After weeks of speculation, the News can reveal that COVID-19 has reached East Kilbride.
Rumours have circulated for months now that the potentially deadly virus was here, with dozens of posts online about potential cases at Hairmyres Hospital.
But we can reveal that an employee at HMRC’s Centre 1 has tested positive, raising fears over the wider health and safety of the 1800 staff there.
In what is ever-changing and unprecedented times, it is understood at least one other employee from the office is in self-isolation, with anxious colleagues still waiting on further guidance from management.
There are now 195 cases of the virus in Scotland and two deaths, with 21 confirmed cases so far in Lanarkshire.
But First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned that the UK was “on the cusp” of a rapid acceleration in cases, with numbers likely to double almost daily.
The UK Government scaled-up its response to the pandemic on Monday evening, effectively putting the country in lock-down.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people to avoid unnecessary social contacts, to work from home where possible, and to stay away from pubs and restaurants.
He stopped short of an outright ban which has been imposed elsewhere in Europe, but increased the ‘people at risk’ categories to include pregnant women.
It is expected that people in the at risk group – which includes the over 70s and those with underlying health issues – will be asked within days to stay home for 12 weeks.
Anyone living in a household with somebody who has either a persistent cough or fever must now also isolate themselves for 14 days.
MSPs Linda Fabiani and Graham Simpson said expert public health advice was “the best way to keep us as well as possible,” and protect the vulnerable in society”.
