London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 22, 2026

Second highest rise in Covid cases since May

Second highest rise in Covid cases since May

The Scottish government says 88 more positive coronavirus cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted there was "no need for alarm" and the rise was partly due to increased testing.

There were no new deaths reported in the past 24 hours.

Five people were being treated in intensive care on Friday evening, up two on the previous day.

The largest recent rise in cases was just over a week ago on 22 August when 123 new cases were registered. Before that the next largest increase was on 22 May, when 113 new cases were confirmed.

In its daily update, the Scottish government said 0.7% of newly-tested individuals were found to have the virus.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde saw a rise of 36 positive cases. The health board later said it was contact tracing in connection with Gilmour & Dean Eurostampa, a printing firm based in Whiteinch.


Jason Leitch said he was surprised at how quickly an outbreak in Tayside had been contained


NHS Ayrshire and Arran saw 10 new cases. On Friday the health board said it was contact tracing with a small number of pupils in a South Ayrshire Council secondary school who have had contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19.

Test and Protect staff were also tracing contacts of a separate small number of positive cases.

Cases in NHS Tayside and Grampian where there have been outbreaks rose by 11 and six respectively.

Scotland's national clinical director, Jason Leitch, told the BBC: "It's up from yesterday. But it is down from last Saturday. It has been about this level, 50-100, for about three or four weeks."

He said there was no indication that there was a new major outbreak of the nature of Aberdeen or Coupar Angus.

But he noted the rise in the number of people being treated in intensive care units.

He said: "People should not take this lightly - everybody needs to do their bit to keep these numbers low."

How many cases have there been over the last 60 days?




Mr Leitch added that he felt the outbreak in Coupar Angus, linked to the 2Sisters food plant, had been contained "really well".

He said: "The incident management team are doing a really fantastic job. I am actually a little surprised that we have been able to contain it. It was a lot of people dispersed across Tayside and they have behaved really well.

"They have been contacted by the local authority with lots of home visits and whole-house self-isolation and we have seen pretty much no community transmission from that outbreak."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that there was "no need for alarm" over the rise in cases.

She said the leap was due to an increase in testing, and the proportion of people tested returning positive results remained below 1%.

"The increase in cases just now partly reflects a greater volume of testing. Crucially, our positivity rate remains low (below 1% again today). So no need for alarm. But there is a need to be very careful & cautious - it is all very delicately balanced just now," she said.


Nicola Sturgeon said more testing was taking place


Jason Leitch revealed that he will be writing to parents in the coming week to reinforce the guidance on when a test for the virus is required.

Almost 17,500 children were tested in the week after schools returned, putting pressure on the testing system.

He said that he wanted to reassure parents on what to do in scenarios where cold and flu symptoms were present.

He added that the Scottish government wanted to get the guidance across as simply as possible to make sure everyone stayed safe.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson to Raise Pension Concerns Over British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
UK Parliament to Debate Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Following Public Petition
Met Office Warns of Water Safety Risks During Heatwave as Temperatures Peak in England
Treasury Increases Mileage Allowance Payments for 2026–27 Tax Year to 55 Pence Per Mile
UK Government Raises Electricity Generator Levy to 55 Percent in New Revenue Measure
House of Lords Moves Financial Services and Markets Bill to Committee Stage Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
Westminster Hall to Debate Petition on Pro-Israel Influence in UK Politics
UK Parliament Prepares for Estimates Days Debates as Backbench Business Schedule Approved
Armed Forces Bill Nears Final Stages in UK House of Commons With Military Justice Reforms
Donald Trump Comments on UK Political Situation, Citing Immigration and Energy Policy Concerns
Andy Burnham By-Election Victory Fuels Speculation Over Potential Labour Leadership Contest
UK Economy Shows Resilience but Faces Headwinds from Middle East Tensions, UK Finance Says
UK Parliament Opens Week of Debates on Net Zero, Security and Armed Forces Reform
Met Office Issues Amber Extreme Heat Warning as Temperatures Expected to Reach 35C Across England and Wales
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Mounting Leadership Pressure After Makerfield By-Election Defeat
London Hotel Wins World’s Best Afternoon Tea Award at International Hospitality Guide La Liste
Court of Appeal Rules in Favour of Competition and Markets Authority in Phenytoin Drug Case
Chichester Waste Site Suspended After Environment Agency Finds Serious Fire and Pollution Risks
UK Appoints Chris Elmore as Special Envoy on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
Environment Agency Fines Yorkshire Firms Nearly £470,000 for Environmental Permit Breaches
British Chambers of Commerce Says Post-Brexit Trade Deals Have Limited Economic Impact
Resident Doctors to Vote on Government Pay Offer in Ongoing NHS Dispute
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £46.3 Billion in Early Fiscal Year, Driven by Debt Interest Costs
UK Government Unveils £100 Million Package to Strengthen Fire and Rescue Response Capacity
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Despite Easing Inflation
Met Office Extends Amber Heat Warning as Temperatures Forecast to Reach 38C Across Southern England
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Expected to Resign Amid Mounting Labour Party Pressure
UK Government Tightens Procurement Rules to Prioritise National Security and Supply Chain Resilience
National Drought Group Reviews Water Supply Risks After Dry Spring and Ongoing Heatwave
Andy Burnham Faces Leadership Speculation After Weak Local Election Results for Labour
Charity Commission Appoints Interim Managers to Barnabas Aid Amid Financial Investigation
Government Awards £27 Million Leonardo UK Contract to Maintain Military Aircraft Fleet
Environment Agency Suspends Chichester Waste Site Permit Over Fire and Pollution Risks
Border Force Seizes Record Cannabis Shipment in Major UK Criminal Network Disruption
Lloyds Banking Group to Hire 300 Artificial Intelligence Specialists in Digital Expansion Push
UK Government Introduces Alcohol Monitoring Tags for 7,000 Offenders Ahead of Summer Sporting Season
Resident Doctors in England Prepare Vote on Government Pay and Working Conditions Offer
Police Scotland Investigates Suspected Anti-Muslim Attacks in Edinburgh Following Arrest
Met Office Issues Rare Amber Extreme Heat Warning Across Southern and Eastern England
UK Government Unveils Digital Homebuying Reforms to Cut Costs and Speed Up Property Transactions
Train Driver Dies and 89 Injured in Rail Collision Near Bedford as Safety Investigation Begins
Long-Term Economic and Political Effects of Brexit Continue to Shape UK Policymaking
Digital Disinformation Emerges as a Growing National Security Challenge in the United Kingdom
Britain's Dependence on Global Energy Routes Drives Push for More Resilient Supply Chains
Rising Energy Costs Continue to Threaten Britain's Cost-of-Living Recovery
Concerns Grow Over Far-Right Organizing and AI-Driven Online Radicalization in Britain
UK-Led Global Partnerships Conference Calls for Reform of International Development Finance
Middle East Tensions Continue to Weigh on UK Business Confidence
Reports of Middle East Peace Deal Ease Pressure on UK Energy Prices
UK Warns Middle East Conflict Could Worsen Global Food Insecurity
×