No Covid-19 deaths for nine days in Scotland

No new Covid-19-related deaths have been recorded in Scotland for the ninth day in a row, Scottish Government figures show.

The statistics, released on Saturday, show that 27 people tested positive for the virus in the 24-hour period, taking the number of cases to 18,547 since the start of the pandemic in March.

Two people with coronavirus were in intensive care on Friday night.

The number of confirmed cases being treated in hospital was 270, down from 278 the previous day.

Earlier this week, the First Minister revealed the proportion of people who had been screened and tested positive across the country.

The figure reported on Saturday was 0.7%, an increase of 0.3% from the day before, when 22 people had tested positive for Covid-19.

The latest figures continue to show a suppression of the virus, which will need to be maintained if the Scottish Government is to give the go-ahead for schools to return on August 11.

Both First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Education Secretary John Swinney have said that the return of pupils to classrooms will only happen if the virus continues to stay at low levels.

A final decision on schooling is set to take place at the end of next week.

Data published by the Scottish Government on Friday shows there was believed to be just 500 infectious people in Scotland as of July 17.

Statistics published on Saturday also show that 10 new cases were found in Scottish care homes on Thursday.

Some 65% of adult care facilities have reported at least one suspected Covid-19 case, as of Friday.