Pharmacies are to be asked to stay open over the Easter weekend to help ease pressure on out-of-hours health services.

The Health Secretary, Jeane Freeman, said she was asking pharmacists to keep shops open on Good Friday and Easter Monday where possible.

Ms Freeman announced funding of £5.5m to allow shops in communities to respond to extra demand form coronavirus.

She said community pharmacies were doing an “invaluable job” making sure people were still able to get vital medicine while the NHS was under serious pressures.

She added: “Given the exceptional situation we are in, I have taken the unusual step of asking community pharmacies to remain open on Good Friday and Easter Monday, where it is possible to do so. This will help to alleviate some pressure from out-of-hours services.

“Working with the Community Pharmacy Scotland we have agreed this initial package of additional funding for community pharmacies to help them meet some of the costs of responding to COVID-19 and to allow them to continue to meet the increased demand on their crucial services.”

The Health Secretary made the announcement as Nicola Sturgeon revealed another increase in deaths in Scotland from coronavirus.

On Tuesday the number of people who have died in Scotland after contracting coronavirus is now 296, a rise of 74 from 222 on Monday’s figure.

Ms Sturgeon explained the higher increase because of a change to recording deaths with just four reported over the weekend.

When she gave those figures on Monday, the First Minister said they were “artificially low”.

In total, 4,229 people have tested positive for coronavirus across Scotland an increase of 268 and the number of patients being treated in hospital for Covid-19 is 1,751, an increase of 152.

She said there were 199 people in intensive care.

Ms Sturgeon said that people should not expect the lockdown measures to be lifted soon.

She warned that even when Scotland reaches the peak, whenever that arrives, the restrictions will need to remain to bring down cases and prevent a flare up.

The First Minister, said: “The measures are not about to be lifted next week. It is for the long haul.”

She warned against people becoming “fixated” with the peak.

Ms Sturgeon added: “It is not the case that as soon as the peak is over things get back to normal.

“When we come out of the peak, we need to come down from it. We need to stick with it, not just to keep the virus at bay for a little while but to stop it.”

Ms Sturgeon said the government was working to address any issues with personal protection equipment for all staff in health and care services who needed it.

The First Minister urged anyone with concerns about not having the right equipment to contact the government if the did not get it resolved with their own management.

She said: “There is understandable anxiety on the front line. Supplies are never something we are going to be able to relax on with global pressure.”