CONFIRMED Covid-19 cases in parts of Helensburgh have more than tripled in a fortnight as the Omicron variant spreads, according to the latest official figures.
Public Health Scotland reports that there were 1,097 confirmed positive tests in Argyll and Bute in the week to January 2 – a seven-day positivity rate of 1,284.1 cases per 100,000 people.
That compares with 653 cases and a rate of 764.4 per 100,000 people for the week to December 26 – and 531 cases, giving a rate of 621.6 per 100,000 people, in the week to December 19.
Within Helensburgh and Lomond, the area with the steepest increase in that time is the Helensburgh Centre neighbourhood, where confirmed positive tests have more than tripled - from 16 in the week to December 19, to a total of 49 in the seven days for January 2.
The rate of positive tests per 100,000 people in Helensburgh Centre has risen in that time from 560.4 to 1,716.3.
For the week to January 2, the Argyll and Bute neighbourhood with the highest infection rate was the Whisky Isles – including Islay, Jura and Colonsay – which had 81 cases for a rate of 2,396.4 per 100,000 people.
Helensburgh East was next with 91 positive tests for a rate of 2,344.8 per 100,000 residents, with Helensburgh West and Rhu third with 73 cases and an infection rate of 1,720.1.
Since the turn of the year, every one of Argyll and Bute's 23 'neighbourhoods' – the data zones used by Public Health Scotland to give a local breakdown of positive tests – had a seven-day positive rate of more than 400 per 100,000 people.
Cases have risen across all of Helensburgh and Lomond's neighbourhoods in that time, though some fluctuations are greater than others – and some areas have actually seen positive test numbers fall slightly from a peak just before the start of the new year.
Argyll and Bute's lowest case numbers and infection rates are in the neighbourhood covering Mull, Iona, Coll and Tiree, where there were 15 confirmed positive tests in the seven days to January 2, giving a rate of 400.3 positive tests per 100,000 people.
The latest data for individual neighbourhoods in Helensburgh and Lomond is as follows.
Helensburgh East (includes Craigendoran, Colgrain and Kirkmichael)
Week to December 19: 46 confirmed positive tests, 1,185.3 per 100,000 people
Week to December 26: 68 confirmed positive tests, 1,752.1 per 100,000 people
Week to January 2: 91 confirmed positive tests, 2,344.8 per 100,000 people
Highest total for a single seven day period: week to January 2 (91 confirmed positive tests, 2,344.8 per 100,000 people)
Helensburgh Centre
Week to December 19: 16 confirmed positive tests, 560.4 per 100,000 people
Week to December 26: 25 confirmed positive tests, 875.7 per 100,000 people
Week to January 2: 49 confirmed positive tests, 1,716.3 per 100,000 people
Highest total for a single seven day period: week to January 2 (49 confirmed positive tests, 1,716.3 per 100,000 people)
Helensburgh North (includes Churchill and the Clyde Arran estate)
Week to December 19: 26 confirmed positive tests, 630.2 per 100,000 people
Week to December 26: 28 confirmed positive tests, 678.6 per 100,000 people
Week to January 2: 46 confirmed positive tests, 1,114.9 per 100,000 people
Highest total for a single seven day period: week to January 2 (46 confirmed positive tests, 1,114.9 per 100,000 people)
Helensburgh West and Rhu
Week to December 19: 57 confirmed positive tests, 1,343.1 per 100,000 people
Week to December 26: 59 confirmed positive tests, 1,390.2 per 100,000 people
Week to January 2: 73 confirmed positive tests, 1,720.1 per 100,000 people
Highest total for a single seven day period: week to January 2 (73 confirmed positive tests, 1,720.1 per 100,000 people)
Lomond Shore (includes Cardross, Arden and the western shore of Loch Lomond to the north of Inverbeg)
Week to December 19: 34 confirmed positive tests, 1,137.1 per 100,000 people
Week to December 26: 36 confirmed positive tests, 1,204 per 100,000 people
Week to January 2: 35 confirmed positive tests, 1,170.6 per 100,000 people
Highest total for a single seven day period: week to December 24 (42 confirmed positive tests, 1,404.7 per 100,000 people)
Garelochhead (includes HM Naval Base Clyde and the whole of the Rosneath peninsula)
Week to December 19: 36 confirmed positive tests, 531.8 per 100,000 people
Week to December 26: 81 confirmed positive tests, 1,196.5 per 100,000 people
Week to January 2: 82 confirmed positive tests, 1,211.2 per 100,000 people
Highest total for a single seven day period: week to December 31 (85 confirmed positive tests, 1,255.5 per 100,000 people)
Cowal North (includes Arrochar and Tarbet and the whole of the Cowal peninsula north of Dunoon)
Week to December 19: 19 confirmed positive tests, 628.3 per 100,000 people
Week to December 26: 20 confirmed positive tests, 661.4 per 100,000 people
Week to January 2: 29 confirmed positive tests, 959 per 100,000 people
Highest total for a single seven day period: week to December 30 (33 confirmed positive tests, 1,091.3 per 100,000 people)
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Meanwhile, according to the latest vaccination rates for Argyll and Bute, correct as of January 5, the area is one of only two Scottish councils where every person aged 18 or over has received their first vaccine dose - the other being East Dunbartonshire.
The most up-to-date Argyll and Bute vaccination figures are as follows.
Aged 18+: 100 per cent (first dose), 95.5 per cent (second dose), 79.1 per cent (booster or third dose).
Aged 12+: 98.7 per cent (first dose), 90.7 per cent (second dose), 74.0 per cent (booster or third dose).
By comparison, the latest Scotland-wide vaccination rates are as follows.
Aged 18+: 93.2 per cent (first dose), 89.1 per cent (second dose), 67.7 per cent (booster or third dose).
Aged 12+: 91.5 per cent (first dose), 84.2 per cent (second dose), 63.1 per cent (booster or third dose).
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Scotland's Covid self-isolation rules came into line with the rest of the UK with effect from Thursday morning.
People in Scotland who newly test positive must still isolate for 10 days – but they can end their self-isolation if they do not have a fever and if they test negative on a lateral flow device (LFD) on day six and again at least 24 hours later.
In addition, household contacts of confirmed cases no longer have to self-isolate for 10 days, instead taking lateral flow tests for seven days and isolating if any of these are positive.
This second change applies only to those aged under 18 years and four months and those who are fully vaccinated, including having had a booster jag, with others still having to isolate for 10 days and take a PCR test.
People who test positive on a lateral flow device no longer need to take a PCR test to confirm the result if they have no symptoms. Instead they must immediately isolate and report the result of their lateral flow test to allow Test and Protect to begin contact tracing.
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