Fiona Walker
BBC Scotland

Image source, PA Media

The Scottish government has made it clear that testing is the first, and therefore critical, part of its test, trace, and isolate policy.

For now, the testing of more groups of key workers annouced today is a first and important step.

I asked the first minister today for details on two questions – when would this happen and who would be covered?

Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland was “ready to go” and would issue more guidance – but not now. The technical challenges experienced by the UK government’s booking service in England were given as the reasons behind that delay. We had expected an announcement imminently but workers who are unwell now have been left waiting.

Image source, National Museums Scotland

National Museums Scotland has said it is unable to confirm a date for the visit of treasure discovered in Dumfries and Galloway to the region.

The Galloway hoard - unearthed by a metal detectorist - was scheduled to go on display in Kirkcudbright in December this year.

However, due to the coronavirus outbreak NMS said its programme had been suspended with reopening plans currently impossible to make.

A joint statement with the council said they would provide further scheduling detail for the visit as soon as they could.

Dr Nicola Steedman has been appointed interim deputy chief medical officer for Scotland.

She replaces Dr Gregor Smith, who was promoted to interim chief medical officer last month.

Dr Smith's appointment followed the resignation of Dr Catherine Calderwood, after it emerged she had visited her holiday home in Fife despite the lockdown restrictions.

Image source, Getty

A North Sea drilling operator has warned of up to 300 job losses.

Maersk Drilling said the Covid-19 pandemic and the lower oil price were impacting offshore drilling activity.

The company said it intended to stack a number of the company’s North Sea rigs.

It will now consult about redundancies in the company’s offshore crew pool in Denmark, Norway and the UK, and expects that could lead to "a total of 250-300 redundancies in the North Sea crew pool".

A further 684 patients have died with coronavirus in UK hospitals, the Department of Health has confirmed.

The deaths are those recorded in the 24 hours prior to 17:00 BST on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a further 18,401 people have been tested for coronavirus as of 09:00 on Friday - with 5,386 testing positive for Covid-19.

This year’s Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival has been cancelled.

The Highlands’ biggest music event, which has been held near Beauly since 2004, was due to take place in August.

Bella attracts 20,000 people – about 14,000 of them camp at the festival.

Organisers have sent details to festival-goers about what they can do with their tickets. Plans are being made for 2021’s festival.

Last month, the Western Isles’ biggest music festival, HebCelt, was postponed until July 2021.

A major increase in state surveillance is a "price worth paying" to beat Covid-19, a UK think tank says.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), founded by the former prime minister, says it could offer an "escape route" from the crisis.

In a report, the Institute argues the public must accept a level of intrusion that would normally "be out of the question in liberal democracies".

Read more...

• First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announces 64 more hospital deaths from Covid-19 in Scotland, taking that particular figure to 1,184
• The new system allowing coronavirus tests for all essential workers and their families is "ready to go live",
• However, there have been technical problems with the digital portal used for applications due to high demand
• More PPE has arrived from China, including 100,000 testing kits and 10 million face masks
• Ramadan "will have to be different" this year, says Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf
• Work is under way to establish the number of contact tracers Scotland will need

It would be wrong for Scotland not to have an open mind on a different approach to the rest of the UK, says the first minister in response to a question from The Guardian's Libby Brooks about easing lockdown restrictions.

But Ms Sturgeon stresses that she has "no ideological or political view" on the matter.

It is simply a case of doing what's best to deal with the crisis and she is sure that view is shared by the other three governments.

Image source, Getty Images

The Sun's Chris Musson asks Nicola Sturgeon how likely it is that Scotland would operate a scheme where small "bubble" groups could be permitted in an amended form of lockdown.

The first minister urges caution with all such policies, imploring people to appreciate that they are only options and none have been approved.

The idea with "bubble" groups is that family groups, for example, might be slightly redefined to include other members of your family who live in a separate household, or where two single people in separate households could be permitted to meet so that they have human contact.

"We know it is older people who are particularly vulnerable to this virus," adds Ms Sturgeon. "Nine out of 10 of the people who have died are over 65 so we need to be particularly careful that we continue to protect this most vulnerable group of the population. This is about trying to ensure that grandparents are around to see their grand-kids grow up."

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister is asked by Sky's James Matthews about the reliability of the Covid-19 tests, a query stemming from 2,000 tests for only 1500 people.

Ms Sturgeon says it is "not unusual" that people might need more than one test, explaining that there will be a "variety of reasons" when that is necessary.

Professor Leitch, Scotland's national clinical director, says that the test works in a "specific window in the patient's journey".

"Infection tests that look for the DNA of the virus are notoriously difficult because of that window of opportunity," he adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Nicola Sturgeon says the health secretary is "looking closely" at the issue of death in service benefits for care workers, after being quizzed by The Courier.

"We want everyone working on the front line of our health service to have not just physical protection but the broader protection they need," she says.

When asked by the Press and Journal about the current low rate of pay for care home workers, the first minister says people working in that sector deserve to be "fairly rewarded" before underlining her government's commitment to a living wage.

"This crisis is making us think afresh about what really matters in life," she adds.

Work is under way to establish the number of contact tracers Scotland will need, says Nicola Sturgeon when the subject is raised by PA Media.

The number will depend on factors such as testing capacity, the geographical spread of infection and the extent of social distancing restrictions.

More details of the scheme will be announced "in the days to come", the first minister adds.

"If you think that because you are young and fit and healthy, you can't fall seriously ill with this virus, you are wrong," says Nicola Sturgeon in response to a question from BBC Scotland's Connor Gillies about the continuing problem of house parties.

"Even if I can't persuade you about that, then think about others that you and your friends could be passing it on to; think about your grandparents."

Image source, Getty Images

Of the 27 non-essential businesses shut down by police, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf describes them as "varied" and explains that all were quick to close when approached.