Coronavirus cases in Dumfries and Galloway continue to drop - but rate of decline has slowed

A Pharmacist prepares the vaccine in a pop-up Vaccination clinic at the Oxford Brookes University Headington Campus in Oxford. Unvaccinated university students have been urged to get a Covid jab in freshers' week to protect themselves and their peers against the virus. Picture date: Friday September 17, 2021. Steve Parsons/PA

Coronavirus cases in Dumfries and Galloway are continuing to drop, but the rate of decline has slowed.

A total of 504 infections were recorded in the week ending September the 26th compared to 538 over the previous seven day period.

The latest figures also show that the numbers of identified close contacts of cases increased slightly, from 978 to 1004. 

Health chiefs are continuing to urge the public to get themselves vaccinated.

Director of Public Health Valerie White said: “Vaccines have been very successful in limiting some of the worst effects of the virus, with far fewer people requiring treatment in hospital because of COVID or dying where COVID was a direct or even indirect cause. 

“However, the virus can still impact on people’s health, particularly if you are not yet vaccinated, and beyond that the requirement to continue to limit spread can have a disruptive effect on the likes of businesses, schools and on services. 

 “Right now, we need to keep controlling this virus by preventing its chance of spreading, being vigilant for any symptoms and immediately self-isolating and arranging to have a PCR test if we experience any of those symptoms.” 

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