Transcript of The FM's Daily Briefing -
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon:
"As usual I'll start with giving you the national Covid statistics for Scotland. I can confirm that an additional 49 positive cases were confirmed yesterday, which represents 1% of people who were newly tested.
That takes the total number of cases now to 19,407. A full health board breakdown will be available later but my provisional information suggests 7 of those 49 new cases are in the Grampian area, 12 are in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, 6 in Lanarkshire, and 16 in Tayside.
We are dealing with known clusters in each of these health board areas, and I'll come back to those shortly.
I can also confirm that a total of 254 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed Covid, which is 6 more than the figure I reported yesterday, and 3 people are in intensive care, which is the same as yesterday.
I'm also pleased to report again that, in the past 24 hours, no deaths were registered of patients who had first tested positive over the previous 28 days, and the number of deaths under that measurement remains 2,491
However, we should remember that the weekly National Records of Scotland figures, which include confirmed and presumed Covid deaths showed last week that 5 people had died in the preceding 7 days who were either presumed to have had Covid or whose test was more than 28 days prior to death occurring.
This week's more comprehensive figure will be published by the NRS tomorrow. That is a stark reminder of the impact of this virus. It is still potentially very dangerous. My condolences again go to everybody who has suffered loss.
As always, I want to thank everybody working hard still to help our country through this pandemic, in whatever capacity you are doing so. You have our appreciation.
I'm hoping that, circumstances permitting, we might shortly move to have these updates slightly less frequently - perhaps three days a week rather than five.
However, I've concluded that it's important this week that I give regular updates on the variety of different clusters and outbreaks that are currently being tackled across the country.
Let me start firstly with Aberdeen, given that Aberdeen and the Grampian area more generally has been responsibly for a very significant proportion of all new cases that we've seen in recent weeks.
I mentioned earlier that 7 of today's 49 new cases were in the Grampian area and I can report today that, according to the latest figures we have, a total of 386 cases have now been identified in Grampian since 26th July.
220 of these are associated with the cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs, and 1,125 contacts have now been identified from those 220 cases.
I can confirm today that 13 cases which had previously been identified but not allocated to the cluster have now, following further investigation, been added because they are considered to be associated with that cluster.
Now, the slightly more positive news is that, in recent days, we have seen a decline in new cases across the Grampian area.
10 days ago, for example, we reported 39 new cases in one day. Today, as you've just heard, the figure we're reporting is 7. And the seven-day average for cases has also fallen.
So that suggests that the restrictions put in place two weeks ago are having an impact - as, of course, are the efforts of our health protection teams
However, it is worth highlighting that over the past week, new cases in Grampian are still higher than in other parts of the country and we will have to take that fact into account when we announce tomorrow whether there will be any change to the restrictions currently in place in Aberdeen.
The situation there does appear to be improving but it's important to stress that we can't yet say that that outbreak is completely over.
I also mentioned yesterday a cluster in Coupar Angus, which is linked to a Two Sisters food processing plant. So far I can report that this outbreak has 9 confirmed cases associated with it.
But I will be very surprised - albeit pleasantly - if we don't see that number rise in the days ahead.
Seven of the cases identified so far are employees of the factory and two are people in the wider community - and contact tracing is ongoing for all of these cases.
The factory, which employs 900 people - so it's a big workplace - closed down yesterday, and a mobile testing unit is due on site today so that the whole workforce can be tested.
Now, this is a complex and potentially significant cluster. In addition to the overriding public health concern relating to the outbreak, the closure of the plant potentially of course has an economic impact, and we also need to consider animal welfare issues as well.
The animals which would've been sent to the factory in the next few days can't, currently, be sent there.
For all of these reasons we're monitoring all aspects of this situation very carefully and closely, and will provide further information in due course, as and when it becomes available.
There are also some cases and clusters that have been identified in the last couple of days involving school pupils. For example, there are individual cases involving school students who go to primary schools in Blairgowrie, Perth and Paisley.
The Health Protection teams are dealing with these cases and they have written to parents and carers of the affected children's classmates to advise them, where necessary, that their own children should be isolating.
I also mentioned yesterday community clusters in Lanarkshire and North East Glasgow, which include secondary school students and which appear to be linked to each other.
It's really important to stress that these are considered, at this stage, to be community clusters with an impact on schools, rather than school-based clusters.
That is an important distinction. It is not thought that the virus has transmitted within the schools.
In Lanarkshire, the number of confirmed cases is 8. That includes 5 pupils from 3 different schools. The risk of infection at all three schools is considered to be low.
The cluster in Baillieston, North East Glasgow, currently has 14 identified cases, some of which are students at one school. Contact tracing is taking place for this cluster.
In addition, and this is of course relevant for both of those outbreaks, there are mobile testing units at the Time Capsule car park in Coatbridge, and at Ravenscraig, in addition to the testing centre at Glasgow Airport.
