Care home deaths increase again
More than 2,200 people have died in Scotland with confirmed or suspected coronavirus, according to the National Records of Scotland.
A total of 2,272 deaths involving the virus had been recorded as of Sunday April 26, with the proportion of coronavirus deaths recorded in care homes rising on last week to 39%.
886 were in care homes and 1,188 in hospitals.
The figures are published weekly and account for all fatalities registered in Scotland where Covid-19 is mentioned on the death certificate.
They differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government using Health Protection Scotland figures because they include suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.
The First Minister said that those in residential homes are "very, very vulnerable'' to the virus.
Close proximity between older people in care homes who may already have other conditions, the First Minister said, increases the likelihood of the spread of the virus.
She added: "The steps that we've taken so far are designed to ensure that they're as safe as they possibly can be.
"We will continue to take whatever steps are necessary and appropriate to ensure that is the case.''
Six NHS staff and five members of the social care work force have died with coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
Nicola Sturgeon added that the workers would not have necessarily contracted the virus in their workplace.
She also revealed that since March 5, 2,521 patients who tested positive for the virus have been discharged from hospital.