From this Saturday, 5th of June, Orkney will move from Level 1 restrictions to Level 0. This is not back to what it was before we were hit by the pandemic but because of the low recorded cases in the islands and the high uptake of vaccination, all the islands which were at level 1 will be moving to Level 0.

At Level 0:

• you can meet socially in groups:
  • of up to 8 people from 4 households in your home or theirs – and can stay overnight
  • of up to 10 people from 4 households in an indoor public place like a café, pub or restaurant
  • of up to 15 people from 15 households outdoors
• under 12s do not count towards the total number of people or households meeting outside but count towards the household numbers indoors
• you do not need to physically distance from family and friends in a private home
• you can travel anywhere in Scotland in Levels 0, 1 or 2 but must not enter a Level 3 or 4 area unless for a permitted reason
• you can travel anywhere in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands – before you travel you must check the travel rules in those countries
• you can provide informal childcare, for example to look after a grandchild
• up to 200 people can attend weddings and funerals
• tradespeople can carry out any work in your home such as painting, decorating or repairing
• you should work from home where possible

What can open at Level 0

Places and business that can open at Level 0 include:

• cafés, pubs and restaurants
• all shops and stores
• all close contact services including hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons
• all sport and exercise
• tourist accommodation
• all visitor attractions
• all public buildings like libraries and community centres
• all entertainment (apart from nightclubs and adult entertainment)
• stadiums and events – with maximum numbers
• a limited and phased return to offices

Most parts of Scotland will not be at Level 0.

Level 2

• Glasgow
• East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire
• East, North, and South Ayrshire
• North and South Lanarkshire
• Edinburgh and Midlothian
• Stirling and Clackmannanshire
• Dundee

Level 1

• Highland; Argyll and Bute
• Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray
• Angus; Perth and Kinross
• Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire
• Falkirk
• Fife
• West Lothian and East Lothian
• The Scottish Borders
• Dumfries & Galloway

Whilst this is excellent news for Orkney caution will still be required to ensure the virus keeps out of Orkney.

People who wish to visit Orkney are requested to take 2 tests before doing so.

You still need to follow FACTS

• wear a face covering
• avoid crowded places
• clean hands and surfaces regularly
• stay 2m away from other people
• self-isolate and get tested if you have COVID-19 symptoms
• download the Protect Scotland app

The stats for Scotland for 1st of June are:

• 478 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 16,489 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
  • 3.1% of these were positive
• 0 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 10 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 106 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 3,267,290 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 2,075,231 have received their second dose

Although uptake of the vaccine has been very successful there are people who are unable to get vaccinated or who are still waiting.

In Orkney 8,355 (79.7%) of those aged 50+ have had 2 doses of the vaccine and 10,124 (96.6%) have had their 1st dose.

Councillor James Stockan, Leader of Orkney Islands Council is delighted with the news that Orkney will move to level 0 on Saturday. He said:

“We of course look forward to the time when we are not in a Level at all. But this move to Level 0 – while it still involves social distancing and other measures – does give us more scope to do things we’ve not been able to do for some time, such as meeting with more households indoors and in restaurants and cafes.

“We’re making steady progress and that is testament to the Orkney community’s efforts and to visitors and the measures they have taken to help protect our community.

“It also reflects the success of the vaccination rollout, particularly here in Orkney, and I’d urge people to still come forward for vaccines to give us greater confidence to move out of Level 1 restrictions.

“While I welcome the Scottish Government announcement that Orkney will be moving to Level 0, some restrictions will still be in place and I would encourage everyone to know what those are.

“I’d appeal for Orkney residents returning from trips away and anyone planning to visit to carry out lateral flow tests before entering county – they are freely available and are a crucial tactic for keeping up progress made, and providing that extra level of protection to our remote community.”

Lateral Flow Tests (for those who do not have symptoms)

Free, fast and regular testing for people who do not have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) is available to everyone in Scotland.

Get a rapid LFD test

There are a number of ways you can get a rapid LFD test.

If you currently get rapid LFD test kits from your nursery or childcare provider, school, college, university or workplace you should continue to do so.

Order online for home delivery

• order coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests on gov.uk for home delivery

Your order will contain one pack with seven LFD tests inside, and it will be delivered to your home in one to two days. You can only order one pack per household each day.

If you’re ordering for another household in addition to your own household, you should:

• complete a separate order
• use their personal details including name, address, date of birth and email address

If you cannot place an order online, you can order by calling 119.

Collect a rapid LFD test kit from your nearest COVID-19 test site

• find your nearest COVID-19 test site where LFD tests can be collected

Up to two packs of seven LFD tests can be collected per household. If you are collecting for multiple people, up to four packs of seven LFD tests can be collected.

You can collect your packs of LFD tests from a COVID-19 test site between 3.30pm to 8pm. You do not need to book an appointment.

Orkney Constituency MSP Liam McArthur ,LibDem, has said that moving to Level 0 is ‘great news’ for Orkney. He said:

“Confirmation that Orkney is moving to Level 0 is great news and reflects the consistently positive situation we have seen in the islands for some time now. That has only been made possible by the extraordinary success of the local vaccine roll out programme and the efforts made by people in Orkney to keep themselves and our community safe.

“I know that the restrictions in place over the winter months have been particularly difficult for islanders. So this latest move towards a return to normality will be met with understandable relief.

“Of course, risks remain and it is important for everyone to continue to act responsibly.  This includes making use of the tests that are now more freely available, particularly for those travelling to and from the Scottish mainland.  

“Having worked so hard to see these restrictions eased, we must now make sure there is no going backwards over the months ahead.

Worryingly cases across the UK are starting to increase again. That is why even being at Level 0 requires us all to still be careful.

Reporter: Fiona Grahame