Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
MILITARY CALLED IN AS COVID CASES SOAR
Health board gets assistance as pressure mounts
The military is being called in to help NHS Lanarkshire as Covid cases soar across Monkands – with North Lanarkshire seeing a staggering 113.2 per cent increase in cases last week compared with the previous seven days.
The health board is under “substantial pressure” as it battles the Omicron variant as 992 new positive tests were reported in the area on New Year’s Eve.
The military is once again being called in to help NHS Lanarkshire as Covid cases soar across Monkands – with North Lanarkshire seeing a staggering 113.2 per cent increase in cases last week compared with the previous seven days.
The health board is under “substantial pressure” at the start of the year as it battles the coronavirus Omicron variant.
In North Lanarkshire, between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, 6851 people had a confirmed positive Covid test result.
This was up 113.2 per cent on the week before, with one death registered in the area between December 27 and January 2 within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test.
A total of 992 new people in North Lanarkshire had a confirmed positive test result reported on New Year’s Eve.
As a result of the rising figures, 32 military service personnel will begin induction training on Friday and assist medics across the county for four weeks.
This marks the second time in three months that military assistance has been provided in the area, with 63 personnel ranging from medics to drivers being called in during October.
Health secretary Humza Yousaf said:“the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is adding to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS which is why boards have requested military support to complement existing resources.”