THE number of coronavirus patients in NHS Tayside hospitals has almost doubled overnight to 36, the health board has announced.
The increase has prompted a senior medic to ask the public to help ease pressure on local healthcare services by sticking to social distancing rules and regularly self-testing.
Dr Pamela Johnston, operational medical director, said her colleagues are very busy assessing patients and the service is coming under increasing strain.
Coronavirus cases have seen a steep increase in Scotland in recent days, with the daily figure going above 4000 for the first time.
Johnston said: "We currently have 36 patients in hospital requiring care for Covid, with some of those requiring more intensive care in our ICU and HDU.
"Many of these patients are under the age of 40 and we expect this number to increase over the next few weeks.
"As part of our plans to care for these patients, we have opened two additional wards in Ninewells Hospital, meaning we now have three dedicated wards with almost 60 beds for Covid-19 patients."
As COVID-19 cases in Tayside continue to rise, NHS Tayside Operational Medical Director Dr Pamela Johnston, asks people for support to help reduce the cases of COVID-19 in Tayside.https://t.co/KjXuL6jt7O
— NHS Tayside (@NHSTayside) July 1, 2021
READ MORE: Scotland records more than 4000 new Covid cases in 24 hours for first time ever
She added: "Our GP colleagues at the Covid assessment centre in Dundee are also very busy, seeing five times as many people as last month.
"These are people of all ages who are feeling very unwell with the virus and coming for assessment. Younger people still get ill enough with Covid to have to see doctors and a proportion of these do require hospital admission.
"What is different for the hospital in this latest spike, and more so than at the start of the year, is that there is more emergency surgical and medical activity happening. We also have a number of staff self-isolating.
"Please, on behalf of all of our teams here in hospital and out in our communities, can I ask all of you to keep following the Facts guidance, wear a face mask, avoid crowded spaces, clean your hands regularly, stay two metres distance from others and self-isolate if you develop symptoms and book a test.
"Test yourself regularly to make sure you are not passing on the virus to your friends and family -- it has never been easier to get tested, so please make it part of your routine."
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