More than half a dozen crew members on a cruise ship moored in the Firth of Forth have tested positive for Covid-19.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines said eight crew members on board its ship Black Watch are confirmed to have the virus and a further six are awaiting results.

The company said those on board are following Public Health England guidance and workers who have tested positive or are feeling ill are not undertaking any duties.

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Around 60 crew remain on the ship, which is one of four of the company's liners currently anchored in the Firth of Forth while sailings are suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

These include the Braemar, which was hit by the virus in the Caribbean last month, with hundreds of passengers flown back to the UK.

A spokesman for the company said: "Fred Olsen Cruise Lines can confirm that a number of crew members aboard its ship Black Watch have tested positive for Covid-19 coronavirus.

"Eight crew members have tested positive, and we are awaiting the results for six others.

"The ship is operating under the current guidance from Public Health England. Each crew member is occupying their own cabin, each with a balcony.

"There are no social gatherings on board. Crew are only leaving their cabins to perform essential duties, which includes bridge watch, engine watch and the preparation of food.

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"Those who have received a positive diagnosis or who are feeling unwell are not undertaking any duties."

The company announced last week that Black Watch, Balmoral, Boudicca, and Braemar are being temporarily anchored in the Firth of Forth near the Port of Rosyth.

Each ship is retaining a "small team on board to continue essential operations".

A Forth Ports spokesman said: "The Black Watch is one of four Fred Olsen Cruise Lines vessels for which Forth Ports is providing safe anchorage out in the River Forth while they are non-operational.

"As the Statutory River Authority, we have instructed that the vessel remains at the anchorage until the appropriate period of self-isolation is complete.

"The ship's owners Fred Olsen Cruise Lines are taking care of the welfare of the crew on board."

The National Bed Federation has said a number of manufacturers have pivoted production to help the NHS tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Said NBF executive director Jessica Alexander: "As with huge swathes of the British economy, traditional bed making has been hard hit by the crisis which has seen much of the retail economy go ‘on pause'.

"While this has brought much of the industry's usual production to a standstill, many of our members have responded to the challenge in a positive and constructive way with some of them working flat out to produce essential supplies for the health service.

"The skills we have as an industry have been diverted to helping the national emergency in many different forms - from assisting the NHS meet its need for an additional 25,000 mattresses to producing foam pads for ventilators, contributing to the vital need for face masks and other essential medical equipment."

Shops and offices across Scotland are being seen as potential easy targets for thieves and vandals during the coronavirus lockdown, according to a business body.

The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) said there has been a spate of attacks on premises across the country, suggesting criminals are exploiting the empty buildings and lack of potential witnesses on the streets.

SBRC is hosting a free webinar which will include advice from police, fire and rescue, and the security sector on the risks and dangers faced by businesses.

SBRC's David MacCrimmon said: "With most of us stranded in our homes, the clear and obvious place that burglars, arsonists and vandals will sadly be looking to will be our empty offices, clubs, bars and shops.

"This could range from a one-off break-in to steal alcohol from a bar, to an organised effort to steal valuable assets.

"But businesses can limit their exposure to the risk - and there are reasonable steps they can still be taking to protect their premises while sticking to lockdown advice. This webinar will give us a chance to fully explain some of those options and for those that sign up to ask questions."

As part of its advice, the webinar will cover tips on what to remove from the premises, what to leave in windows, as well as how and when to safely visit.

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Gary Wood, a watch commander with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: "With many businesses temporarily closed due to the current Government restrictions on Covid-19, premises may now be unoccupied.

"Fire does not discriminate and can strike at any time including periods of unprecedented situations such as the global pandemic we currently face. But with a number of straightforward steps, it is possible to appropriately manage fire risk within your temporarily vacant premises.

"The watchwords are 'Protect the building - Protect the business'. There can be a link between fire risk and criminality in terms of the risk of wilful fire-raising."

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