Two hospital wards have been closed due to an outbreak of Covid amid concerns over the rise in a rapidly mutating variant of the virus.
The wards at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley are shut to new admissions.
It comes after a new variant prompted the winter vaccination programme in Scotland to be brought forward to September 4 from mid-October, for care home residents, the over-75s and those who are clinically vulnerable.
Public Health Scotland (PHS) said variant BA.2.86, also known as Pirola, was identified on August 16 through a PCR test before being found in wastewater in another NHS board area.
BA.2.86 was designated a variant due to a “high number of mutations and the unknown effects this may have on transmissibility and severity”, Public Health Scotland said.
A NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokesperson said: “There are currently two wards at the Royal Alexandra Hospital closed to new admissions, due to Covid-19.
“Incident management teams have met to investigate and appropriate measures have been put in place to minimise any risk of transmission. This includes enhanced cleaning and separating positive Covid-19 patients from others.
“Staff continue to adhere to strict PPE guidelines during this time.
