No new coronavirus deaths in Scotland for fourth consecutive day
29 June 2020, 12:43
There have been no deaths registered of people who tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland for a fourth consecutive day, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
Speaking at the Scottish Government's daily coronavirus briefing, she said the latest figures showed no new deaths within the previous 24 hours.
The total number of people who have died in Scotland under the measurement remains at 2,482.
Ms Sturgeon said five more people tested positive for the virus since Sunday, taking the total to 18,241.
A total of 740 patients were in Scottish hospitals with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, down 38 in 24 hours.
Of these, 10 were intensive care, a fall of three.
The First Minister also addressed the issue of "air bridges" enabling international travel between certain countries without quarantine.
She criticised the UK Government for failing to consult the Scottish Government ahead of announcing proposed changes to the blanket travel ban on Friday.
"As a result we are still considering our response and our own proposals," she said.
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"We can and do of course see the benefits of adopting a consistent approach across all parts of the UK.
"However, we also know that quarantine measures, albeit perhaps on a more targeted basis in future, may become more important in Scotland rather than less as our infection rates fall, since then the relative impact of new cases from outside Scotland potentially becomes greater.
"And the prospect of cases coming in from elsewhere poses a risk - not just to health but also to our economy.
"We therefore want to take a bit of time to consider the public health impact of the UK Government's proposals as well as the data and evidence underpinning them, which hopefully we will see before too long and we will make a further announcement once we have had the opportunity to do so."
