ANOTHER two people have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19, the First Minister has announced.
It is the first time since July 16 that deaths have been recorded in the daily figures, bringing the total among confirmed patients to 2494.
Nicola Sturgeon also revealed that another 67 people have tested positive in the past 24 hours.
The new cases represent 0.5% of new tests and bring the total to 19,988.
Some 249 people were in hospital with confirmed Covid-19 last night, six more than yesterday. Of those, two were in intensive care, an increase of one.
Meanwhile, new figures from National Records of Scotland show there were six coronavirus-related deaths in the past week, an increase of three from the previous week.
#NRSStats show as of 23 August a total of 4,222 deaths have been registered in #Scotland where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, 6 deaths were registered between 17 - 23 August. https://t.co/ffoG5wN93q pic.twitter.com/2JPZkWPhn6
— NatRecordsScot (@NatRecordsScot) August 26, 2020
READ MORE: Hawick coronavirus outbreak: Seven people test positive in Scottish Borders
The FM, speaking in the Scottish Parliament, said: “I think all of us have become use to hearing news of no deaths, under these daily figures, these two new deaths are devastating for those who are grieving their loss.
"But they should also be a reminder for all of us that the threat of Covid hasn't gone away."
The new NRS figures show that as of Sunday, there had been 4222 deaths where coronavirus was confirmed, and where coronavirus was suspected.
That includes six deaths over the period of the week to August 23. Four of those deaths were in care homes.
The total deaths recorded last week from all causes was 40 higher than the five-year average for the same time of year – though the First Minister stressed this figure could "fluctuate".
Sturgeon also updated MSPs on the "main clusters" of coronavirus in Scotland.
There are now 156 positive cases linked to the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Coupar Angus, with 138 workers and 18 of their contacts affected. The total was up by four from the previous day, with all four new cases workers in the factory.
The FM said "almost all" employees there had now been tested, with 5000 people tested in the Tayside area over the past seven days.
Turning to the cluster at Kingspark School in Dundee, Sturgeon said 31 cases of coronavirus had now been identified, with this including two pupils of the school.
Meanwhile, the number of cases in the cluster linked with pubs in Aberdeen remains at 261. There have been 435 cases of coronavirus in the NHS Grampian area over the last month.
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