Thread by @theSNP

First Minister @NicolaSturgeon: "An additional 2 positive cases were confirmed yesterday, which takes the total in Scotland now to 18,302."

NS: "A total of 699 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected cases of the virus. That is 70 more than yesterday overall, but also includes a reduction of 8 in the number of confirmed cases."

NS: "A total of 7 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid, and that is 1 fewer than yesterday."

NS: "Since 5 March, a total of 4,102 patients who had tested positive and been admitted to hospital have now been discharged from hospital."

NS: "However, I'm afraid that during the past 24 hours, one death was registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having Covid. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,489."

NS: "I, of course, want to send my condolences to that person's loved ones, and of course to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness over these past few months."

NS: "I also want to thank, as always, our health and care workers. The entire country continues to be grateful to you for what you have done and continue to do."

NS: "I have three things I want to briefly update on today before taking questions. The first relates to the cluster of new Covid cases in Dumfries and Galloway last week."

NS: "In total, 12 cases were identified as part of that cluster and 23 contacts have been traced. There were no new cases relating to this cluster yesterday."

NS: "The view of the incident management team is that all chains of infection within Dumfries and Galloway have now been identified and controlled."

NS: "As a result I can confirm we are today lifting the recommended travel restriction that had applied to people in certain postcodes around Gretna, Dumfries and Annan."

NS: "Our advice now is that people in these areas, like everyone else in Scotland, can travel more than 5 miles for leisure purposes. However, like everyone else in the country, they must follow strict advice summarised in the FACTS campaign."

NS: "In addition, people can now visit care homes in those areas in line with the same strict guidelines that apply elsewhere in Scotland."

NS: "I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved - both in Dumfries and Galloway and also in Cumbria - in controlling this outbreak and in implementing Test & Protect so effectively."

NS: "I also want to thank the employers who enabled rapid testing of their workforces, the contacts who cooperated by self-isolating when asked, and everyone in the affected postcodes who stuck to the travel restrictions."

NS: "Although we all have a part to play in seeking to avoid this, it is the case that as we continue to lift restrictions of lockdown there will inevitably be more clusters like this one in the weeks and months ahead."

NS: "So it is reassuring, while we are absolutely not complacent, to see that this one appears to have been controlled so rapidly and effectively. I'm so grateful to everyone who played a part in achieving that outcome."

NS: "The second issue I want to raise today relates to the economic statement being made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer tomorrow."

NS: "The Scottish Government wrote to the UK Government on Saturday to highlight again our view that an £80bn stimulus programme is needed for the UK economy."

NS: "To put that in context, that would be roughly comparable in ambition to the programme that Germany has recently adopted."

NS: "We believe the UK's programme should tackle inequalities, support jobs, and have a strong focus on investment in low carbon and digital infrastructure."

NS: "We've also recommended an employment guarantee for young people, a policy the Scottish Government is looking at ourselves, and we've called for a temporary cut in VAT to boost consumption, with especially low rates for our hospitality and tourism sectors."

NS: "Finally, we've proposed Scotland should have greater financial powers, for example over borrowing, so we can play our own part and shape a response to the economic implications of the pandemic."

NS: "It's worth stressing again that the Scottish Government has on several occasions welcomed policies adopted by the Treasury during this pandemic - for example, the Job Retention Scheme, and this week's support for the culture sector."

NS: "I want to again say how appreciated, how welcome and how important these kinds of interventions are."

NS: "We hope that we'll be able to give a welcome to tomorrow's statement as well but for that to happen the policies put forward must meet the scale of the economic challenges the UK faces - and I very much hope they will do."

NS: "The proposals that we had put forward on a constructive basis are ambitious, practical and sustainable - and they have been put forward in a spirit of collaboration and partnership."

NS: "We believe they would benefit Scotland but also the whole of the UK - I hope we will see them adopted tomorrow."

