© Credits: Google MapsNHS Borders announced in December that eight members of staff at the Farne Salmon plant in Duns had tested positive for Covid-19. It's since emerged that local food producers resulted in almost 200 of the region's 2800 cases.
As preparations are made to ease coronavirus restrictions across Scotland, health chiefs in the Borders are urging caution.
Twenty-five new cases have been recorded in the region in the seven days to March the 9th - that's six more than the previous week.
Dr Tim Patterson, Joint Director of Public Health at NHS Borders, said: "This increase in case numbers is a stark reminder that Covid-19 is still circulating in the community. It hasn't gone away.
© Google MapsNHS Borders announced in December that eight members of staff at the Farne Salmon plant in Duns had tested positive for Covid-19. It's since emerged that local food producers resulted in almost 200 of the region's 2800 cases.
"We all have a part to play in keeping case numbers down while the vaccinators do their work, children get back to school and we all take tentative but firm steps back to life as we once knew it, so please continue to stay within the rules and follow the FACTS advice."
© Credits: (c) Radio Borders NewsOne ward remains open for Covid patients at Borders General Hospital.
Two more deaths in the Borders over the past week are being linked to Covid.
It brings the total number of people in the region who have lost their lives to the virus to 147 since the pandemic began.
New figures reveal Teviot and Berwickshire have been the worst affected areas, while Cheviot and Tweeddale have recorded the fewest cases.
Scottish Borders Council's Community Planning Strategic Board last week heard outbreaks at Hawick Community Hospital and Buccleuch Care Centre are believed to behind a spike in cases in Teviot, where a new faster-spreading strain of the virus was first identified; while an outbreak at Farne Salmon in Duns is understood to have contributed to the high number of cases reported in Berwickshire.
READ MORE: Concerns raised over infection control at Borders hospital days before Covid outbreak
Nicky Berry, executive nurse director and director of operations at NHS Borders, told members: "We know that workplace settings have seen the highest number of outbreaks, and we understand the reasons why. Sometimes it's difficult to social distance, there can be car-sharing; and it's that constant education.
"We know that health and social care staff make up 46 per cent of all staff cases and 20 per cent of all outbreak cases."
And she added: "We had a small spike a couple of weeks ago and that was linked to two outbreaks."
© Credits: (c) Radio Borders News Around 200 of the 2800 cases recorded in the region over the past 12 months are being linked to large food producers in Berwickshire.
But health chiefs have revealed less than 30 showed any symptoms - with the rest only picked up through routine screening.
READ MORE: Two people die following coronavirus outbreak at Borders care home
Dr Patterson explained: "Hawick was hit pretty hard with the new variant which arrived in the Borders shortly before Christmas, and it has had the highest rate of infection from that new variant. And all the evidence suggests the new variant is about 50 per cent more transmissible and is also associated with a higher rate of hospital admissions.
"The Berwickshire outbreaks were related mainly to food producers, and our large food producers, in that area. And the spike was as a result of screening of the staff at the food producers."
But he added: "Not all of these cases were symptomatic. Even though we were aware of between 20 and 30 symptomatic cases, by screening we ended up with almost 200 cases. And that's what's happened in a number of care homes as well. Once there's a care home outbreak we screen everybody and then detect asymptomatic spread."
© Credits: (c) Radio Borders NewsA new walk-in test centre was open at Langlee Community Centre in Galashiels.
NHS Borders has confirmed it hopes to roll out asymptomatic testing to more areas as the region begins to reopen following lockdown.
From tomorrow (Friday, March the 11th), up to four adults from two different households will be able to meet outside for social purposes as well as exercise. Restrictions on young people will also be eased, with four people aged 12 to 17 able to meet, even if they are all from different households.
Outdoor non-contact group sports for adults are also set to resume, while more children will return to the classroom from Monday.
READ MORE: Borders schoolboy follows in footsteps of Captain Tom Moore to help NHS
A Scottish Borders Council spokesperson said: "All P4 to P7 pupils will return on a full-time basis, joining P1 to P3s and children in Early Learning and Childcare settings, who went back last month. There is no requirement for social-distancing in primary schools so all children will return to their usual classes.
"All secondary school pupils will receive some in-school education from March the 15th to April the 2nd, when the Easter holidays begin, before returning on a full-time basis after the holidays."
Coronavirus timeline: How did we get here?
December 2019
© Credits: © Getty ImagesWuhan, China
The first case of Covid-19 was discovered in Wuhan, China and reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December 2019.
January 2019
© Credits: © Getty ImagesCoronavirus
Chinese state media reported the first known death from Covid-19 on 11 January 2020. The city of Wuhan was closed off by Chinese authorities on 23 January 2020, cancelling all transport entering and leaving the city. In January, the WHO also declared Covid-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
February 2020
© Credits: © PA ImagesItalian hospitals erected tents to deal with the overflow of patients due to Covid-19
February was when the virus started to receive real global recognition. It was officially named Covid-19 by WHO, and countries around the world started to report cases and deaths. Italy reported Europe's first major outbreak and had to use tents to treat surging numbers of patients as hospitals ran out of room.
March 2020
© Credits: © Getty ImagesPopular tourist destinations, including Millennium Bridge, were deserted
UK Governments introduced a national lockdown from 23 March 2020, instructing people to "Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives", after the UK reported its first official death from Covid-19 on 2 March 2020. Cities around the country appeared deserted. In late March the United States became the worst hit country with the most reported cases at that point.
April 2020
© Credits: © Getty ImagesBoris Johnson
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken into intensive care with Covid-19 on 6 April 2020. Worldwide, cases topped one million and deaths passed 200,000. April also saw the first peak of the virus in the UK.
June 2020
© Credits: © Getty ImagesMandatory face coverings on public transport
England and Scotland made face coverings mandatory on public transport in June, while Northern Ireland and Wales followed suit in July. Face coverings then became mandatory in shops in each nation, with Scotland and England introducing the rule in July, Northern Ireland in August and Wales in September.
September 2020
© Credits: © Getty ImagesGlobal deaths reached 1 million
In September, the official global death toll reached 1 million. However, the official figures are thought to greatly understate the number of people who have actually died from Covid-19. In the US alone, Covid-19 deaths surpassed 200,000.
November 2020
© Credits: © PA ImagesA quiet Regent Street in London, November 2020
In November, England entered a second lockdown in an attempt to try and curb the spread of the virus.
December 2020
© Credits: © PA ImagesPfzier/BioNTech vaccine
The UK became the first country in the world to approve a vaccine against Covid-19 for use in December. Vaccinations began on 8 December 2020, when 90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person outside of a clinical trial to receive the jab. Later on in the month, the UK approved a second vaccine, developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. However, it wasn't all good news, as a new variant of Covid-19 was also discovered in December, which was much more transmissible than the original strain.
January 2021
© Credits: © PA ImagesMass vaccine rollout started in the UK
In January 2021, the mass vaccine roll out began across the UK. However, all four nations all went back into full lockdown as the UK entered a second wave of the virus, with the peak surpassing that of the first wave in April. The UK also reached the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths.
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