How pandemic unfolded
January 31
The first mention of the deadly virus in the pages of the Stirling Observer was in our edition of January 31.
We told how NHS Forth Valley’s healthcare associated infection executive had given assurance to the board that they were prepared should NHS Forth Valley be faced with any cases of “the Wuhan coronavirus”.
February 21
By the following month, the Observer told how Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford praised the work of laboratory staff across Scotland for helping to keep the coronavirus at bay.
March 4
People across Stirling were being urged not to panic over fears about the spread of coronavirus after the first Scottish case was confirmed.
Fears were being felt locally with hand sanitiser selling out in city centre pharmacies and shelves were emptied in Superdrug and Bodycare and sales limited to two per customer in Boots in the Thistles. A testing centre was set up at Lochview Hospital in Larbert.
March 6
Forth Valley recorded its first confirmed case of coronavirus as the country was on high alert.
A resident tested positive on Thursday, March 5 in the first known case in the Forth Valley area. The infected person was said to have been in contact with another known to have the disease. NHS bosses said the patient’s location could not be disclosed but assured residents they had contacted all those who may be at risk of catching the virus from them.
It also emerged that a Forth Valley College lecturer had gone into self-isolation. It was thought the lecturer had recently returned from Italy where a total of 107 people had been killed by the coronavirus at that time. The lecturer, based at the Stirling campus, made the decision to selfisolate, without being formally diagnosed, to reduce the risk of passing the virus on to students.
March 11
The second positive Covid case was detected in Forth Valley. An NHS Forth Valley spokeswoman said: “If you have not been contacted directly then you are not at any potential risk. For patient confidentiality reasons no further information will be released that could identify the patients.’’
March 13
Nine school pupils from the Stirling Council area and seven local authority employees were forced into self-isolation as the pandemic worsened. The news came on the same day that the Scottish Government revealed that the number of confirmed cases in Forth Valley had trebled, rising from two to six.
Traders were also being urged to maintain fair prices for products that were in high demand. Products such as toilet roll, hand sanitiser and even dried foods, such as pasta and rice, were in higher demand due to panic buying.
March 18
The latest figures released by the NHS revealed that 12 people in the Forth Valley had been confirmed as having the virus. The spread of the virus caused the shutdown of leisure and arts facilities across Stirling. Stirling Council announced that council-run libraries, ticket offices, gig venues and community centres would be closed until further notice, however, schools remained open.
March 20
City supermarkets were forced to introduce measures to safeguard items for the vulnerable. With panic buying leading to empty shelves in a number of shops and stores, supermarket chains made changes to operating hours to allow shoppers deemed to be at high risk of contracting the virus to get essential supplies.
March 23
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a live TV broadcast in which he announced a nationwide lockdown as the Covid-19 crisis deepened.
March 25
We told how Stirling was coming to terms with the lockdown after the government ordered everyone to stay at home. Residents were only allowed to go out to shops for essentials, get medical attention, exercise or travel to work if necessary and visits with family and friends were banned. Schools were also shut. Sixteen Scots had died from the virus with 43 positive tests in the Forth Valley area compared to 584 across Scotland.
March 27
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admitted cancelling the SQA exams was one of the hardest decisions she has made during the coronavirus outbreak. It was the first time in Scottish history exams have had to be cancelled.
April 1
Hundreds of people across Stirling showed their heartfelt thanks to the NHS heroes fighting to save those struck down by the virus. The sound of cheering and applause filled the air as part of the national Clap For Our Carers movement.
April 3
Up to 30 Stirling residents stranded abroad amidst the pandemic were to be flown home under a new arrangement between the UK government and a number of airlines. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office announced the move as Virgin, Easyjet, Jet2 and Titan Airways signed a memorandum of understanding negotiated by the Foreign Secretary and Transport Secretary. Residents were stranded as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Dubai, New York, Spain, Germany, South Africa and Japan.
There were fears that the global health crisis could drive a number of local firms out of business. Business owners in the Trossachs tourist of town of Callander were left fearing that the lockdown could lead to further problems down the line.
April 8
A total of 296 people across Scotland had died after contracting Covid-19. The latest updates delivered by ministers revealed that a total of 4229 people had tested positive for the virus in Scotland - with 231 testing positive in the Forth Valley area.
A drive-through coronavirus testing facility opened at Stirling Health and Care Village. The move saw NHS Forth Valley test up to 200 frontline health and social care staff each day.
April 10
Almost 400 student nurses – and up to nine staff – from the University of Stirling joined healthcare workers on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus. As part of the emergency response, the UK and Scottish Governments called upon all student nurses – apart from those in first year – to support the national effort by choosing to fulfil their next placement as a paid member of NHS staff.
A total of 27 people were confirmed to have died in the Forth Valley region as a result of the outbreak.
April 15
We told how police in Forth Valley had issued 44 fixed penalty notices in just two weeks to people failing to comply with the coronavirus lockdown. Under emergency powers a total of 44 fixed penalty notices were handed out between March 27 and April 9.
Health chiefs emphasised that lockdown measures would continue as the Scottish death toll from the virus passed the 600 mark. The latest figures revealed that a total of 615 deaths had been recorded in Scotland from those who had received a positive test for Covid-19.
April 17
Elderly and vulnerable people in Callander were encouraged to stay indoors and stay safe amid fears they are being tempted to venture out. Community activists and volunteers made themselves available to run errands and pick up supplies for those who need to stay at home – and even for a chat.
April 22
A case
of coronavirus was confirmed within a sheltered housing complex in Causewayhead. In a letter shown to the Observer, which was circulated to residents, bosses at Hanover Court said: ‘This letter is to inform you that there has been a confirmed case of coronavirus identified at your development’.
April 24
It was revealed that at least £200million could be wiped off the value of tourism in Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park because of the lockdown. Chair of leading national park charity Friends of LLTNP, James Fraser, said that a prolonged lockdown could see at least a quarter of tourism businesses lost and more than 1200 redundancies.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that social distancing “will be a fact of life for a long time to come” as she opened up about her coronavirus lockdown exit strategy. Ms Sturgeon said social distancing measures will have to be applied “certainly until treatments and ultimately a vaccine offer different solutions” and went on to say: “So that means possibly for the rest of this year, and maybe even beyond.”
The true scale of the region’s fight with Covid-19 away from hospitals was laid bare by new data showing the numbers who have died from the virus so far. According to the figures released by the National Records of Scotland, 34 people from the Stirling Council area had passed away from the virus - with just under a third of those (11) being recorded away from hospitals at either care homes or elsewhere.
April 29
A defiant dozen ignored lockdown rules to gather at a pub in Tullibody. Police were tipped off by a local about the group at the Abercromby Arms and they swooped on the Stirling Road pub. A total of 12 people – 11 men and one woman – were hit with fines for breaching lockdown rules.
Three cases of the virus were confirmed at a centre at Stirling Care Village. The outbreak occurred at the Bellfield Centre – an elderly care and rehab unit. A spokesperson for Clackmannanshire and Stirling Health and Social Care Partnership told the Observer: “We currently have three confirmed coronavirus cases out of 130 service users at the Bellfield Centre, who are all nearing the end of their required two-week isolation period and recovering well.”