Coronavirus: Scottish government announces a further 46 deaths

man walking past covid artwork in GlasgowGetty Images

A topical mural has been painted in Glasgow's Bath Street

New figures show that a further 46 people with coronavirus have died in Scotland, bringing the total to 218.

The Scottish government said 3,345 people had now tested positive for the virus, an increase of 344 from Friday.

In total, 20,798 patients have been tested across the country.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney expressed sympathy on behalf of the Scottish government to families affected.

He told BBC Scotland: "I think this is demonstrating the gravity of situation we face as a society.

"It reinforces importance of the measures that have been taken - to ask people to stay very close to home and to only leave home in exceptional circumstances.

"It demonstrates the gravity of suffering that families the length and breadth of the country have become accustomed to."

Scotland's coronavirus deaths. . .

Earlier it emerged 13 residents at a Glasgow care home died in one week following a suspected outbreak of coronavirus.

They were not tested for the virus because they were not admitted to hospital.

Staff at Burlington Court Care Home, Cranhill, said they were "closely monitoring" the health of other people in their care and that "strict protocols" were in place.

Mr Swinney said the news of the deaths was "absolutely heartbreaking" and again expressed his condolences to every family affected.

He added: "This demonstrates the severity of the coronavirus and why we've got to take the steps that have been taken - for example to not visit relatives and friends who are in care homes.

"We've made very clear about the importance of supporting the social care sector in making sure all the necessary precautions are taken."

In other developments:

  • An offshore worker airlifted from a North Sea platform after showing symptoms of coronavirus has died at home.

  • SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford has accepted a meeting invitation from Boris Johnson to discuss the UK government's response to the coronavirus crisis

  • Scotland's national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said any suggestions that lockdown measures could be lifted by the end of the month are "misguided"

  • The number of registrations to volunteer through the new Scotland Cares campaign has risen to more than 50,000

  • Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, who was in quarantine, is set to return to constituency and Cabinet work on Sunday

  • Glasgow Airport's long-stay car park is being turned into a drive-thru test centre - only frontline NHS staff will be tested initially

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On Friday Nicola Sturgeon said there was "no reason" to expect the number of virus cases to peak over Easter, as previously reported in the media.

She also dismissed speculation that special measures could begin to be phased out soon.

Ms Sturgeon thanked people for adhering to the lockdown measures so far, and urged them not to be tempted to relax their social distancing over the Easter period.

The first coronavirus case in Scotland was detected on 1 March by NHS Tayside and the number of patients testing positive for Covid-19 has risen steadily since then.

However, Scotland's chief medical officer, Dr Catherine Calderwood, has estimated that the actual number of cases could be 50 times higher than the official figure.

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