In the week ending 18th March, the latest date for which data is available at the time of posting, 260 Covid cases were recorded in St Andrews. In the four St Andrews neighbourhoods there were 52 cases in St Andrews Central, 48 in South East, 73 in South West and 87 in North and Strathkinness. More than half are attributable to students and staff in the University.
According to the University of St Andrews coronavirus information webpage, in the week ending 18th March, there were 143 new cases – 93 students, 50 staff.
Infection rates are currently increasing in all parts of the UK, as are hospitalisations. People are testing less and reporting positive results less but the weekly survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) remains an accurate assessment of infection in the community. In the week ending 12th March, the ONS reported that the 1 in 14 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Scotland – up from 1:18 a week earlier. Comparative figures for the rest of the UK were: 1:20 in England (up from 1 in 25), 1:20 in Wales (up from 1:30) and 1 in 14 in Northern Ireland (1:13 a week ago).
For Scottish Government news go to https://news.gov.scot/. For the latest Scottish coronavirus figures go to: https://www.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/ and click here to go to go directly the Public Health Scotland dashboard for all Scottish coronavirus data.
For the latest global coronavirus data go to: https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest
The BBC provides an excellent daily update of Covid-19 data at national Scottish and local authority level.
Click here for an account of why the UK was unprepared for a pandemic and was critically short of ventilators and here for an account of how the UK got its testing strategy wrong and here for an account of how advice to purchase protective equipment for health workers was rejected on account of the cost. And here for potential problems with Scotland’s test, trace and isolate programme.
Picture: coronavirus particles