Coronavirus: Scotland records highest daily Covid tally since May

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Scotland has recorded its highest daily increase in coronavirus cases since May.

A total of 208 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the 24 hours to Sunday compared with 141 cases on Saturday.

Despite the rise, there were no reported deaths of people who had tested positive for the virus in the past 28 days.

The figures showed the biggest rise in cases in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where 92 cases were reported.

Restrictions on people visiting other households were reintroduced in Glasgow city, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire on 2 September after concerns about the number of cases.

Scotland's national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said a meeting to discuss the restrictions in the west of Scotland took place on Sunday.

He said: "We always said when we introduced these local authority restrictions we would review them in a week but we expected them to be in place for two weeks.

"So the beginning of this week will be an opportunity to think should we extend them? Have we got the balance and proportionality correct?

"Today we think that is true, but we have to reserve judgment about whether we will still think that is true tomorrow or Tuesday."

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A branch of KFC in Glasgow has been closed as a precaution after six members of staff tested positive for coronavirus

The 2.3% rate of positive tests among newly tested individuals is up from 1.5% on Saturday, and the highest rate since 4 June. 

In response to the figures, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that they should "remind us of the need to deploy strong counter measures".

She said this was a moment to take note and act in a way that prevents spread and said that the rise in cases had not been matched by a rise in hospital ICU admissions and deaths.

But she warned: "That's good news, but we mustn't be complacent about it. It could be a time lag - some countries, eg France, that have cases rising for longer are seeing these indications rise too."

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Protesters opposed to Covid-19 restrictions gathered in Edinburgh

Ms Sturgeon also said that comparisons with earlier in year "need a bit of context" and said there was likely to have been a much bigger underestimate of true prevalence of the virus then.

The rise in cases comes after protesters opposed to Covid-19 restrictions gathered in their hundreds in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Coronavirus sceptics, vaccine conspiracy theorists and those opposed to mandatory mask-wearing staged a rally at Holyrood.

Increasing cases in most parts of Scotland

The latest figures show NHS Grampian, where the Aberdeen bar cluster was identified last month, has recorded an increase of 14 new cases - a rise from the two announced on Saturday.

There have also been 30 new cases in the NHS Lanarkshire area. The health board there indicated on Friday that some restrictions could be imposed due to a recent rise in infections.

A total of 18 positive tests were registered by NHS Lothian, 11 cases have been discovered in Ayrshire and Arran, four in the Borders, three in Dumfries and Galloway, eight in Fife, 14 in the Forth Valley, six in the Highlands, and eight in Tayside.

No new cases were discovered in Shetland, Orkney or the Western Isles.

The 92 cases confirmed in Glasgow were revealed after it emerged a KFC restaurant in the city's Pollokshaws Road was shut for two weeks as a precaution after six members of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Return to work push would 'strain' testing system

Meanwhile, one of the Scottish government's coronavirus advisors has said the UK government's plan to encourage workers to return to the office at the same time as reopening schools is jeopardising the test and trace system's ability to cope.

Professor Devi Sridhar, from the University of Edinburgh, said: "What we've seen in Scotland over the past few weeks is the testing system has just been really having to race to catch up with the demand of all the children coming home with coughs and colds and fevers."

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