Fewer than 200 fresh cases of coronavirus have been identified in Scotland in the past 24 hours.

Scottish Government statistics have revealed that 178 positive coronavirus tests have been recorded since Wednesday - 26 fewer than the day before.

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There were five additional death of someone who tested positive for the disease within the past 28 days has been registered, meaning the death toll under this measure now is 7,659.

Separate figures from National Records of Scotland, which count the number where Covid-19 was mentioned on a death certificate, put the toll at 10,078 deaths up to 25 April.

Due to the ongoing Scottish parliament election, the First Minister did not appear in a televised briefing. 

The test positivity rate was 0.8 per cent, lower than the 5% the World Health Organisation (WHO) believes indicates a pandemic is coming under control. 

Together with the number of fresh cases, these numbers were last seen in September last year after efforts to suppress the virus with the first lockdown. 

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According to the latest statistics, the vaccination programme has now administered 2,796,810 first doses, while 1,184,629 have received a second. 

A total of 70 people remain in hospital receiving treatment for the virus, a fall of five, while 12 people are in intensive care, 10 of them for longer than 28 days.