AN outbreak of coronavirus in Aberdeen is showing signs of slowing, as Scotland's chief medical officer said there is no evidence of wider community transmission.
The total number of cases identified in the cluster now stands at 157, up from 134 on Sunday and 54 last Wednesday when the city was plunged into a localised lockdown.
All indoor and outdoor hospitality venues have been forced to close for at least seven days after the virus was detected initially among patrons of the Hawthorn Lounge pub then subsequently linked to more than 30 bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels and leisure premises, including golf clubs, in or near to the city centre.
Aberdeen residents were also told not to visit other households indoors or to travel more than five miles from home for leisure, including holidays.
The case count more than doubled to 110 by Saturday, but a rise of 43 per cent since then suggests that the outbreak may have been contained through contact tracing and quarantine.
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To date 852 close contacts of individuals who have tested positive have been identified and told to self-isolate as a precaution in case of infection.
However, as some of these close contacts are duplicates - that is, the same person being associated with more than one positive case - the actual number of people self-isolating as a result of the Aberdeen cluster is lower.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there was currently "no need" to expand the lockdown, which will be reviewed on Wednesday, to Aberdeenshire, but said she could not rule out extending it for a longer period in Aberdeen.
Interim CMO Dr Gregor Smith added: "We do not believe there is evidence of wider community transmission either in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire.
"Clearly it's an area we need to keep an eye on, and we will remain vigilant over the next few days."
In Scotland as a whole, cases of Covid-19 were up by 29 including 18 in the Grampian region.
It is unclear how many of those overlapped with the 23 new cases in the Aberdeen cluster, however, as not everyone testing positive will be a Grampian resident.
There were also six new cases of the virus in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, three in Lothian and three in Tayside.
READ MORE: New figures suggest Covid cases on the rise in Lothian, Grampian and Glasgow region
In the past two weeks, Grampian has seen its total number of known coronavirus cases increase by 237, but the number of people in hospital with the infection has fallen by five over the same period.
Ms Sturgeon said this may be due to the "younger age profile to cases" both in Aberdeen and nationally as new cases are increasingly linked to "hospitality and people meeting up with friends".
However, she cautioned against complacency.
"I would guard against any early conclusions," she said. "We know from past experience there is a lag between people who become unwell and being admitted to hospital and ICU."
In Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where cases have climbed by 104 since July 27 the number of people in hospital with Covid has - as in Grampian - declined.
In contrast, the Lothian region - where cases of the virus have risen by just 43 in the past fortnight - the number of people in hospital with Covid has risen by nine, from 70 to 79, over the same period.
It is unclear why.
All three health boards recorded new Covid-related admissions in the past 24 hours, however, with three in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, one in Grampian and two in Lothian.
There were none in any other health board areas.
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Meanwhile, concerns were raised that new lung cancer cases are being still missed despite the overall number of possible new cancer cases being referred for investigation having returned to 96 per cent of pre-Covid levels.
Dr Smith, who previously worked as a GP, said: "For a small number of people, symptoms of lung cancer may be developing unrecognised and there are still fewer people seeking help for this than I would expect.
"This might be because the symptoms appear similar to Covid-19, or because people are uneasy about seeking help or bothering services."
Dr Smith urged anyone with a persistent cough, shortness of breath, unexplained weight loss, unusual pain in their shoulder or chest, or blood when they cough, to see their GP.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman also announced plans to expand care home visiting further after outdoor visits were extended as of today to up to three people from two different households.
Ms Freeman said work was underway to allow indoor visiting and for eligible care home residents to resume outings with friends and family.
She said: "All of that requires really careful consideration to ensure that we do it in as safe a way as possible and balance the benefit to residents with the risk of contracting the virus."
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