FOUR more people in Scotland have died after being struck down by coronavirus, the Scottish Government revealed yesterday.
That brings the total number of deaths to 14. There are now 499 cases confirmed.
Across the UK the total number of confirmed reported deaths is now at 335, following reports of 46 fatalities in England and another four in Wales.
Speaking at a press briefing, Scotland’s chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, said Scotland was on the cusp of a “rapid acceleration” of Covid-19 cases.
She said: “Those 14 deaths probably each represent up to 1000 people that have become infected.
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“We have 23 people currently in our ICU’s across Scotland who have coronavirus, and each of them represents perhaps 400-500 other people.
“But we also know that our community surveillance is going to increasingly give us an accurate picture, and I would predict that those numbers are an underestimate.”
Calderwood encouraged people to responsibly use the outdoors but to avoid unnecessary contact with others not in their immediate household.
She added: “We’re going to have to adapt to life in this new world.
“We will encourage people to continue to use the outdoors, to keep their physical and mental well-being as good as possible, but we’re really in this for a marathon not a sprint.”
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman (above) announced the set-up of virtual “community hubs”, which will be accessed by calling NHS24 on 111.
She said people will be assessed over the phone and will be given additional advice or have an appointment made for them to attend an assessment centre, where they will be seen in person and treated or referred to hospital.
In a bid to leave the phone lines free for people to access the hubs, the Health Secretary also urged people using NHS24 to obtain sick notes to instead use the NHS website.
The Health Secretary said the hubs will also free up GPs to continue providing support and treatment for ailments other than coronavirus.
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She said: “This change means that anyone who has coronavirus symptoms and needs additional help or advice can now call the same number any time, day or night, seven days a week. As the number of people presenting with symptoms continues to grow, we must adapt to manage the daily growth in demand.
“As well as ensuring people are getting the right help at the right time, this step will also help ensure GP capacity to provide care for people in the community is protected, and that only those cases that need to be admitted to hospital are admitted.”
NHS24’s director of service delivery, Steph Phillips, said the change would “make it easier for people who are concerned about their symptoms to get the help they need as quickly as possible”.
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“Please help us to help you,” she added.
Meanwhile, the EIS, Scotland’s largest teaching union, has criticised a handful of schools who have not followed guidelines or best practice around Covid-19.
The union said some schools have been allowing cohorts of pupils to attend unnecessarily while certain councils have been holding large staff meetings where social distancing is impossible. Larry Flanagan from the union said it was essential Scotland’s local authorities “develop models of education provision that will minimise the risk of the spread of the Covid-19”.
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