A SUSTAINED fall in COVID-19 cases is now being recorded in Dumfries and Galloway – amid ongoing efforts to bring down numbers.
Improving further on the decrease from 887 cases to 765 the week before, in the week ending Sunday September 19 numbers fell further to stand at 538.
Similarly, numbers of people identified as close contacts of positive cases are also coming down, decreasing from 1256 to 978.
Valerie White is Director of Public Health, and she said: “If this downward trend in the number of cases continues, then it’s undoubtedly good news for Dumfries and Galloway.
“We may already be seeing some benefits, as the numbers of people falling seriously ill due to COVID and requiring help in hospital has decreased in recent days.
“Meanwhile, our incredibly hard-working local Test and Protect Team are now handling a more manageable number of cases, as they work to try and prevent onward transmission.
“However, although the numbers are better than they have been, there’s still plenty of scope to bring them down much further.
“Although many other parts of Scotland are currently experiencing higher numbers of cases, we still have much higher rates than we did a few weeks ago before we saw this really large spike.
“We’ve been encouraging everyone to go beyond what is required of them to help control these cases, and would continue to do so.
“Employing well-known method such as regular hand hygiene, wearing face coverings in indoor public settings, using good judgement around interactions, regular testing and getting vaccinated all makes a difference and helps prevent COVID spreading.
“Thanks are expressed to everyone for what’s been achieved so far, but we’ve still got a way to go on this, and we’re still likely to continue feeling the resulting pressures of COVID-19 for some time to come – in the likes of our health and social care system, in workplace settings and in schools.
“Things are better than they were, and that’s to everyone’s credit, but we still need to keep up the good work to keep bringing case numbers down.”
Regular testing for COVID provides assurance and helps to identify cases at the earliest opportunity. Details on the full range of testing opportunities can be found by visiting the website www.nhsdg.co.uk/testing/
If you haven’t already done so, getting both vaccinations helps provide the highest level of protection against the virus. Full details on opportunities to be vaccinated can be found by visiting the website www.nhsdg.co.uk/vaccines/
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