Scotland to ramp up testing for Covid-19 by the end of the month
Scotland is to ramp up capacity for testing after the largest rise yet in both the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 and number of deaths due to the infection.
There were 3001 positive cases in total and a surge of 46 deaths compared to yesterday while 176 people were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19.
After the UK health minister Matt Hancock called for 100,000 tests daily for coronavirus by the end of the month, Ms Sturgeon said Scotland would also be increasing its efforts in that area.
The First Minister said that once the difference in size between Scotland and the rest of the UK is factored in, what will be done will be “slightly more ambitious than the UK pillar one target of 25,000” tests a day.
The latest government figures have revealed a massive fall in the number of those who require shielding from the virus – those in particularly vulnerable categories that should obey the strictest possible lock-down measures.
People have been receiving “shielding letters” making them aware of what they would have to do and the services that are available to help them get through the lock-down such as food deliveries.
The First Minister said: “We had previously estimated that up to 200,000 were in this group to remove duplication from records and ensure accuracy and we can now say with more confidence that there are 120,000 people across Scotland in one or more of these categories.”
On the increase in capacity to conduct tests, she said: “We are increasing Scotland's current capacity of at least 1900 tests a day to at least 3500 a day by the end of this month, at the least that is broadly similar though slightly more ambitious than the UK pillar one target of 25000 tests a day.
“This expansion of testing capacity means amongst other things that we will be able to test more key workers but every day that passes however in addition to increasing capacity within NHS Scotland, we are also working with the UK government and other partners to further increase testing capacity beyond that.
“Yesterday's announcement that a new testing facility it's being established by Glasgow University in collaboration with industry partners in the NHS is a very good example of that.
“We in Scotland are currently working to establish exactly how many more tests we think the Glasgow University facility together with other initiatives will deliver however there is no doubt they will allow us to increase our testing capacity in a way which is proportionate with the rest of the UK.”
