CASES SURGED

Rise across city in first week of 2021

CA SES o f Co v i d - 1 9 cont i nued to r ise in Glasgow in the first week of the new year as Scotland went into tougher lockdown. The latest statistics show that in the seven days up to January 8 there had been another 2470 positive tested cases across the city.

The number took the city through the 2000 mark and was another big rise from the 1915 recorded in the previous week, up to January 1.

It is the third consecutive rise in the weekly figures for Glasgow since December 18 when there were 950 positive tests registered in the week.

It saw the rate per 100,000 of population, a key indicator used by the Government to decide on lockdown restrictions, increasing from 302.5 per 100,000 to 390.1 per 100,000.

And the percentage of all tests carried out that were positive increased from 12.7% to 13.1%.

The period covers the days before and after the stricter ‘ stay at home’ lockdown was put in place.

The rise, of 555, while very high at 29%, was lower than the previous weekly increase, between Christmas and New Year which was 879 or 85%.

Glasgow’s rate of 390 per 100,000 was higher than the Scottish average of 298 per 100,000.

It put the city as the fifth highest in Scotland, with North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire Dumfries and Galloway and Inverclyde all recording a higher rate.

The areas in Glasgow with the highest number of cases were Craigend/ Ruchazie and Parkhead West and Barrowfield with 45 new positive cases each.

Braidfauld had 39 cases and Penilee had 38. Drumchapel North and Nitshill both had 36 cases, while Mount Vernon and Sandyhills had 35.

Others with 39 or more in the week were Darnley West, 34, Carntyne, and North Barlanark/ Easterhouse South both with 32, Possilpark with 31 and Carnwadric West, Darnley East and Robroyston/ Millerston all with 30.

They were among the areas in the city with a rate of more than 400 per 100,000 population.

The number of areas with the highest level, shown as purple on the map, doubled from 31 to 62 in a week.

There were another 58 where the rate was between 200 and 399 per 100,000, shown as the second darkest purple on the map.

They included Cranhill, Lightburn and Queenslie South, Hillhead and Ruchill, all three with 25 new cases, and Anniesland West with 23.

There were no areas where the virus was down to between zero and two cases in a week and is considered to be suppressed.

The difference in the number of areas with very few cases also shows the spread of the virus across Glasgow in recent weeks.

Just two weeks earlier there had been 19 areas where the virus was “suppressed” in the at week.

Instead, the lowest areas for the last seven days were those with a rate of between 50 and 99.

There were just two of those, City Centre South with three cases and Kelvingrove/ University with four.

There were another 14 where the rate was between 100 and 199 where cases ranged from 5 to 14 over the seven days.

They were Baillieston West,

Broomhill, City Centre East, City Centre West, Dennistoun, Dowanhill, Finnieston and Kelvinhagh, Firhill, Gallowgate North and Bellgrove, Kelvindale, Kelvinside and Jordanhill, Scotstoun North and East, Victoria Park and Woodlands

The Glasgow Figure highlight the increase of Covid 19 over late December and into January.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that “we are in a really dangerous situation”.

As she revealed the latest daily statistics for Scotland she said: “I hope we’ll see case numbers stabilise in the days to come. But that will only be possible, and if we do achieve it, it will only be sustainable if we all stay at home.

“We already have more people in hospital with Covid than at any time since the pandemic started. That is putting our health service under strain, and our current case numbers mean that this pressure will continue in the weeks to come.

“So all of us must try not to add to that.

“Especially with the faster spreading new variant, all of us need to do everything we can to stick to the rules of this lockdown.”

The latest figures showed there were 1782 new positive cases in Scotland in the last 24 hours and 595 were in the greater Glasgow area. There were 1664 people in hospital – an increase of 126 and there were 126 in intensive care, which was an increase of three.

One further death was registered.

Seven- day positive rate per 100,000 population