| Good afternoon, The testing sytem for identifying cases of cornavirus has been described as “shambolic” by opposition politicians after struggling to cope with a surge in demand in the wake of Scottish pupils returning to school. Home testing kits ran out in Scotland and callers looking to book an appointment at test centres in Scotland were directed in some cases to centres in England and Ireland after the system experienced “exceptional demand”. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she was aware of “possible technical issues” with the UK-wide online booking system, which saw some patients in Scotland directed to testing centres as far away as Belfast and as Penrith in Cumbria Full story HERE A message from the editor: While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription. Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up. Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website. Your feedback is really important, please email me with any comments and suggestions at [email protected] Joy Yates Editorial Director JPIMedia Scotland | 