Explosion of 1,000 virus cases in a week
A DRAMATIC rise in new Covid-19 cases has sparked fears that the virus is tightening its grip on Scotland.
A total of 994 people tested positive for coronavirus in the past seven days, the highest weekly increase since May.
In contrast, only 50 people tested positive in the first seven days of July. Across the country, 141 positive results were confirmed yesterday.
According to Scottish Government figures, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde saw the biggest growth in cases, jumping from 5,709 to 5,777 in a 24-hour period, an increase of 68.
In the past seven days there have been 454 new cases in the region.
The First Minister reimposed household visiting restrictions in Scotland’s biggest city last week.
Since then, a KFC branch in the South Side of the city has shut after six staff tested positive. On Friday, a Glasgow call centre, Kura, was closed for a deep clean after a worker tested positive, and a McDonald’s outlet in the city has also been affected.
Meanwhile, there are concerns about a surge in Lanarkshire. The NHS health board area recorded a jump in positive results of 20, from 3,044 on Friday to 3,064 on Saturday.
NHS Lanarkshire director of public health Gabe Docherty said: ‘Lanarkshire is very close to facing additional Covid-19 restrictions similar to those in Glasgow and neighbouring areas.’
In Fife, it was revealed that an Amazon worker at its Dunfermline centre, which employs around 1,000 people, had tested positive.
The Highlands has also seen a number of confirmed cases with 30 linked to an abattoir, Millers of Speyside,
in Grantown-on-Spey, Moray, leading to a 14-day closure.
The nursery at Deshar Primary School in Boat of Garten, Invernessshire, has been temporarily shut and visiting to care homes in the Grantown area is restricted.
However, as of yesterday evening, there were no new deaths in Scotland and the number of patients in intensive care dropped from four to two.
There were 251 patients being treated in hospital, down seven from the previous day.
These declines may be linked to Scots generally adhering to social distancing rules. Even with greater police powers to break up gatherings and house parties hosting more than 15 people, only three people were arrested between August 26 and September 2. Seven were given fixed penalty notices for activities such as refusing to wear masks in shops.
In total, 3,365 notices have been issued since March and 290 arrests made.