Rise of two coronavirus cases in Borders overnight is smallest for over three weeks

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon joining in the latest nationwide round of applause for medics and other key workers in Edinburgh last night. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

That increase, the smallest for over three weeks, was revealed in a daily update issued by the Scottish Government today, April 18, also reporting a further 56 deaths nationwide attributable to the disease.

It’s the lowest daily rise since an increase of one, from 11 to 12, reported on Monday, March 23.

As of yesterday, those being the latest figures available from NHS Borders, there’d been no increase in the death toll claimed here by Covid-19, as the disease is also known, for the fourth day running, though, and it remained at 26.

The first five fatalities in the Borders attributable to the virus were announced on Monday, March 30, and that figure rose to seven the day after, eight the next day, 11 a week ago last Thursday, 14 a week ago on Friday, 16 last Sunday, 17 on Monday, 19 on Tuesday, 20 on Friday, 22 on Saturday, 23 on Sunday and 26 on Monday.

They’re among a death toll of 893 nationwide, up from 837 yesterday, and 15,464 across the UK, up 888 on the day before.

Altogether, 7,820 cases of the illness have been confirmed nationwide, up from 7,409 yesterday.

Across the UK, 114,217 people, including British prime minister Boris Johnson, have tested positive for the illness, up 5,526 on the day before.

Some 38,233 tests for coronavirus have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 30,413 returning negative results.

It’s over a month now since the first two cases of the illness were confirmed in the Borders on Wednesday, March 11, and a month and a half 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 last Tuesday; 160 on Wednesday; 167 on Thursday; 177 on Friday; 189 on Saturday; 199 on Sunday; 204 on Monday; 208 on Tuesday; 215 on Wednesday; 220 on Thursday; 229 yesterday; and 231 today.

The number of cases of Covid-19 in the Borders is higher than in one of its neighbouring health board areas, Dumfries and Galloway’s total being 222, but is still well below the two others, Lanarkshire and Lothian being up to 995 and 1,239 respectively.

Altogether, 182 Scots, six of them in the Borders, are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, as of last night, with 178 having tested positive and the others awaiting results.

At a briefing in Edinburgh yesterday, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon told of her sadness at the growing death toll being claimed by Covid-19, saying: “It’s important that that we never ever lose sight of the human reality behind these statistics.

“Each and every death represents an individual, somebody who is right now being mourned by the people they have left behind, and so – once again – I want to extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one and I know we all think about them at these times.”

She also expressed optimism that Scotland might be getting past the worst the virus has toinflict, adding: “We have a long way to go, but we are beginning to see signs that the lockdown is working.

“The first signs of hope are already there, so it’s vital that we continue to follow these rules so that we don’t go backwards and instead keep moving forwards in the right direction.”