Scottish pub cluster of 32 coronavirus cases could rise further, Nicola Sturgeon warns

The number of people infected by an outbreak of coronavirus linked to an Aberdeen pub has risen to 32, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The first minister warned on Tuesday that the number of people who contracted the virus at the Hawthorn Bar on 26 July could grow even further.

Sturgeon said 5 of Scotland's 23 new positive cases were detected by NHS Grampian and were linked to the cluster, which emerged on Sunday.

Two staff members in the pub were said to have tested positive and the venue has now closed because of the outbreak.

"This particular cluster is another reminder that this virus is still out there and hasn't gone away,” Sturgeon said.

"It remains extremely infectious and, of course, it remains extremely dangerous and all of of us have a part to play in denying it the opportunities to spread."

She said 120 contacts had been identified through the test and protect system and added that the incident management team had recorded an increased number of cases, up from 27 to 32.

Sturgeon urged anyone who had been contacted by the system to self-isolate for 14 days, emphasising that the need to quarantine “should be seen as non-negotiable”

"For example, on a Monday you might test negative for the virus but by the Tuesday you might have developed the virus without knowing it,” Sturgeon added.

“At that point you could be infectious and yet it might not be until the Thursday or the Friday that you start to show any symptoms.

"In fact you might never show any symptoms at all but, if you are not isolating, you could nevertheless be spreading the virus."

Ms Sturgeon also urged employers not to think that testing a member of staff who is a close contact of a positive case is an alternative to self isolation.

She added: "That is simply not the case and I must stress that. There are simply no shortcuts here when it comes to trying to contain the spread of this virus."

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