December 21 coronavirus update: East Lothian figures second highest in Scotland

Last week (for the period between December 5-11), the latest figures released by Public Health Scotland showed that 135 cases were reported.

Today (Monday) between December 12-18 this increased to 185 cases, 179 cases were reported yesterday (between December 11-17).

The seven-day Covid-19 positive rate per 100,000 population was (between Dec 5-11) 126.1 – now (Dec 12-18) it stands at 172.8.

Only North Ayrshire has a rate higher than East Lothian at 205.6, making East Lothian’s the second highest figure in Scotland.

These latest figures compared to the rest of the Lothian healthboard area show that East Lothian’s are considerably higher by comparison.

Edinburgh’s seven-day positive rate per 100,000 of the population is 125.0, Midlothian’s at 147.1 and West Lothian’s at 99.4 – its lowest for several weeks.

The latest Covid-19 rates in East Lothian, shown here, have increased once again

In East Lothian, infection rates remain high in the west of the county, with all of the areas of concern being found here.

Prestonpans East is listed in the top level of infection rates, a seven-day rate per 100,000 of the population of 400 or more, with 19 cases reported here between December 12-18.

Five are listed as having a seven-day rate between 200 and 399 in the same time frame: Musselburgh East (16 cases), Musselburgh South (12 cases), Prestonpans West (13 cases), Tranent North (16 cases) and Tranent South (19 cases).

Those with seven-day rates between 100 and 199 has increased over the past week.

This list includes Musselburgh North (seven cases), Wallyford/Whitecraig (10 cases), Cockenzie (11 cases), Longniddry and Aberlady (eight cases), Ormiston (five cases) Haddington South (six cases), Haddington Rural (eight cases), North Berwick North (five cases), North Berwick South (five cases), East Linton and Rural (seven cases) and Dunbar West (eight cases).

In comparison Musselburgh West, Pinkie Braes, Gullane and Drem, Dunbar East and Haddington North recorded much fewer cases with Dunbar East, Musselburgh West, Pinkie Braes and Haddington North only recording a couple of cases each.

This time last month (November 11-17) the picture in East Lothian was drastically different, 58 cases were recorded and the seven-day figure was sitting at 54.2.

Covid-19 rates in East Lothian, as shown here, were very low at the end of last month - unlike now

East Lothian is currently in Level 3 coronavirus restrictions, they came into effect on Friday (December 18).

From Boxing Day (Saturday) all of mainland Scotland will be put into Level 4 restrictions for at least three weeks. However they will be reviewed after two.

This means that all non-essential shops, hospitality venues and other close contact services (such as hairdressers and beauty salons) must close.

School holidays have been extended by a week for most pupils with at least the first week of learning taking place online only.

No indoor socialising is allowed and travel is limited to essential journeys only.

A travel ban is also in place across Scotland that prohibits people from leaving their own local authority area apart for essential reasons.

Christmas bubbles remain in place and people are being asked to remain as local as possible and only travel somewhere if they can return on the same day.

Scots are not allowed to travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK, including on Christmas Day.

At her briefing today Nicola Sturgeon urged Scots to celebrate Christmas in their own homes and to keep gatherings as small as possible and meet others outdoors, saying that people should only travel if they really need to.

She also reported Scotland’s latest Covid statistics, 1,504 cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours. A back log is said to be a factor in the higher than usual numbers.

No deaths were recorded but people were warned that registration offices are usually closed at weekends, so figures are lower than they should be.