Continuing vigilance in fight against coronavirus

At the time of writing a small number of coronavirus (covid-19) cases had been identified in Scotland.

Scottish Government advice is to:

avoid direct hand contact with your eyes, nose and mouth

maintain good hand hygiene – washing hands with soap and water or alcohol hand sanitiser before eating and drinking, and after coughing, sneezing and going to the toilet

avoid direct contact with people that have a respiratory illness and avoiding using their personal items such as their mobile phone

cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing with disposable tissues and dispose of them in the nearest waste bin after use.

On Wednesday this week, the UK had 456 confirmed cases of coronavirus (covid-19), with six of those having died. In Scotland, 36 cases had been confirmed at that point.

Health authorities in Argyll and Bute report they remain vigilant over the virus.

A spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership said: ‘NHS Highland is having regular meetings to discuss and plan preparedness and resilience for coronavirus. Public safety is our top priority and we are actively working with colleagues nationally to ensure we are well prepared to address any suspected cases which may present. We have well-rehearsed procedures in place to deal with coronavirus, having developed steps to deal with any such communicable virus.’

A spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council said: ‘We are keen to help people look after themselves and others and so are sharing NHS information on social media, our staff intranet and through other channels.

‘We have well-established arrangements for working with our health partners and will continue to follow NHS advice on actions required in Argyll and Bute.

‘Anyone wishing information can visit www.nhsinform.scot or phone 0800 028 2816.’