First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "Good afternoon. As at 9am this morning, there have been 15,185 positive cases confirmed, an increase of 29 from yesterday."
NS: "A total of 1,200 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 69 from yesterday, including a decrease of 16 in the number of confirmed cases."
NS: "A total of 36 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is a decrease of 4 since yesterday."
NS: "Since 5th March a total of 3,589 patients who had tested positive and required hospitalisation have been able now to leave hospital."
NS: "Unfortunately, in the past 24 hours, 18 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test of having the virus. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement to 2,291."
NS: "Yesterday was a bank holiday and registration may have been lower, so that should be taken into account when considering today's figures."
NS: "Each one of these of course is not just a figure, each one is an individual whose loss is being grieved by many. As I always do, I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus."
NS: "Let me also express my gratitude, as I always do, to our health and care workers who continue to do an incredible, exceptional job in the most difficult of circumstances."
NS: "Today I want to take a little bit of time to focus on the launch, later this week, of NHS Scotland's Test, Trace and Isolate programme, which is called Test and Protect in Scotland. The logo for it you will see on the screen behind me."
NS: "From the end of this week through Test and Protect, anyone who suspects they have Covid-19, anyone who has the symptoms we advise you to be aware of, will be tested."
NS: "If you test positive, your close contacts will be traced and advised to isolate for 14 days."
NS: "The aim of Test and Protect is to quickly identify cases of the virus and then act to break the chains of transmission."
NS: "On the 4th May we published our initial plans for this programme, and I can confirm the system will go live in every single one of Scotland's 14 health board areas on Thursday of this week."
NS: "Test and Protect will be an extremely important tool for us in the months ahead. It will help us suppress the virus while we slowly ease lockdown restrictions. But I need to stress today that it will only be effective if we all play our part."
NS: "So today I want to set out what the capacity of the new system will be at the point of launch and how this will develop, and I'll also set out how you as an individual, your household, your workplace and employer can support us in making it work."
NS: "Firstly we said that to launch Test and Protect nationally we needed the ability to conduct more than 15,000 tests a day. I can confirm that this capacity is now in place."
NS: "That capacity is being delivered through a combination of NHS labs, academic partners, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, and the Lighthouse Lab in Glasgow."
NS: "Secondly we said we would enhance and extend use of the software that public health teams already use for contact tracing in relation to other infectious diseases."
NS: "That software has been piloted in Fife, Lanarkshire and Highland over the past week and I can confirm it will be operational in every health board by Thursday."
NS: "Thirdly we said we'd aim to have 2,000 contract tracers available by the end of this month."
NS: "I should say based on our current demand estimates we assess that around 700 will actually be needed in the early phase. However, I can confirm that by the end of the month we will have a pool of around 2,000 to draw on if necessary."
NS: "Now, this is a system that will operate at a scale not seen before in Scotland. We have of course had contact tracing and testing before but we are substantially increasing the scale."
NS: "Over the first couple of weeks it will need to bed down, but introducing it at the same time as we take the first, very cautious steps, out of lockdown gives us the opportunity to address any operational issues..."
NS: "..ahead of a potentially more substantial easing of restrictions at the next review date in three weeks."
NS: "Over the next three weeks we will also however add enhancements to the system."
NS: "As I said earlier, the technology used by contact tracers will be in place from the start but we will also add a digital platform to allow people who test positive to enter details of their contacts online."
NS: "We'll also continue to build testing capacity because we may need more than 15,500 in future and we will work over the next few weeks to make access to testing more locally accessible, and we'll keep you updated on all of that."
NS: "Let me now outline what we are asking you, the public, to do. Let me stress that just like lockdown itself, this is something that will only have the desired effect if we all do what is required. It cannot be seen as optional."
NS: "To make sure we all understand what is required of us, I can tell you that a public awareness campaign will start later on this week and during June, information will be delivered directly to every household across the country."
NS: "But I want today to set out some of the basics. Firstly, as of Thursday, we are asking if you have any of the symptoms of Covid-19 - a cough, temperature or loss of taste or smell - that you take immediate steps to book a test."
NS: "Please don't wait to see if you feel better after a day or two. Time really is of the essence here, so get in touch as soon as you experience symptoms."
NS: "How do you do that? Well, you go to nhsinform.scot.
Or if you can't get online, you can call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816."
Or if you can't get online, you can call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816."
NS: "Online you can ask for a test for yourself or someone else you live with. Book it at one of the drive-through testing centres or mobile testing units. For some there will also be the option of a home testing kit."
NS: "And as I said earlier, we will be working in the coming weeks to further expand local access to testing. If you can't go online you should call NHS 24, I'll repeat the number. 0800 028 2816."
NS: "You will speak to an adviser who will go through questions with you and book you in for a test."
NS: "While you wait for the test and your result, it's essential you and your household self-isolate, which of course is what we advise you to do already if you have symptoms."
NS: "That means staying at home at all times with the exception of going out for the test. You shouldn't go to the shops, out for exercise or see anybody else."
