Researchers are investigating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on caregivers and patients with cancer, pre-cancerous conditions and rare diseases.

Teams at the University of Aberdeen and Queen’s University Belfast have launched the online study.

It is open to all patients and caregivers aged 18 and over, and should take no more than half-an-hour to complete.

It can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/IMPACCTsurvey, external

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Deputy First Minister John Swinney says: "Suppressing the virus is the most important consideration because without that there runs the risk that we could see our national health service overwhelmed."

Green MSP Ross Greer highlights some countries, like New Zealand, are pursuing an elimination strategy rather than suppression.

Mr Swinney says the government will pursue a test, trace, isolate strategy to effectively tackle Covid-19.

We are trying to develop a vaccine and also reduce the impact of the virus until one is available, he explains.

If that strategy is so successful that it reduces cases to the point we are less dependent on a vaccine, that would be a "major success" the DFM says.

Fiona Walker
BBC Scotland

Image source, Gett

The latest increase in the number of deaths in care homes confirms they have now become the front line in the battle against coronavirus.

There appears to be a split - while the spread of the virus in the community has been slowed, it remains stubbornly difficult to control in care homes.

Do we need a new strategy? The first minister was asked this and pointed out that care homes have proved a challenge for all countries during this outbreak.

She was also pressed on the difference in testing between Scotland and England – where all care home staff and residents can now be tested even if they don’t have symptoms.

Nicola Sturgeon indicated we should expect to hear more details on testing before the end of the week.

Keeping our most vulnerable safe is proving an incredibly difficult challenge. But the first minister promised there had been no complacency.

Image source, BBC/Scottish Parliament

Holyrood's Covid-19 Committee is taking evidence on the Scottish government paper outlining its thinking on a potential strategy for lifting the country's coronavirus lockdown.

The paper states categorically that "now is not the right time" to relax the UK-wide lockdown that was imposed on 23 March, and does not speculate on when this might begin to happen.

But it says a number of options will be considered over the next few weeks, with decisions on what to do - and when to do it - based on the scientific evidence and expert advice that is available.

These options are likely to include the easing of restrictions in a phased manner, which could see different parts of the economy opened up sector by sector, or having different restrictions in different areas depending on how the pandemic is progressing.

• Find out more here
• Lifting of Scottish lockdown 'likely to be phased'
• Read the full Scottish government paper, external

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NHS Western Isles has supplied its hospitals with iPads for patients to use to contact relatives on their personal computer.

Visits to hospital patients have been suspended as part of efforts to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Louise Sullivan and her father have used the set-up to stay in touch with her mother Ella Barbour.

Holyrood Live
BBC Parliaments

Deputy First Minister John Swinney explains it is too early at the moment to see what the safest and most effective lockdown exit strategy will be.

A successful transition will require a huge amount of support from the population and so transparency is crucial, he adds.

"Our hope would be to restrict the spread of coronavirus to the lowest level possible within society," Mr Swinney says.

Graham Fraser
BBC Scotland News website

Earlier, we reported that 24 residents at the Erskine care homes for ex-servicemen and women are thought to have died from coronavirus.

The charity added they currently have “no difficulty” in accessing sufficient stocks of PPE for their staff.

A spokeswoman from Erskine said: “Throughout the pandemic we have ensured that our staff always had access to PPE, whilst following the relevant guidelines from Health Protection Scotland.Our staff are well trained and knowledgeable in undertaking barrier nursing duties, which is imperative in keeping our residents safe.

“In addition to the exceptional dedication and flexibility we’ve had from our staff, we would also like to thank relatives for their cooperation, support. They have done one of the hardest things imaginable in staying away from their loved ones, at such a stressful time for everyone.

“This pandemic has highlighted the vital work and incredible commitment of commercial and charitable social care organisations alike, in protecting the health and wellbeing of our older citizens - minimising their time in hospital. We trust that “the new norm” introduced by Covid-19 measures, also includes a “new norm” of stronger funding for social care organisations.”

Image source, Google

Image source, bbc/Scottish Parliament

Holyrood's COVID-19 Committee is sitting virtually for the second time.

MSPs are looking at the framework for decision making during the coronavirus outbreak with Deputy First Minister and Education Secretary John Swinney.

