Ross and Cromarty's Covid-19 coronavirus infection rate rises above Scotland average; figure of 319 cases per 100,000 people is also higher than Highland Council wide figure of 237.5
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ROSS and Cromarty's Covid infection rate now stands at 319 cases for every 100,000 people – higher than the Scottish average of 299.5.
The area's infection rate figure covers the seven day period up to January 4, the most recent date for which data has been released by Public Health Scotland.
News that the area's Covid rate is higher than the Scottish average came as Ross and Cromarty's number of infections continued to rise.
There were at least 184 known cases in the county in the seven days up to January 4 – an increase from yesterday's figure of 161 in the seven days to January 3.
Local hotspots also continued to see case numbers rise – with Alness now known to have at least 57 confirmed infections, and 31 in neighbouring Invergordon.
Dingwall had the next highest number of cases, on 18.
The latest figures were released as Highland Council's infection rate continued its recent sharp rise.
The whole local authority area recorded 237.5 cases for every 100,000 people in the seven day window leading up to January 4.
This broke the previous record of 212.9 which was set just yesterday, although it is still lower than the Scotland-wide ratio of 299.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
The Highland Council area recorded 560 infections in the seven days up to January 4, while Scotland had 16,362 positive tests over the same time frame.
The majority of the 560 infections in the Highland Council area were located in the Inverness area, with at least 309 known cases in the Highland capital or neighbouring 'wards'.
Worst affected of these wards is Inverness Rural West, which runs from the outskirts of the city and along the southern south of the Beauly Firth to Beauly and then out to Glen Affric. It recorded 82 infections in the seven days to January 4.
- Where are the cases in Ross & Cromarty?:
Population in brackets ('Ward' names and sizes taken from Public Health Scotland Covid map)
- Alness (5904) - 57 cases
- Invergordon (4416) - 31 cases
- Dingwall (5347) - 18 cases
- Conon (3858) - 17 cases
- Black Isle South (6945) - 15 cases
- Ross and Cromarty Central (3713) - 12 cases
- Seaboard (4389) - 9 cases
- Ross and Cromarty East (3265) - 8 cases
- Muir of Ord (3558) - 8 cases
- Black Isle North (3599) - 6 cases
- Tain (3691) - 3 cases
- Ross and Cromarty North West (3259) - 0-2 cases (figure suppressed when this low to protect patient anonymity)
- Ross and Cromarty South West (3017) - 0-2 cases (figure suppressed when this low to protect patient anonymity)
- Lochalsh (2659) - 0-2 cases (figure suppressed when this low to protect patient anonymity)
For the latest Covid map visit Public Health Scotland's online portal.
Related news: 100 new positive tests for Covid-19 across NHS Highland region
Related news: Nearly 50 Covid cases in Alness as Ross and Cromarty's seven-day total passes 160