NS: "The need for ambition in economic policy is demonstrated by the final issue I want to briefly update on. The Scottish Government currently publishes information about the Scottish Welfare Fund on a monthly basis."

NS: "The most recent report has been published today and includes information about crisis grants. These are the payments we make available for people on low incomes who are suffering an unexpected and unavoidable financial emergency..."

NS: "..for example if they've taken on caring responsibilities suddenly, or have to pay an unforeseen bill, or if they face a sudden gap in income because they've been made unemployed and are waiting on redundancy or benefit payments."

NS: "Today's report shows that the total value of crisis grant payments in May was more than 40% higher than in May last year."

NS: "It also shows however that the value of payments in May was slightly lower than in March and April of this year, when there was a very large increase at the beginning of lockdown."

NS: "These increases demonstrate why the Scottish Government more than doubled the Scottish Welfare Fund in March."

NS: "We knew then that the necessary public health measures needed to control Covid would cause financial, emotional and health difficulties in households across the country."

NS: "But they also provide a further illustration of why we do need to see further economic and fiscal stimulus, so that we can minimise the economic harm that has been caused by lockdown."

NS: "They demonstrate once again why - of course - emerging from lockdown for all of us is so essential. We cannot go on indefinitely with severe restrictions on our economy and on our way of life."

NS: "That's why I hope to be able to confirm on Thursday that we're moving to Phase 3 in our routemap out of lockdown. However, it is also why we are and must continue to be determined to ensure that our emergence from lockdown is both safe and sustainable."

NS: "We must absolutely minimise the risk of going back into lockdown later in the year because we've allowed the virus to run out of control again. And that risk is a very real one - and we must not ever lull ourselves into a sense that we are somehow immune from that."

NS: "And if you doubt that I would encourage you to take a look at what's happening in some other parts of the world. In recent days in Australia, Melbourne and its surrounding areas have gone back into lockdown."

NS: "New cases from community transmission there appear to be higher there now than in March and April."

NS: "In Spain, Galicia and Catalonia are reinstating lockdown measures. So is Belgrade in Serbia. We're also continuing to see a surge in cases in many parts of the United States."

NS: "Covid cases in Scotland are currently very low - down to the collective efforts of everyone. But we are still seeing some cases every day - the virus is still out there, and it will easily come back if we allow it."

NS: "As we lift the measures that have kept it under control, the risks of transmission do increase again. It stands to reason. When we start to interact more, then we provide more opportunities for the virus to spread."

NS: "Outbreaks and clusters will happen, but it is down to all of us to minimise the chances of them happening and make sure when they do happen, they don't spread."

NS: "In everything we do, particularly as we do get out and about a bit more, we should all be conscious of every possible bridge we might be providing for the virus to spread from one person to another or one household to another, so we can avoid giving it those opportunities."

NS: "That's why we continue to stress our public health campaign FACTS. It summarises the five key things all of us remember in all we do. If these five things are all you remember over this next period, make sure you do remember them and do apply them in your everyday lives."

NS: "Face coverings in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport.

From Friday, as we go into - I hope - Phase 3, face coverings will be mandatory by law in shops, with obvious exceptions for people with medical conditions or young children."

NS: "They already are mandatory on public transport."

NS: "Avoid crowded places, indoors and outdoors.

Clean your hands and any hard surfaces you touch, regularly.

Two-metre distancing from people in other households to your own remains the general rule.

Self-isolate and book a test if you experience any symptoms of Covid."

NS: "Don't wait to do that - do that immediately.

If all of us remember these five basic measures, we will minimise the opportunities for the virus to spread as we start to get back to normal."

NS: "In doing that we will keep ourselves safe, we will help to protect others, and undoubtedly we will save lives."

NS: "Please continue to do all of these things as we slowly, carefully but steadily get our economy and society back to normal. If we follow these measures then we will do that without giving the virus the chance to spread again - which would take us back to the start of this."

NS: "So thank you for your cooperation to date, and please keep following these important public health rules."