HEALTH officials have identified a coronavirus cluster at a Scottish call centre used for Enlgish NHS contact tracing.
NHS Lanarkshire has implemented measures to try to suppress the outbreak, which flared up at the Sitel site in Motherwell.
The region’s health board said it had been notified about "potentially linked cases" of Covid-19 infections in the area yesterday.
The call centre is working on Test and Trace cases for NHS England.
Speaking to BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland, Deputy First Minister John Swinney said "extensive contact tracing" is under way.
A spokeswoman for NHS Test and Trace, a service operated by the NHS in England to track and help prevent the spread of Covid-19 south of the Border, said: "We are aware of a local outbreak of Covid-19 at the Sitel site in Motherwell. This is being managed by Sitel and colleagues in NHS Lanarkshire, who are following appropriate test and protect action in line with Scottish Government advice.
"We take the safety and wellbeing of our staff very seriously. Everyone at the site is currently working from home while a deep clean takes place, and will be offered a test within the next 24 hours."
Dr David Cromie, NHS Lanarkshire consultant in public health medicine, commented: "We became aware this morning of a number of potentially linked cases of coronavirus in Lanarkshire.
"We instigated some immediate measures to reduce risk and are currently investigating the situation."
The news came as Scotland recorded 23 new confirmed cases of coronavirus – the highest increase in almost a month.
Three of these were in the Lanarkshire health board area.
This figure has now risen in each of the last five days - up from three on Tuesday – although no further deaths of people with the disease have been recorded.
It is the highest record for new cases since June 21, when there were 26 positive test results.
However, the increase in daily cases is linked to a significant rise in the number of tests being carried out.
The percentage of tests in yesterday’s figures which were positive was just 0.19%. On June 21, the equivalent rate was 0.68%.
Scotland's national clinical director, Jason Leitch, previously said he would not be concerned with fluctuating figures when there was a recorded spike of 21 new cases on Saturday.
He told BBC Scotland: "I expect day-to-day variation and the next thing I look at is the spread around the country.
"So 21 in one small town would worry me much more than 21 spread around the country - and these 21 are spread around the country."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel