DEPUTY first minister John Swinney has said the First Minister will provide a detailed update on rising Covid-19 cases later this week.
Newly elected Tory MSP Sandesh Gulhane asked the Scottish Government for an update on rising cases in Glasgow and the surrounding area.
Yesterday the case rate in Glasgow continued to rise, reaching 100.3 cases per 100,000 people – that’s double the case rate required to be considered for level 2.
Glasgow and Moray are currently in level 3 while the rest of Scotland has moved to level 2, following Covid spikes in the areas.
READ MORE: Tougher lockdown decision due for East Renfrewshire and Midlothian within days
It is believed that the spike in Scotland’s biggest city is linked to the Indian Covid variant, which has been declared a variant of concern by Public Health England.
Scientists believe there is evidence that the variant is more transmissible than the so-called Kent variant that fuelled the winter Covid-19 wave.
In England, ministers have conceded that local lockdowns will be on the table if the Indian variant continues to spread, despite calling the route out of lockdown “cautious but irreversible”.
This morning national clinical director Jason Leitch said a decision would be made on two other areas where cases are rising within days.
Cases are growing in East Renfrewshire and Midlothian. East Renfrewshire’s case rate is now 86.9 per 100,000, higher than Glasgow’s when it was announced the city would stay in level 3, and Midlothian’s has doubled in a week.
Leitch said he expects a decision on either Thursday or Friday.
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