SCOTTISH students returning to term-time addresses will be able to get tested before they resume their studies.

As part of the reopening of education, some students who need to take part in practical teaching are able to return.

Speaking at the coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the “very small proportion” of the total number of students will be able to request a PCR test to “offer extra reassurance to them and their fellow students”.

“I would strongly encourage anyone who is returning to campus and who is changing households as a result to request a test,” she said.

Information is available through the NHS Inform website and the Student Information Scotland website.

 

Freeman also said a number of close contacts with the three people in Scotland carrying the Brazil Covid variant are still being sought.

She said there were 249 close contacts, with 90 on a flight from Heathrow to Aberdeen, and 56 of those have been reached already.

Chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith adds that he is “confident” that there has been no community transmission and thanked the three people for isolating in their homes.

He says there is “nothing to suggest" there has been any escape of the Brazil variant into the local community.

It comes as 35 more people have died with Covid in Scotland, bringing the total number of deaths to 7371.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman told the Covid briefing that a further 543 people have tested positive for Covid-19, which is 2.6% of the tests carried out yesterday.

When the positivity rate is under 5%, the World Health Organisation classes the pandemic as being under control.

The total number of positive cases in Scotland is now 203,555.

There are 750 people in hospital, which is down 34.

There are 69 people in intensive care, down two from yesterday.

There have also been 35 more deaths registered in the past 24 hours of people who tested positive in the last 28 days. That brings the total number of deaths by that measure to 7371.

READ MORE: Another 35 Covid deaths recorded in Scotland and 543 more people test positive

By 08.30am this morning, 1,661,879 people had received their first dose of vaccine. A further 8105 people received their second dose yesterday.

National Records of Scotland figures show a total of 9580 people have died in Scotland with confirmed or suspected coronavirus.

The statistics show 227 deaths relating to Covid-19 were registered between February 22 and 28, down 64 on the previous week.

Of these, the majority happened in hospital at 187, with 26 in care homes and 14 at home or in a non-institutional setting and one in another institution.

The statistics are published weekly and cover all deaths registered in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

They differ from the lab-confirmed coronavirus deaths announced daily by the Scottish Government because the NRS figures include suspected or probable cases of Covid-19.