First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "As of 9am this morning, 15,240 positive cases have been confirmed, which is an increase of 55 since yesterday."
NS: "A total of 1,247 patients who are either suspected or confirmed as having Covid-19 are in hospital, which is an increase of 47 since yesterday, however the number of confirmed cases has decreased by 23."
NS: "As of last night 38 people were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid, which is an increase of 3 since yesterday. Yesterday's figure of 36 has been revised to 35."
NS: "I'm afraid that in the past 24 hours 13 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed as having the virus. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement to 2,304."
NS: "However National Records of Scotland has just published its more detailed weekly report. Unlike the daily figures its figures do not just include those deaths with a confirmed laboratory diagnosis."
NS: "It also reports on cases where no formal test was carried out but where the virus was entered on the death certificate as a suspected or a contributory cause of death."
NS: "The latest NRS report covers the period up until Sunday the 24th of May, three days ago."
NS: "At that point according to our daily figures, 2,273 deaths had been registered of people who tested positive for the virus, however today's report shows that by Sunday the total number of deaths linked to Covid-19, confirmed and presumed, was 3,779."
NS: "230 of those deaths were registered in the 7 days up to Sunday - that is a decrease of 105 from the week before, and this is the fourth week in a row in which deaths have fallen."
NS: "Deaths in care homes made up 54% of all deaths linked to the virus last week, that is down from 56% in the previous week, and the number of Covid-19 deaths in care homes also reduced again from 186 last week to 124 in the most recent week. That figure remains too high."
NS: "Finally the total number of excess deaths also decreased from 357 to 178. I've said before and it remains true that these statistical trends will never console those who've lost loved ones to this virus, and my thoughts and sympathies are with each and everyone of them."
NS: "But these trends, which have now been sustained for over four weeks, do definitely give us grounds for encouragement."
NS: "The weekly number of Covid deaths has fallen by more than 60% during its peak. Excess deaths have reduced by more than three quarters. Deaths in care homes are also falling."
NS: "Tomorrow we'll take a formal decision on whether to begin cautiously to emerge from lockdown. Any early steps are likely to focus on outdoor activities and we'll provide full information on what individuals and businesses should and should not be doing."
NS: "But I stress that even if restrictions are relaxed later this week it will continue to be essential to follow guidance - to stay 2m apart from people from other households, and to self-isolate if you have symptoms."
NS: "At the moment the message in Scotland remains the same. Please stay at home except for essential purposes. When you leave the house stay 2m away from other people and don't meet up with those from other households."
NS: "Please wear a face covering if you're in a shop or public transport and remember to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly."
NS: "If you or someone in your household has Covid-19 symptoms, you must stay at home and isolate completely."
NS: "What we've all done so far has made a difference and today's figures show that. Everyone has played a part in slowing the spread of the virus, protecting the NHS and saving lives."
NS: "I want to end by thanking everybody across Scotland for doing that but also stress as we start to emerge from lockdown, that cooperation will become more important than ever."
#FMQs
NS: "If we apply what we know now to that situation then, of course we may take different decisions. When we face these decisions we have to act on the basis of the information we had. Based on that information, we did everything possible to protect older people."
NS: "If we apply what we know now to that situation then, of course we may take different decisions. When we face these decisions we have to act on the basis of the information we had. Based on that information, we did everything possible to protect older people."
