Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Friday the country will have the capacity to test 12,000 people for COVID-19 by the middle of the month.
Speaking at her regular coronavirus briefing in Edinburgh, Sturgeon said Scotland had exceeded its target for testing, and currently has the capacity to conduct 8,350 tests per day in its labs.
Testing is considered crucial in getting coronavirus under control, as it allows cases to be identified and isolated.
Sturgeon also confirmed 40 additional deaths from coronavirus from Thursday to Friday, bringing Scotland’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,515.
The first minister also reported that 2,659 patients who had tested positive and been admitted to the hospital have been discharged.
Scotland has reported 11,654 positive cases of the coronavirus.
