Bannockburn spike alarming
Forth Valley’s director of public health has described the rate of infection in Bannockburn as“really quite alarming.”
Dr Graham Foster said the number of cases in the community was equivalent to what they would expect for the whole of Stirling or even Forthvalley.
In the space of a week 43 positive cases were reported in Bannockburn - for a population of 3369 that equates to a staggering rate of 1276 per 100,000.
A rate of infection above 100 is marked red by Public Health Scotland - the most severe of the six ratings given in their online public tableau.
Addressing a media briefing this week, Dr Foster said:“forty-three cases in a week was a huge number for a little community like that. We would normally only see that number for the whole of Stirling or the whole of Forth Valley.”
A major outbreak at Fairview Care Home which has tragically resulted in 10 deaths accounted for half of the cases in Bannockburn.
Dr Foster said:“half of them were probably linked to the care home outbreak but half of them weren’t.”
He added:“even if you took the care home out there was still a worryingly high level in that community.
“And perhaps the care home drew our attention to it but then it didn’t go away as we would have expected it to do.”
Enhanced testing was put in place last weekend in response to the rising number of cases in Bannockburn and Dr Foster reported a“huge uptake”over the past few days with the initial set of appointments being booked up quickly.
A plea was put out for anyone who lives or works in the Bannockburn area to get tested - regardless of whether or not they had symptoms.
The testing centre in Bannockburn will move to the Balfour Centre in Plean today (Wednesday) and will remain in place until
Friday.
The mobile testing unit will then move to Cowie Primary School on Saturday and Sunday. People are being urged to book an appointment for a test online.
Dr Foster explained the rationale behind the enhanced testing.
He said:“we are doing that for two reasons. One - because we have a high rate in the community and we wanted to understand that better and perhaps find people who were infected who did not know they were infected.
“And secondly to raise awareness in the area about the basic protection measures they need to be following. Because with that many people getting infected it must be that lots of people are not following basic instructions.”
Bannockburn SNP councillor Alasdair Macpherson said it is “vital”the mass testing continues in Covid hotspots.
He said:“i welcome the mobile testing sites being located in the Bannockburn ward as the data from Test and Protect have identified local outbreaks.”
“I have spoken to the Scottish Ambulance Service staff, who are doing the testing, and they told me that they have been very busy. I know of a number of asymptomatic people who are getting tested out of social solidarity.”
“Given the unfolding heartbreaking tragedy at Fairview Care Home, it’s vital that mass community testing is continued in hotspots as that it the best way to protect the most vulnerable in our community”
“I suspect that by the time people read this we will be living under even stricter restrictions. I am not convinced that imposing further restrictions is the answer. There is clear evidence that they are causing unquantifiable damage to mental and physical health. I have seen by my casework that it is once again the lowest paid who are facing the brunt as a direct consequence of stricter lockdown measures.”