ANOTHER four people have died in Scotland after contracting coronavirus, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The deaths, recorded in the past 24 hours among people who had tested positive in the previous 28 days, bring the total under that measurement to 5709.
The First Minister warned the latest figure was likely to be an underestimate since registration offices are largely closed over the weekend.
However, she said there was “some cautious ground for optimism” due to hospital admissions “tailing off slightly”.
Public health expert and Scottish Government adviser Professor Devi Sridhar welcomed the drop in cases.
She tweeted: "Watching Scotland FM @NicolaSturgeon & CMO @DrGregorSmith daily briefing: Great news! Only 752 new cases (huge jump down), 8.6% positivity (still high). As #s come down, test/trace/isolate + travel restrictions are crucial, so schools & domestic economy can open asap."
📺 Watch live: First Minister @NicolaSturgeon holds a press conference on #coronavirus (#COVIDー19).
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) January 25, 2021
Joining the First Minister is Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith https://t.co/lLKH0g9Rmq
A further 752 cases were confirmed in the past 24 hours, with a positivity rate of 8.6%.
Some 2016 people are in hospital with recently confirmed Covid-19, six more than 24 hours previously.
Of those, 151 are in intensive care, a decrease of six.
A total of 224 new cases are in greater Glasgow and Clyde, with 138 in Lanarkshire and 87 in Ayrshire and Arran.
The other cases were spread across 10 other health boards.
READ MORE: Major face mask rule change being 'actively considered' by Scottish Government
More than 400,000 people in Scotland have received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
Speaking at the daily coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, Sturgeon said that 415,402 people have received a jag, and the Scottish Government is on track to meet its target for the vaccination of everyone over the age of 70, which has been set for the middle of February.
The First Minister told the briefing that 95% of residents in adult care homes and 95% of health workers have now been vaccinated, with 46% of all people over the age of 80 given a jab, up by 9% since Friday.
It comes as Scots aged between 70 and 79 start to receive letters inviting them for their inoculation.
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