Three more coronavirus sufferers die in Borders as death toll here rises to 26

Those latest fatalities take the death toll claimed in the region by the disease, also known as Covid-19, up to 26.

That increase in deaths is accompanied by another rise in the number of cases confirmed in the region, taking the total past 200.

A daily update issued by the Scottish Government on the ongoing coronavirus outbreak reveals an increase of five cases in the Borders today, April 13, up from 199 to 204.

More than a third of those diagnosed with the disease in the region are NHS Borders staff – 76, with a further four of their colleagues awaiting test results.

The first five fatalities claimed in the Borders by Covid-19, as the virus is also known, were announced on Monday, March 30, and that figure rose to seven the day after, eight the next day, 11 last Thursday, 14 last Friday, 16 last Sunday, 17 on Monday, 19 on Tuesday, 20 on Friday, 22 on Saturday, 23 yesterday and 26 today.

They are among a death toll of 575 nationwide, up from 566 yesterday, and 10,621 across the UK, up 737 from 9,875 the day before.

Some 6,067 cases of the illness have been confirmed nationwide, up from 5,900 yesterday.

Across the UK, 84,279 people, including British prime minister Boris Johnson, have tested positive for the illness, up 5,288 from 78,991 on the day before.

Some 31,813 tests for coronavirus have been carried out in Scotland to date, with 25,746 returning negative results.

It’s over four weeks now since the first two cases of the illness were confirmed in the Borders on Wednesday, March 11, and almost 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 on Tuesday; 160 on Wednesday; 167 on Thursday; 177 on Friday; 189 on Saturday; 199 yesterday; and 204 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 192, but remains well below the two others, Lanarkshire and Lothian being up to 784 and 932 respectively.

Altogether, 211 Scots, eight of them in the Borders, are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, as of last night, with 203 having tested positive and the others awaiting results.

Giving an update on the Covid-19 outbreak today, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that no end is in sight to the lockdown in force for the last three weeks.

At a briefing in Edinburgh, she said: “There is due to be a review of the restrictions this week, but I want today to be very clear.

“That review is not likely to result in these restrictions being lifted in the near future.

“There are early optimistic signs that the steps we are taking are working, but until we know more, until we have solid evidence, they must stay in place.

“We all want these restrictions to be lifted as soon as possible and, as I have said before and say again today, they will not be in place for a single minute longer than is necessary.

“But we also know that if we lift these restrictions too early, or if we do so without thinking through properly how we can ease the restrictions while also still keeping the virus under control, then we risk the virus spreading out of control, and we risk overwhelming our National Health Service and, of course, we risk it taking many more lives

“I know that this way of living our lives right now is not easy, but it is still essential, so once again let me thank all of you for the effort and the sacrifices that you’re making.

“I know that these rules are really difficult – and I know they must have been especially difficult over this holiday weekend – and they will not get any easier as the days pass, but they are vitally important, and they are making a difference.

“By staying home, we can all slow the spread of Covid-19, we can protect our precious NHS and we can save lives, so thank you once again for doing the right thing.”