Two more Covid-19 cases confirmed in Borders, taking total to 325

That rise follows two days without any new cases after an increase of one on Tuesday, May 26, ended a five-day run without further diagnoses of the disease, also known as Covid-19, being reported here.

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

The 325 cases confirmed here are among 15,327 nationwide, up from 15,288 yesterday.

Across the UK, 269,127 people have tested positive for the disease, up 1,887 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 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 this week, 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 just short of 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 2,331 coronavirus patients killed by the disease in Scotland so far, up from 2,316 overnight, and 37,837 UK-wide, a rise of 377 on the day before.

Altogether, 25 Scots are in intensive care receiving treatment for coronavirus, along with another 15 suspected to be infected but awaiting test results.

More than 111,000 tests for the illness have been carried out in Scotland so far, with 95,758 coming back negative.

Giving an update in Edinburgh today on the outbreak, Scottish Government first minister Nicola Sturgeon told of her ongoing concerns about the loosening of lockdown laws taking effect today, saying: “I said yesterday I was nervous ahead of these changes, and that’s still the case.

“If too many of us change our behaviour a bit more than these changes are designed to allow, we could see the virus spread quickly again and we will be back to square one.

“I’m not trying to cramp anyone’s fun. I want everyone to enjoy these changes – you have more than earned it – but I am asking for you to do it responsibly.

“I am appealing to your judgement and your sense of solidarity to each other. Please stay within the rules.

“If you are in doubt about whether your plans are within the rules or not, err on the side of caution.

“However harsh these rules might feel right now, and I know that they do, abiding by them will never, ever be as harsh as grieving the loss of a loved one.”