NS: "In line with current guidance the person with symptoms should isolate for seven days from the start of those symptoms. Other members of the household should self-isolate for 14 days."
NS: "If any of them should start to display symptoms during that time, they will also go through the testing process."
NS: "If your test comes back negative, you and your household can end your isolation at that point. However, if you're contacted to be told you have tested positive, you will be asked at that stage for details of people you've been in contact with."
NS: "The definition of a contact is people within your household, people you've had face-to-face contact with, and people you've been within 2m of for a period of 15 minutes or more. The contact tracers who take you through the details will of course guide you through that."
NS: "I want to take the opportunity now to assure you that your privacy will be respected at all times during this process. The information you provide will be held securely within the NHS and be used only for the purposes of tracing your contacts."
NS: "Let me be very clear, it will not be used by the Scottish Government, indeed, we won't have access to the information. All of the work of identifying and tracing contacts will be done within Scotland's NHS."
NS: "Let me turn to what you do now if you receive a call from a contact tracer to say you've been in contact with someone who's tested positive."
NS: "It's no exaggeration to say that you, how any of us respond at that point will be vital in breaking the chains of transmission of the virus, and stopping the spread."
NS: "If you get that call, you will be asked to self-isolate immediately. The success of Test and Protect will really depend on all of us trusting this advice and, for the sake of ourselves and each other, agreeing to abide by it."
NS: "If you're at work the advice will be to immediately come home, taking care to come into contact with as few people as possible."
NS: "We are publishing guidance today for employers, making clear they should support any member of staff who is asked to self-isolate through Test and Protect."
NS: "If you're well, if you don't have any symptoms yourself, and you are able to work from home, your employer may very well expect you to do that, but they should not ask you to go into work."
NS: "The Scottish Government is also in contact with the UK Government to ensure employment rights and entitlement to benefits including statutory sick pay take account of the fact people might be off work or unable to attend appointments through no fault of their own."
NS: "We've also published today general advice for anyone who is asked to self-isolate. Remember this is something that, over the months ahead, could happen to any of us on more than one occasion."
NS: "This guidance includes hygiene advice for your home, advice for other people in your household, what to do if you care for someone who is shielding or clinically vulnerable, and what to do if you need help accessing food or medicine or even accommodation."
NS: "I know I've just run through a lot of information there for you to take in. But don't worry - remember I said at the outset there will be a public awareness campaign starting later this week. We will take steps to ensure everyone knows what we're asking you to do."
NS: "This is a big thing. It really matters. Therefore we will be careful in making sure the different steps are well understood."
NS: "For now, let me leave you with these points. Test and Protect is a really important tool for us in the period ahead. The more effective it is, the more of the restrictions of the lockdown we will be able to lift."
NS: " However, and this is an important point, although it is vital it cannot do all of the work of suppressing the virus on its own. All of us will continue to have a really vital role to play in our everyday lives."
NS: "That means even as we leave lockdown, physical distancing, good hygiene, and following appropriate advice will continue to be essential."
NS: "And so too will be all of us doing what is asked of us. Test and Protect will only be effective if we all come forward for testing when we have symptoms and if we all agree to self-isolate when we're asked to do so."
NS: "And, of course, it will only work if the Government steps up to give you the support you need to do so."
NS: "In short, Test and Protect is going to require exactly the same spirit of solidarity and care for each other as lockdown has done. It will be a collective national endeavour."
NS: "People will need the help of family, friends, employers, volunteers who have been supporting efforts to distribute food and care for the vulnerable through lockdown will have a part to play in supporting people through Test and Protect."
NS: "And Government will have to ensure the right capacity, resources, and support is in place. And all of us will have to agree to make sacrifices for the common good, just as we have been doing in these past weeks."
NS: "In short - and this, I guess, is the nub of what Test and Protect is intended to do - by agreeing that some of us have to stay at home at times, when we have symptoms, test positive, or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive..."
NS: "..we will be gradually able to move away from a situation we have now, where everyone is being asked to stay at home all of the time."
NS: "As I said earlier, we will make much more information available in the days and weeks to come but I wanted today to give you a preview of what is a significant initiative."
NS: "But let me leave you with the most important message. From Thursday, if you have symptoms of Covid-19, you should go online to nhsinform.scot or call NHS 24 on 0800, 028 2816 and book a test straightaway."
NS: "But for now, all of us must continue to stick with the lockdown measures, so please stay at home for now, except for essential purposes."
NS: "When you do leave the house, stay more than 2m away from others, and don't meet up with people from households other than your own."
NS: "You should wear a face covering when you're in an enclosed space such as a shop or on public transport, and that is one of the issues that will be covered in the transport transition plan that the Transport Secretary will outline in @scotparl later this afternoon."
NS: "You should also continue to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly. If you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19 then right now, even before the launch of Test and Protect, you should stay at home completely."
NS: "At the moment, these actions are vital to slow the spread of the virus even more, to continue to protect the NHS, and to save lives."
NS: "My thanks once again to all of you for your patience, your forbearance, and your willingness to make these sacrifices for the good of all of us."
