Covid-19 cluster identified in Forth Valley

A cluster of five positive cases of Covid-19 has been confirmed in Forth Valley.

The news comes as the Scottish Government’s daily figures show there have been nine new positive cases of coronavirus confirmed in the health board region in the last 24 hours, with the total number of positive cases in the region since the outbreak began now 1142.

NHS Forth Valley’s Test and Protect team has identified a list of close contacts to those who have tested positive within the cluster and they have been contacted and are now self-isolating.

Contact tracing has also identified a number of locations where the individuals worked or had visited – Village Inn, Tesco and GS Meldrum Newsagent in Dunblane, McDonalds in Drip Road, Stirling and Bridge of Allan Sports Club.

NHS Forth Valley’s Public Health Department and Stirling Council’s Environment Health Service have been working with these premises to provide appropriate advice and support.

The risk to anyone who has visited these premises is extremely low as appropriate control measures are in place.

Only those who have already been identified as close contacts need to self-isolate.

There is no need for anyone to arrange a test if they are not experiencing any symptoms unless they have been advised to do so by the Test and Protect service.

Dr Jennifer Champion, consultant in Public Health Medicine and chairperson of the IMT, said: “NHS Forth Valley has been working closely with our council partner to investigate this cluster.

"Close contacts have already been contacted by our Test and Protect service so if you have not been contacted by the NHS then you do not require to self-isolate or book a test.

“I would like to reassure the local community that the risk remains low however, it’s important to continue to follow the national guidance to protect themselves and others.

"This includes physical distancing indoors and outdoors, washing your hands regularly, using hand gel provided and arranging to get tested immediately if you develop any of the symptoms of Covid-19.”

The increase in positive cases within Forth Valley over night, followed a rise of seven cases in the previous 24 hours.

Prior to that six confirmed cases had been recorded in the health board area since Wednesday.

The figures show the number of positive cases locally have been steadily rising since the beginning of August.

Monday’s Scottish Government statistics show that across Scotland there were 160 positive cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

Throughout the country, a total of 565,285 people have now been tested for Covid-19 since the start of the outbreak.

Of these, 20,478 tested positive and 544,807 were negative.