No rise in coronavirus cases or fatalities in Borders since last week, figures reveal

No further deaths linked to Covid-19, as the illness is also known, were reported over the last week, with the number of lives it’s claimed to date remaining at 72, as of Sunday.

There’s also been no increase in the number of positive test results in the region for the virus.

That figure remains at 345, as it has been since Wednesday, June 17, though a laboratory error, since corrected, put it at 346 from Sunday, June 21, to Wednesday, June 24.

The 72 fatalities for the region cited in figures issued by the National Records of Scotland today, July 1, taking into account all deaths linked to coronavirus and not just among those previously tested and found to be infected, are among 4,115 nationwide measured by those criteria.

The number of coronavirus cases confirmed nationwide is now up to 18,259, a rise of eight overnight.

Across the UK, 313,483 people have tested positive for the disease, up 829 on the day before, and it has killed 43,906 of them, up 176 overnight.

It’s now four months since Scotland’s first official case of the disease, in Tayside, was announced on Sunday, March 1, after spreading across the world from Wuhan in China.

The first two cases in the Borders followed on Wednesday, March 11.

Giving an update on the outbreak in Edinburgh today, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Since yesterday, I can confirm that an additional eight cases have been confirmed, which takes the total number now to 18,259.

“A total of 785 patients are currently in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid-19, a decrease of 100 since yesterday.

“As of last night, 17 people were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, two fewer than yesterday.

“The latest National Records of Scotland report shows that, by Sunday, the total number of registered deaths with either a confirmed or a presumed link to the virus was 4,155.

“Of those, 35 were registered in the seven days up to Sunday, a decrease of 14 from the week before.

“This is ninth week in a row now in which the number of deaths from the virus has fallen.

“The total number of deaths recorded last week – from all causes, not just from Covid – was 20 below the five-year average for the same time of year.

“This is the first time since March that the total number of deaths has been below the five-year average.

“This week’s statistics again tell of the real and sustained progress that we are making in tackling Covid.”

“That said, the numbers also speak of heartbreak for many of our fellow citizens.

“We can take some comfort in the trends shown by today’s data, but we should never ever lose sight of the fact that every single death represented by these numbers is a tragedy, and I want to send my condolences to everyone who is grieving right now as a result of losing somebody to this illness.”

Ms Sturgeon also gave notice of further loosening of lockdown laws on the way tomorrow, July 2, saying: “Much of the discussion about the changes we hope to confirm tomorrow will understandably be around issues such as changes to travel restrictions and the reopening of some parts of the hospitality sector, but we also know that this has been an incredibly difficult time for children and young people.

“It has been very tough not going to school for an entire term and then being so restricted in how you can meet up with and play with your friends.

“These restrictions have also, of course, made things more challenging for parents and carers.

“We’re therefore keen to make some changes which will help to make this a slightly more normal and less frustrating summer holiday for many young people, so tomorrow I hope to confirm more details of that.

“All of our children and young people, in my opinion, have responded incredibly well to an incredibly difficult situation and I’m grateful to all of you for that – indeed, I’m proud of all of you for that – but we know how important it is for you to be able to see a bit more of your friends over the summer as well as, I hope, being able to go back to school in August.

“Tomorrow’s announcements therefore, I hope, will set out ways in which you can do that and, as a result, hopefully it will allow you to get a bit more from the summer holidays.”