Infection record high as virus hits one in 45 Scots

THE number of people with coronavirus in Scotland has reached a record high.

Infection rates north of the Border are now so prevalent they outstrip anywhere else in the UK.

The latest figures come as the country recorded another 22 deaths yesterday and 6,815 new cases in a 24-hour period.

Around one in 45 people had Covid-19 in the week to September 3, an increase from one in 75 the previous week, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The figures, relating to people in private households rather than in places such as care homes and hospitals, are the highest since estimates began for Scotland in October last year.

In Wales, approximately one in 65 people are estimated to have had Covid-19 in the week to September 3, up from one in 110 the previous week, and the highest level since the week to December 23, 2020.

In Northern Ireland, the latest estimate is one in 60, up from one in 65 the previous week.

Across England, around one in 70 people had Covid-19 in the week to September 3, unchanged from the previous two weeks.

NHS bosses said yesterday the pressure continued to grow on the service as continuing high rates of infection saw growing numbers of people ending up in hospital. NHS Grampian saw a 40 per cent surge in patients suffering from the virus admitted this week.

It is asking for the public’s support to help lift the pressure and ensure emergency admissions can receive the highest standard of care possible.

There are around 50 patients in hospital in the region, with about ten in intensive care. The volume of admissions follows weeks of rocketing infection rates in Grampian and it is seriously affecting patient capacity.

NHS Grampian consultant Hugh Bishop said: ‘The support we need from the public is four-fold.

‘Firstly, if you haven’t done already, go and get vaccinated if you are eligible and able to. Not getting vaccinated might well be the reason you end up in intensive care, posing a risk to your health and your life, and if your admission could have been avoided by being vaccinated, you are potentially taking away a bed or resource from a patient for whom vaccination has not been effective, an emergency trauma admission or a cancer patient and putting extra pressure on our system.

‘Thanks to the vaccine we are seeing a smaller percentage of those infected needing hospital treatment and vastly fewer deaths. However, with cases at current levels, a small percentage of a big number is a big number still being admitted.’

The consultant continued: ‘Secondly, stop the spike. Don’t see all your friends or family at once, and where you can, meet people outdoors. In shops and other settings where it is advised, wear a face covering.

‘Thirdly, phone 111 before attending at the Emergency Department or a Minor Injury Unit, unless you find yourself in a

‘Get vaccinated if you are eligible’ ‘Allow us to reduce waiting times’

life-threatening situation – for example a suspected heart attack or stroke, in which case phone 999. This allows us to manage flow through the hospital better and reduce waiting times.

‘Lastly, if you have a friend or a relative who is in hospital and is ready for discharge, please come and get them as soon as possible.’

Mr Bishop added: ‘We see a huge number of discharges at around 6pm every night, as people come to collect their loved ones after their work.

‘We need people to collect their loved ones as early as possible. It helps us increase capacity in the hospital and free up beds.’