And let me repeat a point I made earlier, because I think it's really important for people to understand this. These are community-based clusters, and there does appear to be a link with indoor social events.
And the evidence we have at this stage seems to suggest, perhaps not surprisingly, given we know how infectious Covid is, that if the virus is present at, say, a house party, everyone attending the party is at considerable risk of infection.
And then, of course, the risk is that they then spread the infection more widely. All of that underlines the vital importance right now of abiding by restrictions on household gatherings.
If I can remind you what those are - no more than 8 people from a maximum of 3 different households should be gathering together indoors, and two-metre distancing should be maintained between people from different households.
These rules are not easy, I really do understand that, but not sticking to them is presenting perhaps one of our biggest risks of outbreaks occurring at this time, so I can't stress enough how important it is we all comply with these rules.
For all the outbreaks I've mentioned, Test & Protect teams are working hard to identify individuals who need to self-isolate and get tested, but as always, anyone who has symptoms, whether in these areas or anywhere else across Scotland, should book a test immediately.
The symptoms are a new cough, a high temperature, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell. Tests can be booked through the NHS Inform website, and I would appeal to you again, don't hesitate, don't wait, even a few hours, to see if you feel better.
If you experience any of these symptoms, time is of the essence, book a test as quickly as you possibly can.
Now, before I conclude and move to questions, and the Chief Medical Officer is with me today, I want to come back to the issue of schools and say a final few words.
Firstly, to stress again that all of the cases we've seen so far which have involved school students suggest transmission has taken place outside of the schools, not inside the schools
That emphasises again the importance of keeping the transmission rates as low as possible in the community - continuing to do everything we can to drive these transmission rates down to as close to elimination levels as we can.
That's good for our overall health and wellbeing, and the overall fight against this virus, but it's also the action that will allow us to keep schools safely open.
Let's not forget the importance of that objective. It is overwhelmingly in the best interests of young people, particularly after four or five months when they have been out of school, to be in full-time education.
The harms to them of losing out on that are considerable.
But we will, I think, inevitably see more cases which involve school students in the weeks and months ahead.
In those cases, as has happened in the ones I've mentioned today, contact tracers will identify if other students or staff at schools need to isolate and will let them and their parents know.
More generally, the Test & Protect system so far has worked well for each of the outbreaks that we faced to date.
And for every cluster, incident management teams in the local area are considering the latest evidence and assessing what further follow-up actions need to take place. And I want to thank once again everyone involved in these efforts.
So when I give updates like today's, providing details of cases and clusters in different parts of the country, and particularly when some of those cases involve schools, I don't do that to alarm you.
Partly I do it to reassure that the appropriate steps are being taken and the appropriate interventions are in place. But though I don't want to alarm anybody, I do want people to take notice. In fact, I need people to take notice.
These clusters show us that this virus continues to pose a serious risk. It is present in our communities. Wherever you are, assume it is right next to you and capable, if you don't do the right things, of being transmitted to you, and perhaps from you to somebody else.
We know, and the evidence coming from recent clusters is underlining this point. This is a highly infectious virus and once it takes hold it can spread rapidly, and the effort that is needed from our Test & Protect teams to stop it spreading is considerable.
Remember, Test & Protect is our second line of defence. We are all the first line of defence.
For all of these reasons the Scottish Government may well again take a fairly cautious approach on Thursday, when I will announce in the Scottish Parliament the outcome of our review of the phase 3 lockdown restrictions.
But for all of us, these clusters should remind us of the need to be ultra careful right now. They demonstrate how quickly and easily Covid spreads, particularly in indoor environments, which is why I ask people to be particularly careful when socialising indoors.
And remember that the limits I mentioned earlier - a maximum of 8 people from 3 different households - these limits apply to groups of people in pubs or restaurants together just as they apply in people's homes.
And finally, all of us must continue to remember FACTS, but in everything we do abide by the rules that are encapsulated in that FACTS campaign.
These are the five basic rules that will help all of us contribute to stopping this virus spreading and getting out of control.
Those five rules are -
Face coverings in enclosed spaces.
Avoid crowded places, indoors or outdoors.
Clean your hands regularly and remember to clean hard surfaces you might be touching.
Two-metre distancing remains the overall rule, even, perhaps especially if you are mixing with other households in your own home, or wherever.
Lastly, self-isolate and book a test if you have any of the symptoms of Covid I mentioned earlier - a cough, a temperature or a loss of or change in your sense of smell or taste.
If we all do these things... Undoubtedly we'll see clusters and outbreaks, but all of that will help us keep these contained and stop this virus taking a greater grip of us in terms of wider community transmission.
My thanks to everyone for listening today and for continuing to do the right thing. My usual plea at the end is, please spread this message to as many people as you can so as many people as possible are following all of this vital health advice."