New Covid cases almost double in Glasgow in a week

The Public Health Scotland data shows a rapid rise in positive tests for the last seven days, up to June 25, last Friday.

For the seven day period there were 2076 positive cases recorded in Glasgow.

READ MORE:Scotland records highest number of coronavirus cases since start of outbreak

The previous seven days between June 12 and 18, there were 1090 positive test results registered.

It means the rate per 100,000 people for Glasgow jumped from 172 to 327 in the space of a week.

Glasgow, even with the big rise was not the highest local authority area in Scotland.

The council areas with the highest rate were all in the east of the country.

Dundee was highest at 657 per 100,000 followed by East Lothian, at 627, Midlothian on 566 and Edinburgh at 543 per 100,000.

Glasgow was still above the overall Scottish average.

In the city there were 39 local areas with a rate of more than 400 per 100,000, the highest category.

The top four for cases were Pollok South and West with 49 cases over the week, a rate of 772 per 100,000.

Next was Summerston Central and West with 32 cases and a rate of 714 per 100,000.

Crookston South was third with 23 cases, a rate of 680 followed by Darnley North with 23 , a rate of 677 and Cardonald South and Est was the fifth highest in the city with 21 new cases and a rate of 657 per 100,000.

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Almost all of Glasgow recorded a rate of more than 100 per 100,000 population.

There were 71 areas with the second highest rating, 200-399 cases per 100,000 and another 25 at between 100 to 199.

There were no areas at between 50 and 99 or at 3-49.

There was only one area in the city where the virus was so low it was between 0 and 2 positive cases over the week.

Sighthill, home to 900 people, recorded the lowest level.

Despite the rise, Glasgow is still on track with the rest of Scotland to move to level zero next month and then have all restrictions lifted by the end of August.

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Because the big increase in positive cases is not leading to a similar big increase in people being admitted to hospital or needing intensive care treatment, it is thought that the vaccination programme is having enough of an impact reducing the risk of serious illness and death that restrictions can continue to be lifted.

Nicola Sturgeon paused the move to take all of Scotland down to level zero by June 28 for three weeks, earlier this month, because of the rising number of cases to allow more people to be vaccinated and for officials to have more time to study how effective the vaccines were at reducing serious health harm.

The next review date is July 19, when the move to level zero is planned. Nicola Sturgeon is due to give a decision on that on July 13.

The move to beyond level zero, removing the levels system and lifting all physical distancing rules is planned for August 9 if the vaccination programme continues at the same pace.

Scotland meanwhile, recorded its highest number of coronavirus cases over 24 hours since the start of the pandemic, Scottish Government figures show.

On Monday, it was revealed 3,285 had reported positive tests overnight for Covid-19.

This beats the previous record of 2999 new cases on Thursday, which topped the largest number of 2,969 recorded on the previous day and the high of 2,649 on January 7.

No new deaths have been recorded, meaning the total remains at 7,712.