TESTING TIMES

Mobile test centre for Covid set up in Hamilton

A mobile testing unit appeared in Hamilton at the weekend amid concern the town was becoming a coronavirus hotspot.

New figures show over 1000 people tested positive for Covid- 19 across South Lanarkshire last week.

And the wider Hamilton area accounted for almost half of the cases.

The arrival of the testing unit comes after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was tackled about the situation in the town by Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon.

And Ms Sturgeon said: “Provision of local access to testing through mobile testing units and, increasingly, through the new walkin centres that are being established, are important.”

The Hamilton area has 43 per cent of South Lanarkshire’s cases and the mobile testing unit is at the town’s

Low Parks Museum.

New figures show 1010 people tested positive for coronavirus across South Lanarkshire last week (October 12 to 18).

That is an increase of 122 on the previous seven days and a new weekly record for confirmed coronavirus cases in the region.

In neighbouring North Lanarkshire 1004 cases were recorded last week, a jump of 187.

According to figures published by Public Health Scotland, the wider Hamilton area had 436 cases last week – 43 per cent of the 1010 positive cases.

The Hamilton area includes parts of Hamilton, Blantyre, Bothwell, Uddingston, and Larkhall.

Breakdown of the neighbourhood figures: Ashgill and Netherburn (11); *Bothwell North (1-4); Blantyre North and Coatshill (16); Bothwell South (7); Burnbank Central and Udston (17);

Burnbank North (16); Earnock (25); Fairhill (12); High Blanytre (17); Hillhouse (5); Laighstonehall (17); Low Blantyre and Bardykes (16); Lowwaters (23);Whitehill (16); Hamilton Centre and Low Parks (22); Little Earnock (36); Larkhall Central, Raploch, Millheugh and Burnhead (19); Blantyre South andwheatlands (24); Strutherhill (21); Merryton and Meadowhill (15); Hareleeshill (20); Silvertonhill (12); Burnbank South and Chantinghall (31); Eddlewood (18); and Uddingston and Gardenside (19).

*Where a neighbourhood has fewer than five cases this is being presented as 1-4 to help protect patient confidentiality.

South Lanarkshire has a seven-day positive rate of 315.1 per 100,000.

In the First Minister’s daily briefing on Wednesday (October 21) she confirmed Lanarkshire had recorded 520 daily cases with the region being second to Glasgow, which was on 605.