There were only two new cases of coronavirus in the Highlands and islands over the past 24 hours, fresh statistics have shown.
The total number of coronavirus cases in Scotland has reached 8,450 as a further 26 were confirmed in Grampian.
Those new cases take Grampian’s total to 490, the Highlands increased by one to 198, Orkney increased by one to six and there were no new cases in either Shetland or the Western Isles, who remain on 51 and six respectively.
There are nine people in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 in Grampian, five in the Highlands and fewer than five each in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles.
A total of 915 people who tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland have now died.
Update on #coronavirus testing
As of 2pm today 40,700 people in Scotland have been tested
32,250 confirmed negative
8,450 positive915 patients who tested positive have sadly died.
Latest update ➡️ https://t.co/kZjGNz2EDe
Health advice ➡️ https://t.co/l7rqArB6Qu#COVIDー19 pic.twitter.com/CokdqD7QxS— Scottish Government (@scotgov) April 20, 2020
Earlier today, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will not rush to announce a lockdown exit strategy.
There are 169 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, a decrease of five on Sunday, she added, and 1,809 people are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19.
“Towards the end of this week I will set out some of the factors that will guide our thinking for the future,” the First Minister said.
But the “initial version of this work” will not set out what measures will be lifted and when, she said.
Ms Sturgeon added: “We are simply not yet in position to take those decisions in a properly informed way and I will not rush to do anything that could risk a resurgence of this virus, because to do that would risk overwhelming the national health service and it would put many more lives at risk.”