Image copyright Getty Images

A cross-border "cluster" of coronavirus cases has been identified across south west Scotland and north west England.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway confirmed nine new cases of Covid-19 in the Gretna and Annan areas since Monday.

It said everyone was self-isolating and work was taking place to identify any recent contacts.

National clinical director Prof Jason Leitch described it as a "complex but small cluster".

He stressed that the last positive cases in the Dumfries and Galloway health board area had come on 22 June.

"This is a complex but small cluster captured in different testing areas; in a hospital testing site, in a mobile testing unit and in a drive-through testing unit," he added.

He said the number of cases was in "single figures" and stretched across the Scotland-England border.

"That adds a complexity because some of the testing will have been done in England and some of the testing will have been done in Scotland," he said.

A cross-border incident management team has been put together with Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England.

Prof Leitch added that contact tracing had "already begun".

"Incidents like this reinforce the importance of our test and protect model quickly identifying potential clusters and identifying contacts," he said.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway said it was monitoring the situation "very closely" and would provide updates as the situation developed.

It said a mobile testing unit would be made available for anyone experiencing symptoms

A health board statement said the region had been "very fortunate" to have a relatively small number of cases in recent weeks.

'Stay alert'

Valerie White, interim director of public health, said: "These new cases are a clear reminder of the challenges we face in learning to live with Covid-19.

"As we move out of lockdown we are very likely to see areas of localised outbreak.

"Our test and protect system is designed to identify cases and their contacts and provide advice and support to individuals in relation to self isolating for the required period.

"That is why everyone must continue to stay alert, get a test if they have symptoms, and self isolate."