Ayrshire contact tracers are in place as coronavirus numbers are updated and lockdown is extended.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran has staff ready to take forward contact tracing as part of the Test, Trace, Isolate (TTI) system.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran confirmed it has staff in place to take forward contact tracing for COVID-19 and that plans are being developed in line with Scottish Government policy.

A spokesperson for the healthboard said: "We are working hard to identify suitable additional staff to take on this key role. Our plans will have sufficient flexibility to rapidly ‘scale-up’ staff numbers, as required."

The Scottish Government is legally required to review the measures on lockdown every three weeks and today is was announced it would be extended.

The First Minister said: "We are together making really significant progress in our efforts to get this virus under control.

"We’re not yet confident that the R number is comfortably below one.

"The lockdown and the associated regulations must remain in place just now."

Seven more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Ayrshire, the total is now 853.

There are two fewer people in hospitals since yesterday, 54 in total with suspected or confirmed coronavirus, and seven are being treated in ICU.

A further 59 people who tested positive have died in Scotland, bringing the coronavirus death toll by this measurement to 1,762.

Nicola Sturgeon said: "These numbers are not just statistics, they represent real people whose loss is being mourned."

12,924 people have tested positive for COVID-19 across the country, an increase of 215 in 24 hours.

1,587 patients are in hospital, a decrease of 45, 86 are in ICU, down 3, and 2,954 have been discharged.

There have been reports that the Prime Minister may announce an easing of lockdown on Sunday, including reopening outdoor cafes and allowing golfing and fishing.

However, these remain unconfirmed and Ms Sturgeon said none of these plans had been discussed with the Scottish Government.

Answering questions from journalists at today's press briefing, she said that she is expecting a call from Boris Johnson later today.

On whether Scotland would follow any change in the restrictions, she said: “I don’t want someone in Scotland to ask me: ‘Why on earth did you start to lift these measures before you were certain we had this virus sufficiently under control?’”

She said every piece of evidence she has heard is that there is a very real risk of a second wave of the infection later in the year and the scale of that depends on the timing of the lifting of the lockdown measures.