Covid: East Renfrewshire infection rates rise above Glasgow

Covid infection rates in East Renfrewshire are now higher than Glasgow, figures show.

The weekly case rate on 17 May reached 118.3, with Glasgow on 112.1, according to Public Health Scotland.

The rate is a key indicator of which restriction level an area should be in, with 50 cases per 100,000 set as the threshold for level three.

Glasgow is currently in level three, but East Renfrewshire went down to level two on Monday.

In Moray - the other level three area - the rate is continuing to fall and on 17 May was 36.5 cases per 100,000 people.

The Scottish government is expected to review the levels assigned to each local authority at the end of the week.

The weekly case rate is one factor that will be considered, but others include the ability of the local NHS to cope.

Tony Buchanan, leader of East Renfrewshire Council, told the BBC: "Cases are rising and we are more than aware of that - they are concerning, I don't think there is any doubt looking at these numbers.

"Within that though we are looking at a lot of household transmission, as opposed to wider community transmission."

Everywhere in Scotland apart from Moray and Glasgow dropped down to lower levels of restrictions on Monday, with the rest of the mainland and Skye at level two, and some islands now at level one.

The level two restrictions allow pubs and restaurants to serve alcohol inside until 22:30, and limited numbers of people can socialise indoors.

Social distancing during meetings indoors or in private gardens is also no longer required in levels one and two.

Mr Buchanan said he had a "lot of sympathy" for businesses in East Renfrewshire who were now facing the possibility of the local authority being moved back to up level three.

"Obviously they have operated this week. All measures are in place to try and avoid transmission and we are not aware of any transmission occurring in any of our local businesses.

"It is a concern - we fully understand the position that they are in, but equally we have our public health message and we need to be concerned and ultimately save lives hopefully."

In the southside of Glasgow, which is the focus of the city's current Covid outbreak, headteachers of three schools have told parents to keep older pupils at home while health officials tackle rising case numbers.

Years S4 to S6 at Shawlands Academy, Holyrood Secondary and Bellahouston Academy are all affected.