The cumulative total of Covid cases in Orkney is now at 2,852.
Saturday: 40 new cases , cumulative total 2,759
Sunday: 46 new cases, cumulative total 2,805
Monday: 47 new cases, cumulative total 2,852
From 12th February to 18th February there were 302 positive covid cases recorded in Orkney.
The stats for Scotland published on 21st of February 2022 are as follows:
- 5,307 new cases of COVID-19 reported.
- 0 new reported deaths of people who have tested positive (Noting that Register Offices are generally closed at the weekend)
- 13 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
- 1,051 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
- 4,432,566 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, 4,151,403 have received their second dose, and 3,397,270 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
Over the past week, Shetland and Orkney have had the highest daily positive cases in the whole of Scotland. Orkney’s average case rate is 2x that of Scotland’s. Why are we top of the table – when a month ago we were at the bottom along with Shetland?
Why? I could think of a few possible explanations… complacency, not realising the bigger picture, lacking understanding of disease dynamics and which risks high infection rates could entail, misconceptions, being desperate to get back to old habits including travel and indoor socialising with laxness in mask use, perhaps even a rise in nosocomial infections (as it had been suggested by SAGE https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1054509/S1509_SAGE_105_minutes.pdf for England) when catching up with treatments which had been postponed… and some more…
Whatever the reasons… this is not a good development because it creates an environment for the virus to start again building up critical mass over the spring and summer without being noticed… seasonality and increasing outdoor activities may well – again – contribute towards ‘milder’ disease in the coming months and veil what is going on underneath.
Nobody wants another nasty variant coming along later this year… hopefully this is not the price for the current high rates…
A lot of people and organizations are trying to live as though Covid simply isn’t here anymore – when it is.
I’m seeing this more and more – yesterday we had an invitation to a dinner dance – an annual event which has, wisely, been cancelled for the last two years and is going ahead this year. Why? What do they think they are doing?
I’m reminded of one of my mother’s sayings – “If everyone puts their hand in the fire, it doesn’t mean that you do too.” The trouble is – people behaving this way actually spreads the ‘fire’.
It’s some kind of un-thinking determination to ‘get back to normal’ – which is …unreal.
We watched a programme presented by Bettany Hughes about how the people of Malta spent much of the Second World War living in tunnels underground as that was the only way to be safe from the enemy bombing. They did what they needed to do – giving up dances and outings for a few years isn’t a lot to ask.
We’re not being bombed, but we are being attacked by a clever enemy – one which we can’t see, which makes it even more dangerous.