Constitution Secretary Mike Russell will then give evidence on health protections regulations.

You can read the papers here, external and watch the committee here on the live page.

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP’s Westminster leader has called on the UK government to formally extend the Brexit transition period to allow efforts to be concentrated on tackling Covid-19.

The demand from Ian Blackford came at the second virtual Prime minister’s questions in the Commons.

Mr Blackford said refusing an extension would be reckless and the UK government should facedown ‘’hardliners’’ in the Conservative party.

Deputising for the prime minister, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the best way of avoiding uncertainty would be to go ahead with the completion of Brexit by the end of 2020.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the total number of deaths linked to coronavirus has passed 2,200, as she led today's Scottish government briefing.

Here's the main points that emerged today:

• deaths linked to coronavirus in Scotland has reached 2,272, the NRS weekly figures show
• a further 656 deaths involving Covid-19 were recorded in the week to 26 April - more than half of them in care homes

• six members of NHS staff and five members of social care staff have died after contracting the virus

Image source, bbc

• Just over half of the 2,272 deaths happened in hospitals, with 39% of them in care homes and 9% at home or in non-institutional settings
• People aged 75 or over accounted for 74% of the deaths
• only 17 of those who died were under the age of 45

Read more here

Earlier in the media briefing, Scotland’s interim chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith expresses condolences to all who have lost loved ones and friends.

He then praises the Scottish Ambulance Service for its work through the pandemic. He says in the week ending 26 April, ambulance crews responded to 8,588 emergency incidents across Scotland.

Dr Smith highlights increased capacity to airlift patients from islands and new ways of doing this safely.

A huge number of people have also stepped up to support the Scottish Ambulance Service as part of the community of first responders, he adds.

To all these people he says "thank you".

Image source, bbc

"I don't have space for politics in my head right now," says the first minister when asked by The National if she thinks the next Holyrood elections will go ahead as scheduled next spring.

It's still a long way off, but my starting point is that elections should go ahead, she says, but adds that it may have to be done differently, with more postal voting.

The first minister wants to give an assurance that there will be "appropriate investigations" in all cases of health worker deaths, so "if there is the need for learning, that is not lost."

When asked by The Sun if we will ever know if the 11 workers that have died so far were inflected while working, she replies: "We cannot assume that at this stage that they all contracted the virus at work, just as we can't assume they didn't."

Image source, Getty Images

Mure Dickie from the Financial Times asks if Scotland's islands could be used to test the easing of lockdown and the test, trace and isolate policy.

The first minister resists getting into that now, but as options are assessed she pledges to be open and transparent about them.

She says more options will be set out next week.

Tom Martin from the Daily Express asks whether the situation in care homes will get worse before it gets better?

The first minister says she has never been as concerned about anything in her government career as the coronavirus pandemic.

Tom Gordon from The Herald asks why so many are dying in care homes rather than in hospitals when there is spare ICU capacity.

Ms Sturgeon admits this is a question she has asked, adding often intensive care is not the best place for someone who is old and frail.

Dr Gregor Smith adds that the type of care provided in ICU may be more harmful to a person and cause a person to experience a death which would be wholly inappropriate when compared to the care and compassion they would receive in a familiar setting.

Vivienne Aitken of the Daily Record asks if there is any indication of the infection rate in care homes - or the r-number used to determine the rate of spread of the virus.

Dr Gregor Smith says it was be "inappropriate" to estimate this because each care home is having a different experience.

Ms Sturgeon highlights 51% of care homes have lodged at least one notification of a case of the virus - meaning the remaining 49% have no cases at all.

Image source, Getty Images

The first minister says the Scottish government is likely to reveal the next phase of their thinking on tests on Friday, when asked a question by Global's Philip McDonald.

Ms Sturgeon is confident Scotland will exceed its target capacity of 3,500 tests a day by the end of this week.

Severin Carrell from the Guardian asks if care homes, the Scottish government, the NHS and GPs were complacent and unprepared about the impact of the virus on care homes.

"No I don't agree with that," replies the first minister.

She accepts: "Of course we will have made mistakes, all governments are dealing with an unprecedented situation but there has been no complacency."

Dr Gregor Smith says we can be encouraged by some of the signs of the spread of the virus in the community, but it is early days yet and he advises caution.