No rise in coronavirus cases in Borders overnight, leaving total for region at 325 for fifth day running

That standstill statistic follows a rise of two diagnoses on Friday coming after two days without any new cases of the disease, also known as Covid-19.

It matches the five-day run without new reports of coronavirus ended by an increase of one last Tuesday, May 26, the longest time that had gone by without a rise in cases since the region’s first diagnoses were confirmed on Wednesday, March 11.

The 325 cases confirmed here are among 15,471 nationwide, up 53 from 15,418 yesterday.

Across the UK, 276,332 people have tested positive for the disease, up 1,570 on the day before.

It’s now 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.

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 260, but is still well below the two others, Lanarkshire and Lothian being up to 1,995 and 2,716 respectively.

The death toll claimed in the region by coronavirus is up to 38, an increase of three on last week.

Figures issued by the National Records of Scotland last week, 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 58 as of a week ago on Sunday, however – 24 higher than the Scottish Government figure of 34 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 today.

They are among 2,375 coronavirus patients killed by the disease in Scotland so far, up 12 from 2,363 overnight, and 39,045 UK-wide, a rise of 111 on the day before.

Altogether, 20 Scots are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, along with another 14 suspected to be infected but awaiting test results.

Almost 117,000 tests for the illness have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 101,377 coming back negative.

Giving an update in Edinburgh today on the outbreak, Scottish Government first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “There have been 15,471 positive cases confirmed, an increase of 53 from the figures I gave you yesterday. However, I need you to note today that this figure of 53 includes 40 older positive test results which have only been received today and are being added to the overall total now.

“A total of 1,168 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected Covid-19, and that is an increase of 122 from yesterday. However, please note that the number of confirmed cases in hospital actually decreased by 23 compared to the figures yesterday.

“A total of 34 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is an increase of seven since yesterday.

“Unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 12 deaths have been registered of patients confirmed through a test as having Covid-19. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,375.

“Each one of these, of course, is an individual whose loss is being grieved and mourned by many. I want again today, to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.”

Urging Scots to continue to keep their distance from each other, Ms Sturgeon added: “It remains the case that the best way in which each of us can show solidarity with each other is by sticking to the rules and public health guidance.

“You should still be staying at home most of the time right now, and you should still be meeting fewer people than normal.

“I’d ask all of you to consider whether or not your life feels as if it is going back to normal? I’m sure that’s not the case, but if it is, perhaps you should think about whether you are following all of the public health guidance because unfortunately, and regrettably, our lives shouldn’t feel completely normal right now.

“When you do meet people from another household when you are away from home, you should stay outdoors at all times and you should stay two metres apart.

“You might be reading or hearing in the media today some voices saying that one metre is sufficient, so I want to take the opportunity today to stress that the clear and strong advice from the Scottish Government is to stay two metres apart from those in other households.

“The individual decisions that all of us take right now have an impact far beyond our own health and wellbeing. Our individual decisions right now affect the wellbeing of our families, our communities and, indeed, they affect the wellbeing of the entire country.

“The Scottish Government’s responsibility to lead the country through this pandemic and to take all of the appropriate practical steps we need to take is a responsibility we take very seriously, but the truth is that our success or failure in suppressing this virus and keeping it suppressed will also depend on all of us as individual citizens and it will depend on our collective efforts as a society.

“We must all continue to do the right thing by each other by following all the rules and following all of the public health guidance.

“If we all do that, we will continue to slow down the spread of this virus and we will save lives.”