Coronavirus: One more dead as cases soar by 1303 overnight

One more person has died in Scotland after being diagnosed with coronavirus, the Scottish Government has confirmed.

Total confirmed cases of the virus has risen to 56,752 – a jump of 1303 in the past 24 hours

The official death toll in Scotland now stands at 2700, however weekly figures on suspected Covid-19 deaths recorded by National Records of Scotland suggest the most up-to-date total is more than 4300.

Of the new cases reported on Sunday, 437 are in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde region, 341 are in Lanarkshire, 155 are in Lothian, and 132 are in Ayrshire and Arran.

The remaining cases are spread across seven other health board areas.

According to management information reported by NHS boards across Scotland, 1016 people are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 – an increase of 31 overnight. Out of those, 86 patients are in intensive care.

The figures come as a senior figure in the Catholic Church has called for a 24-hour “circuit-break” on Christmas Day, which would see restrictions lifted and people able to visit family.

John Keenan, the Bishop of Paisley and vice-president of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, said strict restrictions on December 25 run “the risk of destroying all hope”.

The Scottish Government has said it is not possible to predict what level the virus will be at by Christmas, adding the more compliance there is with the guidance now, the more likely the prevalence will reduce and restrictions will be lifted.