Scotland has recorded 19 coronavirus-linked deaths and 11,685 new cases in the past 24 hours, the highest case numbers since early January, according to the latest figures.

       It means the number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 has risen to 10,888.

       There were 1,440 people in hospital on Monday with recently confirmed Covid-19, up 80 on the previous day, with 19 in intensive care, up one.

       So far 4,438,843 people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccination, 4,163,548 have received their second dose, and 3,454,185 have received a third dose or booster.

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       The number of new cases is the highest since January 11, when 12,604 were reported.

       It comes as the Scottish Government said that patients with Covid-19 symptoms will be asked to contact their GP instead of NHS 24 from the end of March.

       The move follows a fall in the number of people using the service since the end of December and represents a return to pre-pandemic procedures.

       Currently callers to the 111 helpline are assessed and, if necessary, transferred to a local community hub staffed by clinicians from across the healthcare system.

       From March 31, patients will be asked to contact their GP in the first instance during the working day, as they already do for other respiratory conditions, however if help and advice is required out of hours, people should still call 111.

       NHS 24 staff have provided an excellent service to the people of Scotland throughout the pandemic, both over the phone and online

       Steph Phillips, NHS 24

       Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf, said: “This move represents another welcome step back towards normality.

       “Call numbers and the number of serious cases are falling and the tailored arrangements put in place at the height of the pandemic are no longer required.

       “But we remain on alert and, should a more serious variant of the virus emerge, the service can, and will, be swiftly restored.

       “We are continuing to support GP practices as they manage acute Covid cases. The GP Escalation Framework remains in place to help health boards and practices deal with sustainability issues and we will invest ￡15 million this year in sustainability payments”.

       The Scottish Government said that several health boards have continued using GP practices as the first port of call for Covid-related calls during the pandemic, including Dumfries and Galloway, and Tayside, and stated that is now considered appropriate to return to this approach nationwide.

       It said that NHS Inform’s coronavirus webpage remains the fastest way for people to obtain the latest health advice and information.

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       Steph Phillips, NHS 24’s director of service delivery, said: “NHS 24 staff have provided an excellent service to the people of Scotland throughout the pandemic, both over the phone and online.

       “We will continue to update the information and symptom checker on NHS Inform and encourage people to use this resource.”