NS: "Risk assessments of patients leaving hospital and, of course, guidance to care homes about isolation. But on this, as on everything, we continue to adapt our response as the knowledge we have continues to develop." #FMQs
NS: "I never forget that when we cite these statistics we are talking about real people. It's something I take the time and always will do to remember each day when I read out the grim statistics I'm required to read out." #FMQs
NS: "Behind each and every one of these statistics is a human being who is being grieved by their loved ones." #FMQs
NS: "The guidance issued at the time made clear clinical risk assessments should be done of patients who are being discharged from hospital." #FMQs
NS: "Nobody who had symptoms of Coronavirus and certainly nobody where the clinical assessment was that they should continue to be in hospital should've been discharged in that way." #FMQs
NS: "These are risk assessments required to be done by professionals. The guidance that was in place was clear and should've been followed, as all guidance, whether to hospitals or care homes, very carefully." #FMQs
NS: "The Care Inspectorate has a duty on an ongoing basis to make sure any concerns about care homes are properly considered and standards at care homes are as residents and their families have a right to expect." #FMQs
NS: "We have learned about this virus all along, we have had to adapt our approaches as we do. But at no point were older people treated like second class citizens." #FMQs
NS: "At no point was anything other than the greatest care, and attention, and thought, given to the decisions and guidance that was being put in place. That will continue to be the case every single step of the way." #FMQs
NS: "Of course there will be a public inquiry into this whole crisis and every aspect of this crisis. That will undoubtedly include what happens in care homes." #FMQs
NS: "Decisions were taken for the best of reasons based on the best evidence. Similar decisions were taken in Scotland to those that were taken around care homes in England, Wales and, as far as I'm aware, Northern Ireland." #FMQs
NS: "Those decisions, particularly around delayed discharge, were clearly communicated to this Parliament by the health secretary. This is not something that was done without proper transparency." #FMQs
NS: "We will look back on all of this and learn a lot. Nobody or few people want to make sure we learn all appropriate lessons than I do." #FMQs
NS: "But throughout this crisis we've taken the best decisions I can at every step of the way based on the best information and evidence I had at the time." #FMQs
NS: "All these decisions have been tough but I've not shied away from taking them, nor will I ever shy away from being candid about mistakes where, had I known then what I know now, I may have come to different conclusions." #FMQs
NS: "But that, Presiding Officer, is what leadership is. You have to make the tough calls when they fall to be made. You can't hide away with your head down hoping it goes away. I hope Jackson Carlaw and others will reflect on that." #FMQs
NS: "We have adapted our approach as the information that we had has developed. Richard Leonard talks about what guidance said previously around tests. Yes, we now have different advice around testing asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people." #FMQs
NS: "But at that time there were two things that were different. Firstly there was a view it was not likely people without symptoms would spread the virus, and secondly there was a concern about the lack of reliability of testing people without symptoms." #FMQs
NS: "That latter point still exists to some extent. We have developed our approach to testing and other things as the evidence and advice has changed." #FMQs
NS: "The fact Richard Leonard was not raising then the specific questions he raises now shows that we cannot apply hindsight and change what we knew at the time. We can only operate on the basis of what we knew and operate with absolutely the best of intentions." #FMQs
NS: "There are no easy choices when you face these decisions. What you have to do is make these decisions based on the best evidence you have. Putting in place the guidance I've spoken about and adapting our approach as our knowledge has developed." #FMQs
NS: "Testing of care home staff will be an ongoing process because it's not enough to do it once. We will do it regularly. We will publish data, as we have published data as we go along." #FMQs
NS: "We issued guidance yesterday to employers around our expectations. We are in contact with the UK Government about changes needed to benefits or statutory sick pay to make sure people don't lose income." #FMQs
NS: "We also issued guidance to individuals about what they could perhaps do to prepare in advance for potential periods of isolation but also the support that will be available to them." #FMQs
NS: "We will require to make sure anybody asked to go into a period of isolation for 14 days gets the support they need to do it." #FMQs
NS: "My biggest fear about Test and Protect is that we all think we can stop doing all the other things we've been doing because Test and Protect will keep us safe from this virus regardless of what we can do." #FMQs
NS: "If you don't want to face a period of self isolation, then the best way to minimise that risk is not to become close contact of someone outside your household." #FMQs
NS: "If you take care not to be within 2m of somebody outside your household, then you are minimising your risk of ever being in the position of getting that phone call from a contact tracer and being advised to self-isolate." #FMQs
NS: "On Dominic Cummings, I've made my views clear. I think it was wrong." #FMQs
NS: "I think the Prime Minister is wrong to defend it in the way he has done, principally because it has involved a retrospective rewriting of the rules, which undermines confidence in the rules and guidance that remains so important." #FMQs
NS: "But I don't want to be standing here talking about that. My job is to make sure I get a message across to the Scottish people that what we're asking you to do is important for your own protection and the protection of your loved ones." #FMQs
NS: "I think that is the one voice I hope all of us speak with in the weeks to come." #FMQs
NS: "I recognise students will be affected by this in a whole range of ways, given the nature of some of the industries that have the longest lasting impact." #FMQs
NS: " I don't want to lose sight of the fact we want to get businesses in all sectors, to a greater or lesser extent, operational as soon as possible." #FMQs
NS: "I welcome early indication that the new domestic abuse laws are encouraging victims to come forward and report these crimes, while providing officers with greater powers to target those who abuse their partner or ex-partner." #FMQs
NS: "We have the details the UK Government have announced publicly around consequentials, and we've given commitments on the strength of those public announcements to pass on every single penny..." #FMQs
NS: "..but as Kenny Gibson alluded to early on there have been suggestions more recently that elements of that consequential funding will not materialise and that if there are underspends at a UK level in some of that funding then that may be clawed back." #FMQs
NS: "I would hope that all members across the chamber will join with us and make clear to the UK Government that there is an expectation that consequentials that have been announced will flow through in full, because we have committed them..." #FMQs
NS: "..and therefore if the UK Government claw them back, we are left in the invidious position of being unable to honour the commitments we've given. I don't think anybody across the chamber would want us to be in that position." #FMQs
