ANOTHER 255 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

The new cases represent 6.3% of newly tested individuals and bring the total to 24,627.

No deaths were recorded among confirmed patients, though registry offices were closed over the weekend. The death toll under that measurement remains 2505.

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According to the figures from the past 24 hours, 73 people are in hospital with coronavirus, 10 more than the day before. Of those, eight are in intensive care, a fall of one.

Provisional information suggests 103 of the new cases are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 47 are in Lanarkshire and 30 are in Lothian.

The other 75 cases were spread among the other eight mainland health boards, meaning there were new cases in every mainland health board.

Speaking at the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing, the First Minister said of the death toll: “That total serves once again as a refminder once again of the impact this virus has had. I want once again to pass on my condolences to everybody who is grieving.”

Sturgeon also confirmed the R number – the number of people who will on average be infected by one infectious person – remains above one.

“When that happens, the virus begins to spread again,” she said, adding: “The percentage of tests which are returning positive results has been increasing.

“In addition, new cases are not confined now to just specific clusters – they are happening across Scotland."