FM: Remember frontline workers during minute's silence

A minute’s silence will remember frontline workers who have died while tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

The tribute will be held at 11am on Tuesday – International Workers Memorial Day.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the tribute would be “particularly, but not exclusively” for health and care workers.

She said: “The silence will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have died as a result of their work to serve, care for and save others and it will be a further reminder that of all the duties government bares during a situation like this, the most vital is our obligation to keep care and health workers safe.

“I want to stress again today that I and the Scottish Government are acutely aware of that responsibility and will work each and every day to do everything we can to fulfil that obligation.”

Sturgeon said during her daily briefing there are “signs of progress” in tackling the virus as she announced a total of 1262 patients have now died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus – up 13 from 1249 on Sunday.

She confirmed 10,521 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, a rise of 197 from 10,324 the day before.

There are 1762 people in hospital with the virus, while 134 are in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms.

She said Scottish Government officials are looking at how the lockdown measures can be lifted but she said the reopening of Scotland will not be a “flick of the switch action”.

Sturgeon added: “In the coming days, I will say more about the different options under consideration and how we’re going about assessing those.”

The First Minister also urged business owners not to reopen if they cannot adhere to the social distancing measures put in place by the Government, saying a further increase could hit the economy and individual companies harder than remaining in lockdown.