Scotland records ten deaths and 1498 new cases of Covid

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged caution as most restrictions were lifted in Scotland.

Scotland records ten deaths and 1498 new cases of Covid iStock

Scotland has recorded ten deaths and 1498 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours.

Official statistics published by the Scottish Government also showed there were 356 people in hospital with the virus as of Tuesday, with 42 people in intensive care.

Of 32,735 new tests for Covid-19, 5.0% were positive, the statistics indicate.

Just over four million people in Scotland have received their first coronavirus vaccination, whilst around 3.3 million have had their second dose.

On Monday, almost all coronavirus restrictions were lifted in Scotland from midnight.

Social distancing has been dropped, along with limits on the size of social gatherings, although face coverings in public places remains in place.

People returned to nightclubs in the early hours of Monday as venues opened their doors once more, having been closed for 18 months, whilst Rangers welcomed a full capacity at Ibrox on Tuesday evening for their match against Malmo.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted her nervousness about lifting restrictions, but said she believes it is the “right moment” to do so.

The SNP leader has however urged people to exercise caution as life eases towards normality.

She said: “This is the right moment to remove legal restrictions to try to get that greater normality back in our lives, but with a big caveat that the virus hasn’t gone away, the pandemic is not over.

“I think it’s premature to declare victory over it or freedom from it, we’ve got to continue to be careful, which is why in Scotland we’re keeping some sensible precautions in place – for example, face coverings in many indoor settings – so it’s a moment to feel optimistic.

“This has been a long, hard year-and-a-half, but we’ve got to continue to exercise care and caution – this virus is unpredictable, and I think it’s true that we under-estimate it at our peril.”

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