Coronavirus claims lives of seven more people in Scotland

Another seven people have died with coronavirus in Scotland, the First Minister has announced.

It takes the death toll among confirmed Covid-19 patients to 2422, but counting suspected cases the total is nearly 4000.

It comes after Scotland had reported no new coronavirus deaths in the previous 48 hours.

Nicola Sturgeon said the zero deaths figures reported from the weekend were likely due to lower reporting.

She expressed her condolences with those who have lost ones but stressed there remains a “clear downward trend” in the numbers of people dying with the virus.

Just 14 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed overnight in Scotland, the lowest figure since March 11, when the UK was still in the first “contain” phase of its plan to combat coronavirus.

It takes the total number of Scots confirmed to have caught the virus since the pandemic began to 15,653.

There are 1011 people in Scottish hospitals overall with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, a drop of 31.

Of those, 21 patients are being treated in intensive care, a decrease of three.

A total of 3820 people who were hospitalised with Covid-19 have been able to go home since the outbreak started.

Speaking at the Scottish Government’s daily briefing on Tuesday, the First Minister said: “After two consecutive days of reporting zero deaths, today’s figure of seven is of course not what we would have wanted to hear.

“But I think it is important to stress it is not a surprise either.

“We have consistently said we know there is a weekend lag in registration of deaths, as the numbers we report on Tuesdays are usually higher than the numbers we report on Sundays and Mondays.

“So today’s figure, though an increase on the last two days, is nevertheless a further indication of a clear downward trend in the number of people who are losing their lives to this virus and that of course is clearly welcome.”