sadly, despite all of our best efforts, that situation is likely to remain challenging in the period ahead.

“We are all deeply, deeply anxious about the impact on the economy, but the fact is this – the reason we are making such good progress now is that we are carefully following a plan, and if we depart from that plan, we will risk the progress we’re making.

“On the other hand, if we’re prepared to stick with the plan, I believe we will keep making further progress, and the more we suppress this virus, the more lives will be saved and the fewer people will suffer the long-term health consequences that increasingly we fear that it might leave some people with.

“Also, if we suppress this virus sufficiently, we will be able to restore a greater degree of normality to all of our lives, so while I understand the desire for speed of recovery, the sustainability of our recovery also really matters.

“The simple fact is if we go too fast now we risk a resurgence of the virus that will then set us back, and that is a risk, in my view, we must be careful not to take.”