NICOLA Sturgeon has warned Scotland is in a “very fragile situation” with coronavirus, after another 160 positive cases were reported overnight, the highest number since mid-May.
The First Minister said the level was “undoubtedly a concern” and she felt a greater senses of anxiety than at any time “probably for the last couple of months”.
The 160 new cases announced today follows 123 new cases announced on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases through the pandemic to 20,478.
However Ms Sturgeon also said the number of positive cases as a percentage of people tested was holding fairly steady, at 0.9 per cent for the past 24 hours.
Of the 160 new cases, almost half, 69, were in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 27 were in Lanarkshire, 18 in Lothian, nine in Forth Valley and eight in Ayrshire & Arran.
The number of people in hospital was up seven to 258 and five were in intensive care, meaning no change on the previous day.
At the daily briefing, Ms Sturgeon said the “quite high” numbers over the weekend were partly a result of more tests being conducted.
However the rise of cases in Greater Glasgow and Clyde also seemed “to reflect a number of small clusters, rather than one or two more significant outbreaks".
Many of the 22 recent cases in Ayrshire and Arran also seemed “linked to indoor gatherings that took place the previous weekend".
She said: “The numbers of cases we are seeing right now is a reminder to all of us that the virus is still a very real risk - it is a development that concerns me and it is one we are taking very seriously.
“We are right now in a very fragile situation.
“The transmission of the virus is increasing again.
“We can keep it under control if we all do the right things to help Test and Protect do its work, but it would not take much right now for the virus to get a grip of us again.
“Every single one of us has a responsibility to try to stop that happening.
“So I’m appealing to everybody watching today to continue to do the right things, and I’m appealing to all of you to spread that message as widely as you possibly can.”
She said there was a risk that recent relaxations in the lockdown, such as allowing small indoor gatherings, could be reversed if the infection started to get out of control.
The warnings coincided with more steps to ease the lockdown, including the reopening of gyms and indoor swimming pools today, and the resumption of youth groups such as Cubs and Brownies and mother and baby groups.
Reflecting on the past seven months, Ms Sturgeon said: "There have been some really dark moments along the way since the start of March and, more recently, there have been moments of greater hope and optimism.
"I have always tried to be frank with you about my assessments and feelings about the situation that we are in, which is why I feel able to say to you today - and feel that it is important I say to you - that I feel a greater sense of anxiety today than I have done any time probably for the last couple of months.
"We are in a fragile position; we have substantially lifted the lockdown restrictions but in doing so we've allowed this virus opportunities to spread."
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