Estimated number of people in Scotland with Covid-19 is less than half that previously thought
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The estimated number of people with Covid-19 in Scotland is now thought to stand at around 4500.
At today's Scottish Government briefing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the current estimate for the number of people carrying the virus in Scotland is 4500 – previously it had been thought that it was 11,500.
It is thought the previous total was an over-estimate and it is not the case that the numbers of people infected have actually halved.
She also told today's briefing that the Scottish R-number – a measure of the rate at which the infection is reproducing – is between 0.6 and 0.8.
That means that in statistical terms each person with the virus is effectively infecting less than one other person.
This was good news, she said, as it had previously been between 0.7 and 0.9 though it was still high enough to allow a second spike.
The construction industry will now be allowed to do more work to prepare for restarting operations.
"A week today we will have a further review of the lockdown restrictions," she said.
"I am currently very hopeful that at that point we will be able to lift some further restrictions.
"We may not be able to do everything in phase two but I hope we can do at least some of that."
