The cumulative total of Covid cases in Orkney is now at 2,355 as 58 new tests were recorded in the Health Board area.

Sadly another Covid confirmed death was also recorded in Orkney on 27th January 2022.
Between 1st February and 7th February there were 198 positive cases in Orkney.
- West Mainland: 57
- Stromness, Sandwick, Stenness: 15
- East Mainland: 63
- Isles: 14
In Scotland the stats published on 10th February are as follows:
- 7,275 new cases of COVID-19 reported.
- 24 new reported deaths of people who have tested positive
- 19 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
- 904 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
- 4,424,596 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, 4,139,618 have received their second dose, and 3,332,960 have received a third dose or booster

- get the vaccine or the vaccine booster
- take regular lateral flow tests – especially before mixing with other people or visiting a hospital or care home – get lateral flow tests
- follow the guidance on self-isolating and booking a test
- wear a face covering where required
- if mixing with others, try to gather in small groups only
- wash your hands regularly and cover your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing
- open windows when meeting indoors
- a mixture of home and office working is allowed
- use the apps: COVID status, Protect Scotland and Check-in Scotland
Categories: Uncategorized
Boris is planning to lift the isolation rules in England because of ‘The Economy’ – that God of today’s world – The Economy.
Not, as he maintains, because the situation re. numbers of Covid cases is ready for this change, but because people staying home is seen as being bad for …The Economy.
Presently in Britain if someone tests Positive for Covid they have to isolate, so they don’t go to work. That means that their work-place is short staffed etc. etc. Not good for The Economy.
If the isolation restrictions are lifted at the end of February, a person can test Positive, but, if they are not actually unwell, they can go to work and potentially infect others, who might then actually become unwell, and not be able to go to work.
How is this a reasonable course of action? It’s part of That Man’s plan for Britain to learn to ‘live with Covid’, as though it’s just another respiratory disease. But it isn’t. How many doctors have pointed out that it isn’t – that ‘flu or a bad cold rarely kills someone, puts them in Intensive Care, or even puts them in hospital.
Covid isn’t not just another respiratory disease. Please – listen to the doctors, not politicians or un-thinking acquaintances.
Once again – I’m glad I live in Scotland, where the Scottish Government can make its own rules – well, some of them – hopefully a whole lot more of them before too long!
But people will be able to test Positive in England, not isolate, and come to Scotland, and Orkney, for their holidays.
Brace yourselves.
Don’t I get tired of going on about this? Yes, I do, as I get tired of the situation we’re in – but………..
I was praising the Scottish Government’s approach to Covid rules, but now we hear that from the end of February children in Scotland won’t have to wear masks in school.
What kind of sense is there in that?
New guidance applies only to Classrooms. Pupils and staff will be encouraged to wear masks – but it won’t be mandated – hopefully common sense dictates and masks continue to be worn. Mask wearing in communal areas will remain compulsory.
Hello Malcolm Gamble
I admit to being picky here, but – classrooms surely must count as communal areas – people are gathered together in them.
I was referring to a school as a whole, and a place where people gather from various places.
Some young people have the sense not to smoke cigarettes – others don’t.
At this stage, mask wearing shouldn’t be left to personal choice.
PS…….
https://twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1491685154355560449
This virus will be with us till the end of time. Stay at home and don’t go out. Who needs money or an economy.
We need to isolate ourselves from the rest of society to stay safe but that won’t be difficult because if there’s no economy society will soon break down.
Coronaviruses (and there are many) have been with us and will be with us for good. But not all have pandemic potential. This one does. Under the guise of ‘protecting the economy’ sensible and simple precautions are being abandoned. There are countries which never locked down their economy completely or only shortly and simply by using NPIs (such as masks, distancing, ventilation etc.) managed to control the spread of the virus far better than the UK did. Their economy did not take the same hit.
Nobody would need to completely isolate themselves from society if some sensible measures would be kept in place. The amateurish approch to give up – bit by bit – any control we have over the spread is discriminatory. It forces a large part of the population into a position where they have to take disproportionately higher risks than most young and fit. Worst case scenario in the near future: no controls, to testing, no measures, no reporting… any arrival of a nasty new variant or the moment when immunity (from vaccines or naturally acquired) wanes again… but thanks to the sentinel role imposed upon the vulnerable, it will be noticed (at some point and possibly with delay) when hospitalisations and deaths could increase again. This is not management, it is the opposite.
In my persona; opinion, mismanaging public health in a pandemic could amount to culpable manslaughter and some other offences. It would be interesting to hear the opinion of lawyers.
The economy can be protected by other measures than to abandon all safeguards and sacrifice the duty of care to which all citizens are entitled.
It was a grave mistake to villify masks from the very beginning instead of adopting an approach seen in many Asian regions where people in crowded cities have been protecting themselves from air pollution as well as infectious diseases over decades without discussing it.