Agencies preparing for coronavirus outbreak, says Caithness councillor
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A CAITHNESS councillor has said the coronavirus "could be a very big challenge" in the north.
But Matthew Reiss, who represents Thurso and Northwest Caithness on Highland Council, emphasised that agencies such as the local authority are preparing to deal with such an outcome.
"No-one knows how this will play out but it could be a very big challenge – hopefully it will not be," he said at the latest meeting of Castletown and District Community Council.
Councillor Reiss confirmed that NHS Highland would be the lead agency in any outbreak but said Highland Council "could have a big involvement" as well.
"If it takes hold we would have to be particularly mindful of the vulnerable and the elderly. The coronavirus could have serious effects on older people and those with underlying conditions," he added.
The first Scottish case of coronavirus – Covid-19 – was confirmed at the weekend as figures revealed that more than 700 screening tests had been carried out in Scotland since the outbreak began in China at the end of last year. Symptoms for the virus include high temperature or fever, cough and shortness of breath.
There is currently no specific treatment or vaccine.
Drew Hendry, the SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, said: "We live in an interconnected world, so it was only a matter of time before the new coronavirus arrived here in Scotland.
"I would urge people to follow the current advice being given by NHS Scotland to reduce the risk of infection and transmission, all of which are general good practice in maintaining personal hygiene.
“It is important not to panic, but rather to take the precautionary steps set out by health professionals, and if you are concerned then contact your GP or call NHS 24 on 111".
Fergus Ewing, the SNP MSP for Inverness and Nairn, and Scotland's rural economy secretary, said: "Scotland is well equipped to deal with infections of this kind and health boards and social care services plan and prepare for a range of emergencies in order to minimise disruption as far as possible.
"The NHS has been specifically preparing for the possibility of further spread of coronavirus since it was first detected in Wuhan [China] and our planning information outlines the processes and protections in place to ensure a coordinated response to this outbreak."
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the UK was 51 on Tuesday, up from 39 the previous day, UK health secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons.
He described the threat from the coronavirus as "increasingly serious" as the number of cases continues to rise in Britain and across the world but said the Government and the health service are "well prepared".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that it is "highly likely" the virus will spread in the UK. It is estimated that up to a fifth of the workforce could be off sick during a coronavirus epidemic in the UK.
While the vast majority of patients will have a mild to moderate illness, similar to seasonal flu, a minority will require hospital care and a small proportion could die.
About 90,000 people have been infected globally since the outbreak of the virus with cases in over 50 countries and more than 3000 deaths. The virus has also fuelled fears of a global recession.
Speaking earlier, local travel agency Arcade Travel said it was feeling the effects of a reduction in holiday bookings.
Jim Allan, a partner with the firm in Thurso and Wick, said: "People are obviously very worried and it is affecting our business – people are not booking just now."
A number of airlines have cancelled flights to affected areas. British Airways has suspended all China flights and there has been a significant fall in demand in travel to Italy following the outbreak in the north of the country.
EasyJet is also cancelling some flights because of the virus and is looking into cost-cutting.
A number of Caithness people have already been affected by Milan flight cancellations.
