NHS Highland reports no fresh positive tests for coronavirus for second day in a row
FORTY-eight hours have passed since NHS Highland confirmed its most recent positive test for Covid-19.
The number of cases confirmed in the health board area since the pandemic began remained static at 377 when the latest daily update was announced at 2pm.
Six newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus were detected in the past 24 hours across the whole of Scotland.
The country has now gone five days since the last fatality among those who have tested positive. The overall death toll remained at 2490 this afternoon. The number of positive cases was 18,365.
Elsewhere in the north of Scotland, there were no fresh cases diagnosed in Orkney, Shetland or the Western Isles.
NHS Grampian registered one additional case to take its overall total to 1431 since the start of the outbreak.
The number of people in its hospitals with confirmed Covid-19 also increased by one, to 32.
The number of hospital cases in other health boards were so small that they did not register on the Scottish Government update chart, which only records a figure when there are five or more people receiving hospital care for the virus.
Nationally, there was a minor increase in the number of people receiving treatment in hospital last night, rising from 330 to 336. Only three of those were being treated in intensive care.
Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government would be closely monitoring every outbreak – one of which occurred at a Glasgow care home.
At today's government briefing, Scotland's health secretary Jeane Freeman also said screenings for breast cancer would start to resume this week, having been on hold since the end of March.
Ms Sturgeon said: “An additional six positive cases were confirmed yesterday, which takes the total now in Scotland to 18,365.
"It is perhaps worth noting that on both Friday and on Sunday we saw higher numbers of new cases than has been the norm in recent weeks. Yesterday 19 new cases were reported, on Friday it was 18.
"On any occasion when there is an increase like that, I want to give an assurance that we look very, very thoroughly to see if there are any patterns or particular cause for concern.
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“With respect to the 19 cases that were reported yesterday, we know that 12 of these cases were in Glasgow and seven of those – all of which were asymptomatic cases – were related to one care home.
“That is being looked at in much more detail and all necessary follow-up tests, checks and precautions are being undertaken.
“And I'm pleased to say that during the past 24 hours no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – the total number of deaths under that measurement therefore remains at 2490.
“This is now the fifth day in a row when no deaths have been reported.”
Ms Freeman said: “On March 30 we took the difficult decision to pause our national screening programmes based on expert clinical advice and a very careful assessment of risk.
“We have now resumed the cervical, abdominal, aortic aneurysm and diabetic retinopathy screening programmes from the end of early June and very early July.
“I am now very pleased to say that NHS boards will resume the breast cancer screening programme.
“So anyone who was invited for a breast screening appointment before the pause at the end of March, and who was either unable to attend for any reason or had their appointment cancelled, will receive a letter in the coming weeks.
“If your appointment was cancelled by the breast screening service the letter will give you a specified timed appointment.
“If you couldn't make an appointment yourself then you will be given an invitation to contact the screening clinic to make a new appointment.
“And invitations for a breast cancer screening for those who would in normal course be due an invitation will slowly start to resume this week as well.”