No rise overnight in Covid-19 cases in Borders for second day in a row as loosening of lockdown laws announced

That standstill statistic comes after an increase of one on Tuesday, May 26, ended a five-day run without any new cases of the disease, also known as Covid-19, being reported here.

That was the longest that had gone by without any new cases since the region’s first diagnoses were confirmed on Wednesday, March 11.

The 323 cases confirmed here are among 15,288 nationwide, up from 15,240 yesterday.

Across the UK, 267,240 people have tested positive for the disease, up 2,013 on the day before.

It’s now not short of 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 1,968 and 2,691 respectively.

The death toll claimed in the region by coronavirus stands at 35, as of Tuesday, an increase of one on last week.

Figures issued by the National Records of Scotland yesterday, 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 Sunday, however – 24 higher than the Scottish Government figure of 34 at that time.

It’s now been almost 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; and 35 on Tuesday, May 26.

They are among 2,316 coronavirus patients killed by the disease in Scotland so far, up from 2,304 overnight, and 37,460 UK-wide, a rise of 412 on the day before.

Altogether, 26 Scots are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, along with another 11 suspected to be infected but awaiting test results.

More than 109,000 tests for the illness have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 93,743 returning negative results.

Giving an update in Edinburgh today on the outbreak, Scottish Government first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “As at nine o’clock this morning, there have been 15,288 positive cases confirmed. That is an increase of 48 since yesterday.

“A total of 1,238 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a decrease of nine overall from yesterday, including a decrease of 13 in the number of confirmed cases.

“A total of 37 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is a decrease of one since yesterday.

“In the last 24 hours, 12 deaths have been registered of patients confirmed through a test as having the virus, and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,316.

“Now I feel very strongly, as I’m sure you do, particularly today as we start to take the first steps out of lockdown, that we must never become inured to these statistics and we must never ever forget that behind every single one is a person who was loved and is now deeply missed.

“In future, we will want, collectively as a nation, to remember and mourn that loss, but for now let me send my condolences to every family who has lost a loved one to this virus.”

Announcing a relaxation of lockdown rules starting tomorrow, Ms Sturgeon added: “The figures I have just given remind us that the progress we have made so far is real, but these figures also remind us of the toll this virus has taken and that our progress remains fragile.

“The virus is still proving fatal for too many. Hundreds of people are still in hospital, and new infections are still being identified in most health board areas.

“That means we must proceed with the utmost care and caution.

“Nevertheless, a downward trend in Covid-19 cases is now sustained and unmistakeable.

“The only reason we can make any changes today is that we have made progress in suppressing this virus, and that is entirely down to the sacrifices that all of you have made, so more than ever today, I want to say thank you to each and every single one of you.

“Last week I reported an estimated 25,000 infectious cases across the country. Our latest estimate is that as of last Friday, May 22, there were 19,000 infectious cases in Scotland.

“In addition, the number of patients in intensive care has fallen by 80% since the peak, and the number of new hospital admissions has fallen by more than 80%.

“Also, as we saw yesterday in the National Records of Scotland report, deaths associated with Covid-19 – both overall and in care homes – have now declined for four consecutive weeks.

“This evidence has allowed the Scottish Government therefore to conclude that we can now move into phase one of our four-phase route map out of lockdown.”

Explaining those changes, she continued: “The focus of our phase-one changes is on outdoor activity, and the reason for that is this – as long as people from different households remain two metres apart, do not touch the same surfaces and wash hands and surfaces regularly, the risk of the virus spreading is lower in an outdoor environment than it is indoors.

“Even so, in making changes at this stage, we have limited room for manoeuvre, so we need to get the balance right.

“Of course we want to restart the economy as quickly as possible, but we have also kept very firmly in mind the things that matter most to our quality of life – family, friendship, love.

“From tomorrow, most outdoor work that has been put on hold can resume, and the construction industry will be able to restart site preparation. That’s the first phase of its restart plan. It will require to consult further with government before moving on to the second stage of that plan.

“From tomorrow, garden centres and plant nurseries can reopen some of their services, and we will no longer be discouraging drive-through food outlets from reopening as well.

“However, non-essential shops and pubs, restaurants and cafes – except for takeaway – must remain closed at this stage.

“Household waste recycling centres can reopen from Monday, and guidance on this was issued yesterday.

“We continue to ask other business premises to remain closed at this stage, unless providing essential goods and services, and we ask all businesses to let staff work from home wherever possible.

“From Monday onwards, June 1, teachers and other staff will be able to enter schools for the purpose of preparing for a reopening of all schools on August 11 for a blended in-school/at-home model of learning, and from next Wednesday onwards – that’s June 3 – childcare will be available to a larger number of children who most need it, for example, vulnerable children and children of essential workers.

“Childminding services and fully-outdoor nursery provision will start to reopen from next Wednesday too. However, there will continue to be limits on the number of children that can be cared for, and guidance for childminders will issue on Monday.

“In terms of sport and recreation, some non-contact outdoor leisure activities will be allowed to restart, again from tomorrow.

“This applies to activities where you can safely keep a two-metre distance from others at all times and follow strict hygiene practices – for example, golf, tennis, bowls and fishing.

“You will also be able, from tomorrow, to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas. I am sure that will welcomed by many, particularly in this weather, but it will be welcomed especially by those who do not have gardens.

“And you will be able to travel – preferably by walking or cycling – to a location near your local community for recreation. However, we are asking you, for now, to please stay within, or close to, your own local area, and don’t use public transport unless it is absolutely necessary.

“Now we are not setting a fixed distance limit in law, but our strong advice is not to travel further than around five miles for leisure or recreation.

“We simply don’t want, in this phase, to see large numbers of people at tourist hot spots or local beauty spots. Crowds of people – even if they’re trying to socially distance – bring more risk than we judge is acceptable and safe at this point, so if you do go somewhere and find it is crowded, please use your judgment, change your plans and go somewhere else.

“I don’t mind admitting to you that as we take these first steps, I do feel a bit nervous.

“I worry that the limited changes we are making to these rules, the very careful changes, might lead to much greater change in reality, and so I really need your help to make sure that is not the case.

“Be respectful of each other’s space, and make sure things still feel different to normal, because they should still feel different to normal.

“Above all, remember that each individual decision we will take will affect the safety and the wellbeing of everyone. Make sure that love, kindness and solidarity continue to be our guiding principles.

“Though these changes are small at this stage, I really hope they do make a positive difference and leave all of us with a real sense of hope that we are on the right track, the track towards greater normality while we continue to beat this virus along the way.”