The number of positive Covid tests being returned in South Ayrshire weekly has declined for the second week in a row.

We reported last week how after weeks of increasing, case numbers had for the first time started to come down. The latest Public Health Scotland (PHS) data shows that that trend has continued.

According to PHS, there were 724 positive tests in South Ayrshire between September 11-17.

That’s a decrease from 765 cases the week before.

It represents a seven-day rate per 100,000 of population of 645.6.

By that measure South Ayrshire is the third worst affected council area in the country at the moment, behind North Lanarkshire (672.5 per 100,000) and West Dunbartonshire (803.7).

In South Ayrshire, 95.1 per cent of those aged above 16 have received at least a first dose of a Covid vaccine and 88.9 per cent have received two doses.

The Covid vaccine passport scheme will come into effect soon, on Friday, October 1.

It means that nightclubs and large events will only be able to allow entry to people who can show they have had two doses of a Covid vaccine.

The scheme has been introduced to allow events to go ahead despite surging cases of Covid-19 in communities.

It will work by accessing an NHS Scotland Covid Status App, which will be available from September 30, which will show a QR code for each vaccination.

And there has been an update on vaccinating children with the news coming last week that all those aged 12 to 15 in the UK are to be offered one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid jab.