Covid in Scotland: Infections dip across Scotland but trend 'uncertain'

The number of patients in hospital with Covid hit a record high this week

Covid infections in Scotland fell slightly last week, according to official estimates, but the number in hospital with the virus is at a record high.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found one in 12 people had Covid in the week ending 26 March.

It amounts to some 451,200 people - down from 473,800 the previous week.

Separate statistics show 2,383 patients were in hospital with Covid on Thursday.

The same number of people were in hospital with a recently-confirmed case of the virus on Monday, but numbers had fallen slightly before rising again.

Medics say the high number of Covid-positive patients is putting huge pressures on hospitals, even though very few are seriously ill. There were 22 Covid patients in intensive care in Scotland on Thursday.

Health boards have reported dealing with record numbers of Covid patients alongside high staff absence rates.

The increase in infections is being driven by a sub-variant of the Omicron variant known as BA.2.

It is more transmissible than the original BA.1 Omicron strain but there is no evidence to suggest it is more severe.

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The drop in the infection rate identified by the ONS is the first week-on-week fall after eight successive increases.

But despite a record 4.9m infections for the UK as a whole the ONS described the trend in Scotland as "uncertain".

Jillian Evans, head of intelligence at NHS Grampian, said that despite the ONS's description of the situation, the signals were good.

She told BBC Scotland: "This is the direction that we were all hoping for. I think this is us peaking out now.

"If you look at the three things - the case rates, the infection survey and what's happening in hospital with new admissions, they are all looking as if they are going in the right direction now.

"The point to make is that it is still extraordinarily high at the moment but these three things would suggest we are turning a corner on the BA.2 wave."

The one in 12 estimates published in the latest ONS Coronavirus Infection Survey compare with one in 11 for the week ending 20 March.

Despite soaring rates in England (1 in 13 infected) and Wales (1 in 14) the trend was also deemed "uncertain" in Northern Ireland (1 in 15).

The ONS data is collected from a representative sample of thousands of households across the country and is considered the most reliable measure of the prevalence of the virus in the UK.

Separate statistics from the Scottish government reveal that more than 60,400 new cases were recorded in the seven days to 1 April.

On Wednesday First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed Scotland's mandatory face covering rules will now remain in force until 18 April.

The legal requirement to wear masks in shops and on public transport had been expected to be lifted next week.

But the first minister told MSPs that the changes would now not take effect due to there still being a very high level of infection in Scotland.

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