Coronavirus cases in Borders up 41 over last month to almost 390

The figure of 389 reported today, September 9, is up three overnight and 41 up on the cumulative total for the region of 348 reported on Sunday, August 9.

It’s now been almost three weeks since a day went by without any new cases.

Friday, August 21, marked the end of a nine-day run without any further diagnoses of Covid-19, as the disease is also known, and daily rises of up to four have been reported since then.

Last week alone, due to the ongoing outbreak of the disease in Hawick, saw 13 new cases confirmed here, up from 370 on Monday, August 31, to 383 on Sunday, September 6.

Happily, though, it’s now almost two months since the virus added to the death toll it’s claimed in the region.

According to figures issued today by the National Records of Scotland, the number of fatalities linked to the disease remains at 74, as of Sunday, as has been the case since Sunday, July 12.

Those fatalities, taking into account all deaths linked to coronavirus, not just among those previously tested and found to be infected, are among 4,231 nationwide measured by those criteria.

Nationwide, 21,878 people have tested positive for the disease, up 159 overnight.

It’s now well over six months since Scotland’s first official diagnosis of the disease was announced on Sunday, March 1, after spreading across the world from China, with the first two cases in the Borders following on Wednesday, March 11.

Giving an update today in Edinburgh, Scottish Government first minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “It is not an exaggeration to say that Scotland is currently at a very dangerous point.

“We can see from the level of cases in countries like Spain or France that the current increase could very easily continue – and also start to translate into serious illness and death – if we are not very careful.

“Over the past seven days, our average daily number of cases has been 155.

“Three weeks ago, the average daily number was 52, so we have seen roughly a trebling of daily cases over that period.

“Our case positivity rate has also gone up from being around or below 1% quite consistently to now, in the last few days, being around or above 2%, so I hope you can see why the situation just now is a matter of concern to us and why we need to continue to work as hard as we can to keep the virus under control.

“The best thing we can do right now – not just for our health but also for the long-term good of the economy – is to suppress Covid as far as we possibly can.

““We have always known that opening up the economy and society again, which we have to try to do for obvious reasons, gives the virus more opportunity to spread.

“Tackling this virus has always been – and, by necessity, always will be – a collective effort.

“It needs government and citizens working together, and also it needs every single one of us as citizens to recognise our responsibilities to each other.

“The best way of keeping the economy open, allowing life to retain some kind of normality and hopefully get more normality, in the months to come – without the virus running out of control – is to ensure that we all stick to the public health guidelines.

“Letting our guard down does allow the virus to spread, so if we all do the right things we minimise the opportunity that it has.

“Of course, it’s possible for all of us to do all the right things and still get Covid, but it’s much, much less likely that we will get it, or pass it on to others, if we follow all of the advice.”