Right On Track For A Summer Of Staycations

FM says country ‘heading in right direction’ and Hancock promises holidays as infection rate falls

- Torcuil Crichton

Scotland is “heading in the right direction” in the battle with Covid-19, with the crucial R number remaining below one.

With hospitalisations and the numbers of people in intensive care falling, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there was “much to feel optimistic about”.

And, on a trip to Scotland to visit Glasgow’s Lighthouse Lab, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was confident domestic travel restrictions would be lifted in time for the summer staycations.

But Sturgeon reminded people to remain cautious and comply with stay-at-home regulations as the latest figures were revealed.

Scotland recorded 24 deaths from coronavirus and 500 positive tests in the previous 24 hours.

That brought the death toll under this measure – people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – to 7398.

There were 726 people in hospital confirmed to have the virus, down 24 in 24 hours, and 69 patients were in intensive care, down one.

She said the daily test positivity rate is 2.5 percent, down from 2.6 percent the previous day.