The cumulative total of positive covid cases in Orkney has now reached 107.

The stats for Scotland published on 7th July 2021 are as follows:

• 3,799 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 40,842 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
  • 10.0% of these were positive
• 5 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive 
• 34 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 387 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 3,890,176 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 2,808,902 have received their second dose

A double dose of the vaccine will give protection but not 100% and people are still becoming very ill and having to be hospitalised.

For some this will have tragic consequences. As at 4 July, 10,189 deaths have been registered in Scotland where the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was mentioned on the death certificate, according to statistics published by National Records of Scotland (NRS) today.

In the week 28 June – 04 July, 21 deaths were registered that mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, an increase of four deaths from the previous week.

Covid-related deaths were recorded in:

• Falkirk (4)
• Glasgow City (3)
• Clackmannanshire (2)
• Perth and Kinross (2)
• South Lanarkshire (2)
• Aberdeenshire (1)
• Angus (1)
• Dundee City (1)
• East Ayrshire (1)
• North Ayrshire (1)
• North Lanarkshire (1)
• Renfrewshire (1)
• South Ayrshire (1)

Each one of these numbers is a person with family and friends who are now grieving.

The increasing numbers of Covid cases is also having an impact on those in our health and social care workforce with many of them now having to self isolate due to having the virus.

In the week ending 6 July, on average 2,760 NHS staff, or around 1.6% of the NHS workforce, reported absent each day for a range of reasons related to COVID-19

Since the start of the pandemic 21 health care workers and 30 social care workers in Scotland have died from Covid.

Surely it cannot be too hard for all of us to keep following 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 Orkney News wishes all those well in Orkney and further afield who are unwell due to Covid and those who are anxious that they may have contracted it.