ANOTHER five people have died in Scotland after testing positive for Covid-19.

The deaths, recorded in the past 24 hours, bring the total among confirmed patients to 2538.

The First Minister, providing an update in the Scottish Parliament, also confirmed another 1027 cases.

They represent 13.5% of newly tested individuals and bring the total to 35,787.

Nicola Sturgeon announced that 377 people are currently in hospital with confirmed coronavirus, an increase of 58 on yesterday.

Of those, 31 are in intensive care, a rise of three.

Sturgeon told MSPs: “I offer again my condolences to anyone who has lost a loved one.”

Of the new cases, 405 are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 230 are in Lanarkshire, 152 in Lothian, and 73 in Ayrshire & Arran.

The remaining cases are across the other seven other health board areas.

The First Minister added that  the R number continues to be above 1 – possibly as high as 1.6.

“These figures demonstrate again why we announced significant new measures yesterday, to get the virus back under control,” she said.