The number of positive Covid tests being returned weekly in North Ayrshire continues to decrease, reducing by more than 100 week-on-week.

The latest Public Health Scotland data show that there were 544 cases of confirmed Covid between September 25 and October 1 – down from 655 the week before.

It gives us a seven-day case rate per 100,000 of population of 405.2.

By that measure, currently we are the fifth worst-affected council area in the country behind Falkirk (411.1), South Ayrshire (418.2), North Lanarkshire (434.7) and West Lothian (478.2).

A total of 94.2 per cent of people aged over 16 in North Ayrshire have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 87.6 per cent have had two.

This past week has seen two significant alterations to Covid regulations.

The vaccine passport scheme coming into effect on Friday and yesterday saw the amber list scrapped and the traffic light system replaced by a single red list.

It means most fully vaccinated travellers arriving from non-red list countries will no longer have to take a test before setting off for the UK.

However, as it stands, they will still have to take a PCR tests two days after arrival in Scotland, but this may change later, with the UK Government said to be considering requiring a lateral flow test instead.

Scotland has said it will “align with the UK post-arrival testing regime” but has not yet said whether it will still require PCR tests to be taken upon arrival.

Those coming back

from red list destinations must still pay to quarantine in a hotel for 10

days.