A Perth and Kinross health chief has said the increase in COVID cases after Christmas may have been down to festive relaxations.
Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) chief officer Gordon Paterson also said a more infectious strain played its part in the January peak when providing an update to the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board (IJB).
His latest report said the new COVID variant was “tending to have a more sustained impact on care homes than previously” with nine local care homes currently closed to new admissions.
The board met virtually on Wednesday, February 17.
Providing a COVID update Mr Paterson said: “After Christmas we did experience a significant upturn in the prevalence of the pandemic.”
He added: “The increased numbers may well be a consequence of relaxed restrictions over the festive period.
“But they are certainly a consequence of the new variant and its prevalence and virulence and infectivity.
“This meant that in early January we saw the numbers of people in hospital with COVID increase - in fact treble.”
The infection rate in the region peaked two weeks after Christmas, when families were allowed limited mixing despite the prevalence of the pathogen and warnings from scientists about the consequences.
Mr Patterson also told the IJB how the HSCP sought to mitigate COVID outbreaks affecting community services, hospitals and care homes.
This required providing staffing support from both Perth and Kinross Council and the NHS to the independent and third sector.
The chief officer’s report revealed the new COVID variant is “tending to have a more sustained impact on care homes than previously”.
As a result both public health and the Perth and Kinross HSCP will analyse causal factors and look at how to mitigate risks.
His report said there are currently nine Perth and Kinross care homes closed to new admissions.
Mr Paterson’s report to the IJB said all Perth and Kinross care home staff and residents have been offered COVID vaccinations.
Residents who missed their first vaccination and new residents to homes are set to receive their vaccination from the district nursing team “imminently”.
Second doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be rolled out later this month.
Mr Paterson praised the work of the vaccination programme in Tayside.
A third of Tayside’s population adult population has now been vaccinated with the first dose. The latest figures show 117,000 vaccinations have been delivered across Tayside.
NHS Tayside is currently the best performing mainland health board for vaccine delivery.
