Seven day rate of new Covid-19 coronavirus infections across Highland Council area drops to below 100 per 100,000 people for the first time in three weeks; figure is still well up on autumn levels, and Ross towns continue to be among worst hit

Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

THE seven day Covid infection rate across Highland Council has fallen to below 100 cases per 100,000 people for the first time since late December.

The rate in the seven days up to January 19 – the most recent date for which data has been released by Public Health Scotland – was 95.4 per 100,000. There were 225 newly-confirmed infections across the council area in that one week period.

The last time the infection rate was under 100 cases per 100,000 was in the seven days up to December 29, when it stood at 95.0.

The rate is still far higher than the 14 cases per 100,000 at the start of December – although the recent falls in the rate show that lockdown is having an effect.

However NHS Highland is still reporting dozens of new infections every day, and there are still hotspots dotted around the Highland Council area. Indeed between 111 and 119 newly-confirmed cases were reported in Ross & Cromarty in the seven days to January 19 – roughly half of all of the council's new cases in that one-week period.

People have been urged to stick to all lockdown rules and advice in the hope of driving the infection lower.

Invergordon and Alness in Easter Ross continue to be worst affected, with 37 and 36 new cases respectively in the seven days to January 19.

While Thurso had 22 newly-confirmed infections in the same seven days.

Six separate Inverness neighbourhoods also had rates in excess of 100 per 100,000 – including the city centre & Raigmore which is higher than Scotland’s rate at 224.1. It had nine newly-confirmed infections during those seven days. Inshes had more new individual cases (10) but a lower infection rate due to population size.

The city as a whole had between 48 and 64 new infections over those seven days, while 'wards' immediately bordering the Highland capital had between 11 and 15 fresh cases.

But what’s the infection rate where you live? Here are the latest seven-day Covid-19 infection rates for your Highland neighbourhoods.

Confirmed cases and infection rate in seven days to January 19

(‘Ward’ names taken from Public Health Scotland’s online Covid map)

ROSS AND CROMARTY

Invergordon - 37 cases (837.9 infections per 100,000 people))

Alness - 36 (609.8)

Tain - 9 (243.8)

Conon - 6 (155.5)

Ross and Cromarty East - 5 (153.1)

Dingwall - 5 (93.5)

Black Isle South - 4 (57.6)

Black Isle North - 3 (83.4)

Ross and Cromarty Central - 3 (80.8)

Seaboard - 3 (68.4)

Muir of Ord - 0-2* (between 0 and 56.2*)

Ross and Cromarty North-West - 0-2* (between 0 and 61.4*)

Ross and Cromarty South-West - 0-2* (between 0 and 66.3*)

Lochalsh - 0-2* (between 0 and 75.2*)

INVERNESS

Inshes - 10 cases (175.3 infections per 100,000 people)

Central, Raigmore and Longman - 9 (224.1)

Westhill - 9 (146.5)

Muirtown - 6 (160.2)

Hilton - 4 (105.5)

Lochardil and Holm Mains - 4 (75.0)

Drakies - 3 (130.5)

Kinmylies and South-West - 3 (73.3)

Scorguie - 0-2* (between 0 and 68.7*)

Smithton - 0-2* (between 0 and 63.6*)

Merkinch - 0-2* (between 0 and 58.0*)

Drummond - 0-2* (between 0 and 57.6*)

Slackbuie - 0-2* (between 0 and 55.0*)

Culloden and Balloch - 0-2* (between 0 and 50.7*)

Ballifeary and Dalneigh - 0-2* (between 0 and 45.6*)

Crown and Haugh - 0-2* (between 0 and 44.9*)

INVERNESS ADJACENT (wards which border Inverness ones)

Inverness East Rural - 7 cases (125.1 infections per 100,000 people)

Black Isle South** - 4 (57.6)

Loch Ness - 0-2* (between 0 and 43.2*)

Inverness West Rural - 0-2*(between 0 and 39.4*)

**NB - The Black Isle South ward’s figures are also located in the data for Ross & Cromarty, but we have also included them in this list for Inverness Adjacent wards owing to the Kessock Bridge link.

NAIRNSHIRE

Nairn West - 3 cases (67.2 cases per 100,000 people)

Nairn East - 0-2* (between 0 and 49.6*)

Nairn Rural - 0-2* (between 0 and 39.9*)

BADENOCH AND STRATHSPEY

Badenoch and Strathspey South - 0-2* cases (between 0 and 51.6* infections per 100,000 people)

Badenoch and Strathspey North - 0-2* (between 0 and 41.7*)

Badenoch and Strathspey Central - 0-2* (between 0 and 37.6*)

SUTHERLAND

Sutherland South - 8 cases (130.1 infections per 100,000 people)

Sutherland North and West - 0-2* (between 0 and 61.3*)

Sutherland East - 0-2* (between 0 and 48.4*)

CAITHNESS

Thurso West - 16 cases (345.3 infections per 100,000 people)

Thurso East - 6 (229.5)

Caithness North-West - 4 (80.3)

Caithness South - 0-2* (between 0 and 67.7*)

Wick North - 0-2* (between 0 and 62.1*)

Wick South - 0-2* (between 0 and 58.4*).

Caithness North-East - 0-2* (between 0 and 56.6*)

LOCHABER

Fort William North - 0-2* cases (between 0 and 43.7 infections per 100,000 people)

Lochaber West (includes Small Isles) - 0-2* cases (between 0 and 41.6* )

Lochaber East and North - 0-2* (between 0 and 42.0*)

Fort William South - 0-2*(between 0 and 35.3*)

SKYE

Skye North-West - 0-2* cases (between 0 and 58.6* infections per 100,000 people)

Skye North-East - 0-2* (between 0 and 56.0*)

Skye South - 0-2* (between 0 and 55.5*)

(* figures for areas with between zero and two cases are suppressed by Public Health Scotland to protect patient anonymity. The infection rate given for these areas is a range based on whether there are zero or two cases).

Related news: Health chief: Covid infections in the Highlands 'may have peaked'

Related news: 46 new Covid-19 cases detected

---

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.

---