Steep rise in number of Covid cases

Lanarkshire has already had more Covid cases in October than in the previous three months combined.

A total of 2553 cases have been confirmed in October so far.

For the three months between July and September, 1651 new cases were announced.

In total, 1406 people tested positive for coronavirus across the region from October 5 to October 11, up from 716 in the previous week (September 28 to October 4).

The figure is a new weekly record for confirmed coronavirus cases in the region and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed a new daily record of 337 new Covid-19 cases in the area.

More cases are now being recorded in Lanarkshire per head of the population than anywhere else in Scotland.

Lanarkshire saw 212.4 cases per 100,000 residents – more than Greater Glasgow and Clyde (193), Ayrshire and Arran ( 124.8) and Lothian (106.8).

Overall, 6928 people in Lanarkshire have now tested positive for coronavirus, meaning Lanarkshire is officially the secondworst hit region in Scotland from coronavirus after overtaking Lothian (6904).

The news came as further figures revealed there were more than three cases of coronavirus for every 1000 residents in Rutherglen and Cambuslang.

The worst affected local areas were Farme Cross and Gallowflat North (22) and Halfway, Hallside and Drumsagard (21), which both recorded at least 20 new cases over a one week period earlier this month.

For neighbourhoods with the most cases per 1000 residents, the worst affected were Bankhead South (4.62), Burnhill and Bankhead North (5.74), Farme Cross and Gallowflat North ( 6.38) and Fernhill and Cathkin (4.18).

The data also showed that almost half of the new coronavirus cases reported in South Lanarkshire early in October were in the Hamilton area.