Image source, Reuters

Europe’s healthcare regulator has endorsed the anti-viral drug Remdesivir as a treatment for Covid-19, putting it on track to be used in EU countries.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Thursday, external it had recommended the drug for use in adults and adolescents from 12 years of age with pneumonia who require oxygen support.

Remdesivir, which has been used against Ebola, is currently undergoing clinical trials around the world to better understand its effects.

UK regulators approved the drug for use in selected Covid-19 hospital patients at the end of May.

Remdesivir will need final approval from the European Commission before it can be prescribed in EU countries.

Drivetime with John Beattie
BBC Radio Scotland

Care homes in Scotland that are free of coronavirus will be able to accept visitors from 3 July. One named "key visitor" will be allowed if their home has been virus-free for 28 days.

Drivetime will speak to a woman whose parents are both in a care home so she hasn't been able to see them since the start of lockdown.

Image source, ANDREW MEIKLE

Also on the programme...

It's officially the hottest day of the year so far - but is this causing problems with rubbish and drinking in public parks?

Author Ian Rankin voiced his concerns on social media, external and John will speak to the leader of Edinburgh Council.

The latest figures from the Department of Health show a further 149 people have died with coronavirus in the UK, across all settings.

It takes the total number of deaths to 43,230.

Today's figure is five fewer deaths compared with 154 yesterday, while it's increased from the 137 announced a week ago.

There are also another 1,118 people who have tested positive for the virus, from 167,023 tests.

Image source, AFP

The seaside resort of Bournemouth in southern England has declared a major incident after thousands of people flocked to its beaches for the second day in a row.

The local council said visitors had "defied advice to stay away" from the town on one of the hottest days of the year - and it was now co-ordinating a "multi-agency emergency response" across the area.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council said its staff were abused as they attempted to empty over-flowing bins on the seafront - and that eight tonnes of waste was collected yesterday with a further 33 tonnes of rubbish removed along the full stretch of coastline this morning.

Assistant Chief Constable Sam de Reya of Dorset Police said: "We are... reliant on people taking personal responsibility and strongly advise members of the public to think twice before heading to the area.

"Clearly we are still in a public health crisis and such a significant volume of people heading to one area places a further strain on emergency services resources."

Image source, ALAMY

Care homes in Scotland that are free of coronavirus will be able to accept visitors from 3 July, it has been announced.

Care homes have been badly hit by the virus, accounting for more deaths linked to Covid-19 than hospitals.

But Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said "significant progress" had been made in recent weeks.

She said residents will be able to have one named "key visitor" if their home has been virus-free for 28 days.

Read more here.

Europe has seen an increase in weekly cases of Covid-19 for the first time in months as restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the virus are eased, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

In 11 countries, which have not been named, accelerated transmission has led to "very significant" resurgences, said Regional Director Dr Hans Henri Kluge.

His warnings about the risk of resurgence had become reality, he said. If left unchecked, he warned health systems would be "pushed to the brink".

More than 2.6 million cases of Covid-19 and 195,000 deaths have been reported in the WHO's European region, external, which covers 54 countries and seven territories across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.

Read more here

Image source, PA Media

• ‘Cautious, phased return’ of care home visits in Scotland to be phased in again from 3 July – guidance has been published
• Visits can only take place where there has been no Covid-19 cases for 28 days
• Teaching union EIS concerns about return to full-time schooling dominate journalists' questions
• FM on school return: 'Safety is at the heart of every decision' and she insists there is no policy U-turn
• Chief nursing officer urges public not to be 'reckless' as lockdown is eased

Image source, bbc

• A further two people who tested positive have died, taking the total to 2,482 deaths in Scotland by the PHS daily measure
• Modelling suggests R-number remains between 0.6 and 0.8
• The first minister says later this afternoon the first meeting of the new Scottish Tourism Recovery Taskforce will take place
• FM calls on public to shop responsibly and asks people to wear face coverings

Image source, PA

Earlier at the Scottish government's daily coronavirus briefing Health Secretary Jeane Freeman repeated that limited care home visits would only take place at facilities that had either never had a case or had been free of infection for 28 days or more.

This was in response to Carer's World Radio which asked about steps being taken to reassure families and unpaid carers.

In addition to the increased testing for staff, she said care homes had been wrapped by significant clinical and primary support, led by directors of public health, to make sure staffing levels are sufficient and the required PPE is supplied.

"It is a phased and cautious approach and we will remain vigilant," added Ms Freeman.

Back to today's Scottish government briefing which ended a short time ago.

"I want it to speed up," said the first minister when The Herald pointed out that the latest figures suggested that about a third of care home staff are receiving regular testing.

She stressed that testing is just one of the measures to counter the possible spread of the virus and is pleased to see cases of the virus rapidly reducing in care homes.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, who has since joined portfolio questions, added that progress was being made, with the number of tests doubled over the last week of published records.

Ms Freeman also said there was now a significant increase in the available testing kit from the care portal.

Image source, PA Media

At Holyrood Covid-19 Virtual portfolio questions is under way.

Health and sport is first, then communities and local government and the final portfolio is social security and older people.

You can watch portfolio questions here with us on this live page.

The first minister says she agrees completely with England's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Witty who said that he would be "surprised and delighted" if the current situation with coronavirus didn't last into spring next year.

Simon Johnson from The Telegraph wants to know if that contradicts her statement yesterday about the possibility of moving into phase four of her route map by August.

"The virus will not magically go away," says Nicola Sturgeon as she explains that what phase four in Scotland will mean is that it is suppressed as close as possible to elimination and that it can be kept in check by testing and tracing.

"No one should be thinking that when we get to phase four that Scotland has miraculously got rid of Covid, that's not how it works," she adds.

Image source, Getty Images

The Daily Record's Vivienne Aitken asks if there will be increased funding for occupational therapy, given the number of patients suffering fatigue and anxiety after hospital treatment for Covid-19.

The first minister says that it something she will consider as more is learned about the long-term consequences of the virus.

"It's not the flu, it's a new virus that is doing damage to people in ways that we don't yet understand fully," says Nicola Sturgeon.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman adds that the framework for restarting the NHS is "a difficult balancing act" but that there is an anticipation for a need for greater demand for "both physical and psychological rehabilitation".

Image source, Getty Images

Tom Martin from the Daily Express asks why the education recovery group did not consider alternative safety packages to the same extent it considered the blended learning approach.

Ms Sturgeon replies: “We focused on what we thought would be the likely scenario.”

This is why the education recovery group focused on the contingency plan at the time but, as the weeks have passed, the principle planning assumptions have changed.

She reiterates the warning that if the infection numbers she has been reporting start to go in the wrong direction, these plans may have to change again.

Image source, Getty Images

In particular, Conor Matchett from The Scotsman asks about the reopening of Airbnb’s where the accommodation shares a common stairwell with other residents.

He quotes Tourism Secretary Fergus Ewing suggesting such concerns were "manifestly ill-founded".

I don’t think any concerns that are being expressed are ill-founded, replies the first minister.

She confirms guidance will be published shortly to give details on what can open on 3 July, but she says these must be self-catering, self-contained venues that do not have shared facilities.