Fife recorded Scotland’s biggest daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases on Tuesday as “historical” tests were added to the country’s overall tally.
The figure for the total number of people in the kingdom who have tested positive for Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic rose from 836 to 871 on Tuesday, up by 35 on Monday, due to a “discrepancy” in the reporting of cases across the area in late May.
The figure marked the biggest daily increase Fife has recorded since April 17.
NHS Fife say a “software issue” meant reports on positive Covid-19 tests in the area did not reach Health Protection Scotland (HPS) for a period of time in late May.
As a result, they were not included in the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus figures until Tuesday, June 2.
NHS Fife’s director of public health Dona Milne said: “In recent days NHS Fife identified a discrepancy during a period in late May where positive lab reports for Covid-19 cases in NHS Fife did not reach Health Protection Scotland in order that they were included in the daily Scottish Government Coronavirus figures.
“This lag in data reporting was due to a software issue that has since been resolved; resulting in some cases that were not included in the Scottish Government figures for Fife over the period. These cases have now been added to the Scottish figures.
“It is important to provide assurance that all positive test results were, however, captured on NHS Fife’s local reporting system.
“Critically, this ensured that all positive cases in Fife were followed up and contact traced in-line with current Scottish Government Guidelines.”
It comes as the total number of positive cases across Scotland as a whole rose to 15,471 – an increase of 53 on Monday.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had said 40 of these cases recorded in the past 24 hours were from “older” test results which were only added to the overall tally on Tuesday.
The Scottish Government website referred to them as “historical tests”.
Speaking at her daily briefing in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon said: “As of 9am this morning there have been 15,471 positive cases confirmed, which is an increase of 53 from the figures I gave you yesterday.
“However, I need you to note today that this figure of 53 includes 40 older, positive test results which have only been received today and are being added to the overall total now.”
Five people in Fife are now said to be in intensive care suffering from coronavirus. Sixty people are in Fife hospitals having tested positive.
In Tayside the number of positive cases from Monday into Tuesday was unchanged at 1,671. Ten people are still said to be in the region’s hospitals suffering from the disease.
Scotland’s coronavirus death toll now sits at 2,375.
