The cumulative total of Covid cases in Orkney is now at 857 as 16 new positive test results were recorded in the Health Board area.

Between 8th and the 14th of November 2021 the Covid cases recorded across Orkney were as follows:

• West Mainland: 0 – 2
• Stromness, Sandwick, Stenness: 9
• East Mainland: 34
• North Isles, Linked South Isles, Hoy, Flotta, Graemsay: 15

The positivity rate for Orkney over this period was 12.5% compared to the Scottish average of 10%.

The stats for Scotland published on 17th of November 2021 are as follows:

• 3,360 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 40,412 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
  • 8.8% of these were positive
• 13 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 57 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 774 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,332,835 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination and 3,931,709 have received their second dose

Deaths

Since the start of the outbreak:

• 9,419 people have died who have tested positive as at 17 November
• 11,933 deaths have been registered in Scotland where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate up to 14 November
• 30% of COVID-19 registered deaths related to deaths in care homes, 63% were in hospitals and 7% were at home or non-institutional settings (as at 14 November)

Between 8th November and 14th November, 115 deaths were registered that mentioned COVID-19 on the death certificate, 25 fewer than the previous week.

Of deaths involving COVID-19 in the latest week:

• 57 were female, 58 were male.
• 60 were aged 75 or older, 32 were aged 65 to 74 and 23 were under 65.
• There were 15 deaths in Fife, 14 in Glasgow City and 8 in South Lanarkshire. In total 25 council areas (out of 32) had at least one death involving COVID-19 last week.
• 102 were in hospitals, 4 were in care homes and 9 were at home or a non-institutional setting.

There were 1,327 deaths from all causes last week, 222 (20%) more than the five year average.

Analysis of deaths occurring between March 2020 and October 2021 shows that after adjusting for age, people living in the most deprived areas were 2.5 times as likely to die with COVID-19 as those in the least deprived areas. The size of this gap has widened from 2.1 to 2.5 over the period of the pandemic.

This week’s report includes an updated analysis of deaths of people of different ethnicities. The main findings from this are:

• Deaths amongst people with Pakistani ethnicity  were 3.7 times as likely to involve COVID-19 as people with White Scottish ethnicity.
• Deaths amongst people with Chinese ethnicity (1.7 times as likely), Indian ethnicity (1.7 times as likely) and Other Asian ethnicity (3.0 times as likely) were more likely to involve COVID-19 than people with White Scottish ethnicity.
• Deaths amongst people with White Other British ethnicity were less likely to involve COVID-19 than people with White Scottish ethnicity  (0.8 times as likely).
• The likelihood of deaths among people with Other White, White Polish and White Irish ethnicity involving COVID-19 was not significantly different from those with White Scottish ethnicity.

Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said: 

“The number of registered COVID-19 deaths has fallen to the lowest number since early September. The next couple of weeks will provide valuable evidence on whether the latest fall is the start of a sustained decline or a continuation of the recent fluctuations.  

“Our analysis shows that there continues to be an increased risk of dying with COVID-19 amongst people living in Scotland’s most deprived areas and that deaths of people with a Pakistani, Chinese, Indian or Other Asian ethnicity are more likely to involve COVID-19 than those of people with a White Scottish ethnicity.”

Please remember all these numbers represent people. Here at The Orkney News we pass on our condolences to all those affected.

Copy of the report from the National Records of Scotland.

Please remember to:

• get the vaccine when you are offered it
• wear a face covering where required
• wash your hands regularly, and cover your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing
• self isolate and take a PCR test if you have symptoms
• take regular tests if you don’t have symptoms to reduce the risk of spreading the virus
• meet outside if you can, and open windows when indoors
• keep your distance from people not in your group
• work from home, or do a mixture of home and office working if possible
• use the apps: COVID status (vaccine passport), Protect Scotland and Check-in Scotland