Six-day run without any new coronavirus cases in Borders is longest since disease arrived here

That’s the longest the region has gone by without seeing a rise in cases since the first diagnoses here were confirmed on Wednesday, March 11.

It surpasses a five-day run without new reports of coronavirus ended by an increase of one last Tuesday, May 26.

The 325 cases confirmed here are among 15,504 nationwide, up 33 from 15,471 yesterday.

Across the UK, 279,856 people have tested positive for the disease, up 1,871 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 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 today, 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 62 as of Sunday, however – 27 higher than the Scottish Government figure of 35 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 yesterday.

They are among 2,386 coronavirus patients killed by the disease in Scotland so far, up 11 from 2,375 overnight, and 39,728 UK-wide, a rise of 359 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 119,000 tests for the illness have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 103,069 coming back negative.

Giving an update to the Scottish Parliament today on the outbreak, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “An additional 33 cases have been confirmed since yesterday.

“A total of 1,117 patients either suspected or confirmed as having Covid-19 are in hospital, a decrease of 51 since yesterday. The number of confirmed cases within that decreased by six.

“As of last night, 34 people were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, which is no change on the figure that was reported yesterday.

“In the past 24 hours, 11 deaths of patients confirmed as having the virus have been registered. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement to 2,386.

“National Records of Scotland has just published its more detailed weekly report. Unlike the daily statistics, its figures do not just include deaths where Covid has been confirmed by a laboratory test. It also reports on cases where the virus was entered on the death certificate as a suspected or contributory cause of death.

“The latest report covers the period to Sunday. At that point, according to our daily figures, 2,363 deaths of people tested positive for the virus had been registered. However, today’s report shows that, by Sunday, the total number of registered deaths with either a confirmed or presumed link to the virus was 3,911.

“Of those deaths, 131 were registered in the seven days up to Sunday. That is a decrease of 99 from the week before.

“The total number of excess deaths, the number above the five-year average for the same time of year, also decreased from 181 to 108.

“All those figures are, of course, far higher than any of us would wish.

“I am also aware that no statistical trend will console those who have lost loved ones to the virus. My thoughts and sympathies are with all of them.

“However, those numbers provide further grounds for optimism.

“The weekly number of Covid-19 deaths has now fallen for five weeks in a row, and they are now at one fifth of their peak level.

“Excess deaths are at less than one eighth of their peak level, and deaths in care homes are also now falling week on week.

“The progress that we have made is obvious, but it is still fragile and it could very easily be reversed.

“That is why it is still so important that all of us stick to the current guidance.

“People should still be staying at home most of the time and should still be meeting fewer people than normal. Life should not feel entirely normal at present.”