The Scottish Government will join a minute’s silence for front-line workers who have died while tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister said there are “signs of progress” in tackling the virus as she announced a total of 1,262 patients have now died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus – up 13 from 1,249 on Sunday.

She said during her daily briefing that 10,521 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, a rise of 197 from 10,324 the day before.

There are 1,762 people in hospital with the virus, while 134 are in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms.

Ms Sturgeon said 2,380 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have now been able to leave hospital and she said the number of people in intensive care has fallen by around a third in the last fortnight

Outlining “real signs of progress”, she said hospital numbers have also stabilised.

But she added now is not a time to “throw caution to the wind”, as even a slight easing up in restrictions could lead to the virus “running out of control”.

The First Minister confirmed the Scottish Government will join in a minute’s silence at 11am on Tuesday to pay tribute to people who have died from the virus while working.

She said the tribute will be “particularly, but not exclusively” for health and care workers.

“The silence will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have died as a result of their work to serve, care for and save others and it will be a further reminder that of all the duties Government bares during a situation like this, the most vital is our obligation to keep care and health workers safe,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“I want to stress again today that I and the Scottish Government are acutely aware of that responsibility and will work each and every day to do everything we can to fulfil that obligation.”

The First Minister said Scottish Government officials are looking at how the lockdown measures can be lifted but she said the reopening of Scotland will not be a “flick of the switch action”.

She added: “In the coming days, I will say more about the different options under consideration and how we’re going about assessing those.”

The First Minister also urged business owners not to reopen if they cannot adhere to the social distancing measures put in place by the Government, saying a further increase could hit the economy and individual companies harder than remaining in lockdown.