Another 255 people have tested positive for #coronavirus in Scotland in the past 24 hours – 6.3% of newly tested

103 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 47 in Lanarkshire, 30 in Lothian

no more deaths

73 in hospital (+10)

8 in intensive care (-1)

MORE: http://bit.ly/ClydeNews 

First Minister confirms every mainland healthboard area in Scotland has again reported new cases since yesterday

Nicola Sturgeon says the virus is now spreading quite rapidly in Scotland again, and that doing nothing about it is not an option.

FM says the R number, or rate of transmission, is now above 1 in Scotland.

New cases are not confined to specific clusters, they are happening across the whole country.

Nicola Sturgeon says we are not yet seeing hospital admissions at anywhere near the rate of earlier in the year, but we are now seeing a definite increase in hospital and intensive care admissions.

FM says further and urgent action will be needed to stop the spread of the virus. She says we are very close to a decision on what new measures will be put in place.

Nicola Sturgeon says she is preparing to introduce a "package of measures" to bring the R number back below 1.

FM says a COBRA meeting will take place shortly, but is frustrated that a definite time has not been put on that.

Nicola Sturgeon will speak to the Prime Minister about a immediately after today's briefing about how to introduce new measures on a 4 nations basis.

She adds that additional measures will almost certainly be put in place in Scotland within the next 48 hours.

Package of measures will include plans to better support people who are self-isolating.

This will involve a financial support package for people who face a loss of income as a result of having to self-isolate.

FM says this is a serious moment for the country, and that we can't continue to allow the virus to spread.

She adds that we are in a different, and better, position than we were in March, and that we shouldn't frame the decisions made this week as #lockdown vs non-lockdown