Nicola Sturgeon self-isolating after contact with positive Covid case

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has revealed she is self-isolating after coming into contact with a positive Covid case.

Ms Sturgeon revealed the move on Twitter on Sunday evening.

She wrote: “I’ve had notification tonight that I’ve been identified as a close contact of someone who is positive for Covid.

"Accordingly, and in line with the rules, I’ll be self-isolating pending a PCR test result. My thanks to all the contact tracers working so hard in NHS Test & Protect.”

The news comes as Scotland has recorded another record number of new coronavirus cases, with 7,113 people testing positive for the first time.

It is the third time in a week the record for new infections has been broken, as the Scottish Government warned the situation is “fragile” and said further restrictions could not be ruled out.

New cases have more than doubled in a week, although the figure released on Sunday includes some tests taken more than 48 hours ago due to backlog and delays in the testing system.

The number of patients in hospital with recently confirmed coronavirus infections has also risen for the ninth consecutive day, reaching 507, with 52 in intensive care.

Nicola Sturgeon is self-isolating

A further 17,655 vaccinations were carried out in the past 24 hours.

Of those, 3,233 were first doses and 14,422 were second doses, taking the totals to 4,101,311 and 3,655,287 respectively.

Earlier Ms Sturgeon tweeted: “We are seeing a rising curve of cases in Scotland. It’s reassuring that vaccines are preventing the levels of serious health harms that case numbers like this would once have caused.

“However, we can’t be complacent and are monitoring carefully. In meantime, please take care.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The case numbers continue to be a cause for concern and our current situation remains fragile.

“As the First Minister said in her statement last week, it is vitally important that everyone plays their part in limiting the spread of the virus by observing the key public health measures.

“Those who are eligible, and have not yet done so, should get vaccinated as this remains the single most important thing we can do to keep each other safe.

“We should all be testing regularly as this makes it less likely that the virus will be inadvertently passed on to others.

“And basic steps like wearing face coverings on public transport, keeping a safe distance from others and opening a window if you have someone in your house for ventilation can also play a key role in breaking off chains of transmission.

“All these measures can help ensure we maintain the progress that we have made, and to keep on living more freely.

“No one wants to see a return of formal restrictions, but we cannot rule anything out as cases continue to surge.”