Coronavirus: 49 new cases in Scotland amid local clusters

A total of 49 new coronavirus cases have been logged in Scotland in the past 24 hours amid a spate of local outbreaks.

It brings total Covid-19 infections in the country over the course of the pandemic to 19,407, Nicola Sturgeon said.

The First Minister also confirmed once again no deaths among coronavirus patients in Scotland.

There are 16 new cases in the Tayside area, where a cluster was announced on Monday originating from a chicken factory in Perthshire.

Seven of the new cases are in the Grampian health board area, 12 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and six are in Lanarkshire – all regions hit recently by localised outbreaks.

Speaking at the Scottish Government’s Tuesday briefing, the First Minister said the factory outbreak discovered in Coupar Angus on Monday has nine confirmed cases.

She said it was a complex cluster of cases and added she will be “very surprised” if infections there do not increase in the coming days.

A cluster associated with a number of Aberdeen pubs, which began at the start of the month, has led to a strict local lockdown in the city.

The FM said 220 confirmed cases in the NHS Grampian area had been linked to the outbreak, up from 207 on Monday, with 1125 contacts traced.

In recent days, Sturgeon said, there has been a decline in the number of cases in Aberdeen, suggesting lockdown restrictions are working.

But despite the improving numbers, cases in the area still remain higher than other parts of Scotland.

All this will be considered when the government reviews the measures in Aberdeen on Wednesday, which have been in place for two weeks.

Further outbreaks in Lanarkshire and Glasgow have also been identified, with both affecting school pupils.

In Lanarkshire, there are eight associated cases – including five pupils from three different secondary schools.

A total of 14 cases have been confirmed in a north-east Glasgow cluster, some of which were pupils at the same school.

Sturgeon stressed the outbreak is believed to have spread outside of school and is thought to be linked to indoor meetings of young people.

There are 254 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, an increase of six in 24 hours.

Of these patients, three were in intensive care, no change from the previous day.