Summary

  • Covid-19 testing expanded to key workers in private sector & essential services

  • Another 47 patients die after testing positive for coronavirus, the Scottish government confirms

  • 'Sad day for nation' as UK death toll exceeds 20,000

  • New supply chain to provide PPE to unpaid and family carers & personal assistants

  1. Saturday's key pointspublished at 18:30 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Queue today outside Darnley B&QImage source, SNS
    Image caption,

    Shoppers were enjoying the Saturday sun while adhering to social distancing rules

    Our live coverage will resume on Sunday morning, but that's all for today.

    Here are the main headlines:

    • Another 47 hospital patients die after testing positive for coronavirus, the Scottish government confirms
    • More than 20,000 deaths in hospitals in the UK - the fifth country to pass that milestone
    • New supply chain to provide PPE to unpaid and family carers & personal assistants
    • More details revealed on the Covid-19 testing that is to be expanded to key workers in private sector & essential services
    • World Health Organization says people who have recovered may not be protected against reinfection
  2. Greens call for routine testing of frontline workerspublished at 18:18 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Alison Johnstone of the Green PartyImage source, Getty Images

    Hospital and care workers in Scotland should be routinely tested for Covid-19 regardless of whether or not they are showing symptoms, say the Scottish Greens.

    The party has written to Health Secretary Jeane Freeman urging her to introduce the policy, arguing it will “better protect” such staff, prevent people isolating needlessly and reduce anxiety around symptomless workers passing on the virus.

    "A significant volume of Scotland’s testing capacity is currently going unused. This additional capacity makes the swift implementation of regular health and care worker testing practical and achievable," said Scottish Greens parliamentary co-leader Alison Johnstone.

  3. What is contact tracing and how does it work?published at 18:09 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Media caption,

    What is contact tracing and how does it work?

  4. Hibs' Dempster now 'more hopeful' on finishing seasonpublished at 18:00 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Off The Ball
    BBC Radio Scotland

    Hibernian chief executive Leeann DempsterImage source, SNS

    Scottish football should explore options to finish the season, including playing games in July and August, says Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster.

    "My position is we we don't really need to call it just now," she told BBC Radio Scotland.

    "I don't know if it's practical, and I don't know if it's certain that we can finish this league.

    "But I think we at least need to try and we need to explore the options."

    Read more.

  5. Crisis can lead to change for the better in politics - Renniepublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Lib Dem leader Willie RennieImage source, Getty Images

    Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie hopes the coronavirus pandemic will lead to a change for the better in politics.

    The 52-year-old MSP for North East Fife says he has enjoyed unprecedented co-operation from the Scottish Government, something he hopes can carry on beyond the current crisis.

    Mr Rennie said Scottish ministers have been "much more open than I’ve known in nine years in the Scottish Parliament".

    He said the Scottish Government has been "prepared to listen, prepared to change".

    "It’s a different way of doing politics, which I have to say I’ve found more enjoyable”, he said. "Because you can actually make a bit of progress on some really important issues."

  6. 2.6 challenges to help charities plug £4bn shortfallpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Are you taking on a 2.6 challenge, external this weekend?

    Organisers of the UK's major mass-participation events have launched a campaign to help charities plug an expected £4bn income shortfall.

    The idea is to get the public to come up with activities to compensate for the cancellation of events because of coronavirus.

    It will officially launch tomorrow, the original date for the postponed London Marathon.

    Here's what Scottish athlete Laura Muir has been up to...

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  7. 'A very sad day for the nation' - but no rethink on strategypublished at 17:24 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director for England, is asked about previous comments by the chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, that a death toll below 20,000 would be a "good result" for the UK. Does the fact that the UK has passed that mean the strategy was wrong?

    "It’s a very sad day for the nation – 20,000 deaths is clearly 20,000 too many," Prof Powis says.

    He says earlier comments by Sir Patrick were emphasising that this is "a once-in-a-century global health crisis" that would be a "huge challenge" for the whole world.

