Nicola Sturgeon has urged people in Glasgow’s Southside to get tested for Covid-19 amid a “significant” outbreak, possibly linked to the new Indian variant.
The First Minister appealed to residents of the G41 and G42 postcodes in particular.
Kenmure Street, where a peaceful protest was held on Thursday after a Home Office immigration enforcement van attempted to detain two men, is part of the G41 postcode.
READ MORE: Glasgow inquiry into ‘rigged’ vaccine shifts
Ms Sturgeon tweeted: “If you live in the Southside - G41/42 especially - please get tested.
“The Southside has a significant outbreak just now so please take care and follow all health advice.”
🛑 If you live in the Southside - G41/42 especially - please get tested. Details of where/how below. The Southside has a significant outbreak just now so please take care and follow all health advice https://t.co/i2X6hkHV7a
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 15, 2021
The FM announced yesterday that Glasgow and Moray will stay under Level 3 restrictions due to the current outbreaks, while the rest of Scotland will move to Level 2 on Monday, May 17.
The most affected areas are Pollokshields and, to a lesser extent, Govanhill.
Ms Sturgeon later posted about getting tested herself, reminding Scots how to access rapid home-kits or book a PCR test appointment for those who experience symptoms.
1/ If you live in - or have recently spent time in - the Southside of Glasgow, PLEASE help get this outbreak under control by taking a test. I’ve just done so myself - thankfully negative! In this thread, I’ll post some useful links about where to access tests and what to do. pic.twitter.com/RZgujZGKuz
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) May 15, 2021
She wrote: "If you live in - or have recently spent time in - the Southside of Glasgow, PLEASE help get this outbreak under control by taking a test.
"I’ve just done so myself - thankfully negative! In this thread, I’ll post some useful links about where to access tests and what to do."
Asymptomatic testing is available at Govanhill Community Centre, Glasgow Central Mosque and the overflow car park at Barrland Street in Pollokshields.
The First Minister said she could not say “with certainty” that the B1.617.2 Indian variant is behind the spike in cases, but said an increasing number of cases do not carry the “S-gene drop” characteristic of the Kent strain.
She added: “Because of the demographics of the area, that suggests the Indian variant is at play.”
📣COVID-19 Lateral Test Kits & Test Centres
— Glasgow City Council (@GlasgowCC) May 14, 2021
Home flow testing kits can be collected across the city:
⚫ Govanhill Community Building Car Park
⚫ Glasgow Central Mosque
⚫ Pollokshields (Overflow Car Park)
You can also order them online 👉 https://t.co/indVXAyeXK pic.twitter.com/oXtPQ9Hx8o
Glasgow has now overtaken previous hotspot Moray with a Covid case rate of 80 infections per 100,000 people and test positivity of 3.5%, compared to 69 per 100,000 and 1.9% in Moray.
READ MORE: Covid Scotland: Places with most coronavirus cases this week
Ms Sturgeon said it had been a “difficult decision” to pause Glasgow’s progress out of lockdown, but said it was right to be cautious to avoid having to “reverse” restrictions later.
On Saturday, Police Scotland deployed officers in Ibrox and George Square to disperse Rangers fans following the match against Aberdeen in a bid to contain further infections.
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