The number of people in the region’s hospitals with coronavirus has hit its highest level for more than a year.
Fifty five people who had tested positive for Covid-19 were patients at hospitals in Dumfries and Galloway on Saturday.
That’s the highest number since 58 people were in hospital on February 3 last year. The record is 75 patients on January 21, 2021.
By Wednesday, the number in hospital had dropped to 43.
The increase in admissions come as the region experiences a surge in coronavirus cases.
Health bosses say there were 2,029 new cases in the week up to Sunday, March 20.
By comparison, two weeks earlier there were 1,261 recorded.
Despite the increase, the region’s positivity rate of 1,435 cases per 100,000 people is one of the lowest among Scotland’s 32 local authority areas.
Director of public health Valerie White said: “People may very reasonably be asking what the very high numbers of cases mean as a risk to public health.
“Thankfully, vaccination has made a very big difference in preventing most people from suffering the worst
effects of Covid.
“However, the coronavirus does still pose a risk. In addition, the actions we are required to take in order to prevent spread, including self-isolating when infected, can still have a major impact on our society and the functioning of essential services.”
Over the next few weeks, the region’s vaccination programme will focus on providing first jags to young people aged five to 11 as well as further boosters for those aged 75 and above, residents of care homes and people aged 12 plus who are immune-suppressed.
Full details on vaccination can be found at www.nhsdg.co.uk/vaccines