    Some countries that appeared to have the outbreak under control are now seeing rising numbers of cases, Prof Powis says.

    "It's not a sprint - this will be a marathon," he stresses.

  8. 'Sophisticated' criminals exploiting crisis - Patelpublished at 17:12 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    At the UK government briefing, Home Secretary Priti Patel says that, while crime overall is down, "the most sophisticated" criminals are seeking to "exploit and capitalise" on the pandemic.

    She says: "Our world class law enforcement is also adapting and they are on to you."

    Ms Patel cites a Border Force raid that seized £1m of cocaine concealed in a shipment of face masks and multiple websites carrying out phishing scams and selling bogus PPE.

    Among the suspected criminals trying to exploit the pandemic were two people arrested allegedly trying to sell unregistered coronavirus testing kits.

    Ms Patel says losses to coronavirus-related fraud stand at £2.4m.

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  9. Prof Jason Leitch answers more of your questionspublished at 16:34 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Off The Ball
    BBC Radio Scotland

    Farm tractorImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Farm workers are considered key workers under new Covid-19 testing guidelines

    Prof Jason Leitch has been answering listeners' questions on Off The Ball.

    Q: Is it safe to order home delivery takeaway food?

    A: Yes. Unpack it, plate it, wash your hands and eat it. I also think it's worth giving the delivery guy or girl a good tip for all the hard work they are doing.

    Q: Why are farmers not considered key workers?

    A: If they are involved in our food chain, they absolutely are key workers. They are essential for keeping the country going. They are often able to physically distance in that industry, but that is going to get trickier as we move into the harvest for soft fruits etc. Usually a whole host of people are involved and that will have to change a little, but there is already planning under way for that.

    Q: It's my daughter's fourth birthday tomorrow. Is it okay for granny and grandpa, auntie and uncle to drive round and sing Happy Birthday outside the window?

    A: I hate saying it, but that is non-essential travel. I feel like I cancelled Mother's Day and Easter and now it's kids' birthday parties! There are ways to do it online, so I'm afraid it has to be done virtually.

  10. 'She's our rainbow in the storm'published at 16:21 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

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  11. Lockdown should ease to help economy - Hammondpublished at 16:08 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Philip HammondImage source, Getty Images

    Former chancellor Philip Hammond has urged the government to set out its plan to restart the economy.

    Mr Hammond said the country cannot afford to wait until a vaccine is developed and called for the easing of lockdown measures.

    "The reality is that we have to start reopening the economy," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "But we have to do it living with Covid.

    "We can't wait until a vaccine is developed, produced in sufficient quantity and rolled out across the population. The economy won't survive that long."

    Read more...

  12. Prof Jason Leitch answers more of your questionspublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Off The Ball
    BBC Radio Scotland

    Closed holiday parkImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Will holiday parks reopen sometime during the summer?

    Prof Jason Leitch has been answering listeners' questions on Off The Ball.

    Q: I live separately from my girlfriend and it has been hard. At what stage of the phased return will we be able to meet up?

    A: One of the ways forward may be to create 'bubbles' of families, so you could extend your family unit beyond a single household. That may include boyfriend and girlfriend, with your contacts getting a little bit bigger within a safe environment. Every trip adds risk, but we're looking at how that's going to work in Belgium.

    Q: Will I be able to get to my caravan in Blair Atholl at the end of July?

    A: I would be surprised if holiday resorts are back open in time for the summer. But, if the numbers stay low and people follow the guidelines and we get some more science to help us get out of the other end, that could just happen.

    Q: I've been washing plastic protective gloves in a bucket of hot water and disinfectant. Are they safe to wear again?

    A: Kind of. But your best protection is your skin, so keep washing your hands. Gloves sometimes make us take more risks.

  13. Does hospital deaths milestone mean failure for UK?published at 15:41 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Limiting the outbreak to 20,000 deaths was meant to be a 'good outcome'. How bad will it get?

