BREAKING: Further Dumfries and Galloway coronavirus cases confirmed as visiting patients in hospitals suspended

There are now six confirmed cases of coronavirus in Dumfries and Galloway.

The Scottish Government revealed today that four more people had tested positive in addition to the two announced on Wednesday.

That has taken the Scottish total to 266, with six people having died.

Meanwhile, NHS Dumfries and Galloway has suspended visiting times for inpatient wards in all hospitals across the region in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway Medical Director Dr Kenneth Donaldson said: “We understand that suspending visiting will impact on families and patients and we know that not being able to visit family members whilst they are in hospital may be upsetting.

"We hope that they will understand that we have made this very difficult decision in the best interests of our patients.

“We would like to remind everyone coming into hospital to follow NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s hand hygiene and hand washing advice and we asking everyone not to visit our hospitals if they have any flu-like symptoms, a cough, a fever or a cold – or if they generally feel unwell.”