Record-high number of people in Scotland with Covid

The number of people in Scotland with coronavirus has reached its highest level since the statistics were first published.

Around one in every 80 Scots are estimated to have had Covid-19 last week, the most the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has recorded since it began tracking the data on October 3, 2020.

The figure has been rising since early June after the previous peak at the start of the year.

In Scotland, the percentage of people testing positive in the community has increased in the most recent two weeks up to July 17, however the trend is uncertain in the most recent week.

An estimated 65,100 or 1.24% of the country’s population had the virus last week.

The figure was slightly higher in England (1.36%), with around 1 in 75 people with Covid-19, and significantly lower in Wales (0.47%) and Northern Ireland (0.59%).

The Scottish Government said the proportion of people testing positive is higher in the younger age groups.

The NHS health board with the highest estimated number of people with coronavirus was NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with a modelled one in 45 people having the virus (2.23%), with NHS Lothian recording similar rates (2.18%).

Workers essential in maintaining lifeline services and critical national infrastructure are now able to apply to be exempt from self-isolation rules.

The Scottish Government announced the changes on Friday in an effort to ensure that staff shortages do not put key services at risk.

The government has also been considering rolling out tests for every schoolchild in Scotland ahead of their return to class in August.

Six deaths and 1505 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Scotland in 24 hours prior to Friday, July 23.

Official statistics published on Friday showed that 502 people were in hospital with the virus as of Thursday, with 57 people in intensive care.