    Read More
  14. UK hospital deaths pass 20,000published at 15:35 British Summer Time 25 April 2020
    Breaking

    More than 20,000 people have now died with coronavirus in UK hospitals, the Department of Health has announced.

    The latest figures showed a total of 20,319 deaths in the UK, up by 813 on the previous day.

    Latest UK figures
  15. Immunity passports ‘could increase virus spread’ - WHOpublished at 15:21 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    A rapid antibody testImage source, Getty Images

    Governments should not issue so-called "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" as a way of easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

    It said there was "no evidence" that people who had developed antibodies after recovering from the virus were protected against a second infection.

    Such a move could actually increase virus transmission, it warned.

    Read more...

  16. 'My husband went to see the doctor and never came back'published at 15:08 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Sandra Wyness lost her husband Andy to coronavirus

    A day after attending the funeral of her beloved husband, a Wishaw woman has made a plea to the public to take lockdown measures seriously.

    Andy Wyness was 53 when his life was claimed by Covid-19 on 6 April, just six months after he married his partner of 25 years.

    His widow Sandra is begging people to think twice about ignoring social distancing.

    Sandra Wyness, 58, said her husband was fit and healthy when he started showing symptoms of coronavirus. When it worsened, he made an appointment to attend an assessment centre.

    When he left the house to go to that appointment, that was the last time Sandra saw him.

    Read Sandra's story here

  17. Suspected cases rise by 176 in care homespublished at 14:57 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    Also included in today's Scottish Government figures was an update on how the virus is impacting on care homes.

    • 526 (49%) adult care homes have lodged at least one notification for suspected Covid-19*
    • 342 of these adult care homes have reported more than one case of suspected Covid-19
    • 384 (35%) adult care homes have a current outbreak of suspected Covid-19 as of 21 April**
    • 2,621 cumulative cases of suspected Covid-19 in care homes, an increase of 176 suspected cases on the previous day.

    * Not all of these care homes will still have outbreaks

    ** This is a care home where at least one care home resident has exhibited symptoms during the last 14 days.

  18. Back at school but 2m apart?published at 14:38 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    The Scottish government is considering if it is feasible for children to carry out physical distancing in schools once the lockdown is over.

    BBC Scotland's Catherine Lyst investigated how you can social distance in a school.

    Click the link below.

    What is a blended model of learning?

    Scottish pupils are set to return to school in August but will only go back part-time and will need to keep 2m apart.

    Read More
  19. Covid-19 cases in each area of Scotlandpublished at 14:22 British Summer Time 25 April 2020

    This is the number of confirmed cases in each Scottish health board area, plus the number of people in hospital as of midnight, with the number in brackets those who are in intensive care.

    • Ayrshire and Arran 692, 102 in hospital (7 in intensive care)
    • Borders 258, 56 (5)
    • Dumfries and Galloway 237, 24 (*)
    • Fife 653, 133 (6)
    • Forth Valley 655, 96 (6)
    • Grampian 700, 98 (9)
    • Greater Glasgow and Clyde 2428, 557 (49)
    • Highland 220, 52 (*)
    • Lanarkshire 1187, 244 (18)
    • Lothian 1730, 287 (25)
    • Orkney 7 (*) (*)
    • Shetland 54 (*) (*)
    • Tayside 1224, 92 (5)
    • Eileanan Siar (Western Isles) 6 (*) (*)

    * = less than 5

  20. 47 more Covid-19 deaths in Scottish hospitalspublished at 14:12 British Summer Time 25 April 2020
    Breaking

    The Scottish government has released the latest figures on coronavirus cases in Scotland.

    • 10,051 tested positive for Covid-19 (rise of 354 from yesterday)
    • 1,231 patients who tested positive have died (rise of 47 from yesterday)
    • 47,749 people in Scotland have been tested
    • There are currently 140 patients in intensive care (drop of one from yesterday)
    • There are currently 1748 patients being treated in hospital (rise of 38 from yesterday)

    * Wider figures released suggest the total number of deaths - including those in care homes and the community - is significantly higher