The cumulative total of Covid cases in Orkney is now at 3,369.
Local services are under great pressure. The rise is showing no signs of abating leading to a further plea from the Orkney Local Emergency Coordination Group members for the public to once again increase their efforts to limit the spread.
OLECG vice-chair and Corporate Director Neighbourhood Services and Infrastructure, Hayley Green, said:
“We are seeing very high rates of transmission, and this is impacting heavily across our services – most notably within the care sector and our schools and nurseries – but really most areas are now being affected given the level of positive cases and the requirement for isolation.
“We have reached the point in schools and nurseries whereby we have exhausted supply staff as a contingency and middle and senior staff, including Head Teachers, who were helping to keep classes open by teaching themselves or taking on janitorial or cleaning duties for example, are now also off due to COVID and other sickness. Not only are children off due to catching the virus, but others are having to stay home due to a lack of staff – this is having a negative knock-on effect on working parents who are having to either work from home if that is possible or take time off when it is not.
“It has also become apparent that we are now witnessing children in schools who have become infected for a second time.”
The Council will be maintaining all current related COVID 19 restrictions for the time being, including working from home where possible, to be reviewed again during March.
Between 20th and 26th of February Orkney recorded 418 new Covid cases at a positivity rate of 1,866.1 per 100,000 (the Scottish average at this period was 825.9 per 100,000)
The stats for Scotland published on 1st March 2022 are:
- 7,497 new cases* of COVID-19 reported.
- 21 new reported deaths* of people who have tested positive
- 18 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
- 1,191 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
- 4,436,511 people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, 4,157,929 have received their second dose, and 3,434,063 have received a third dose or booster
The national case definition has been updated to include reinfections. This means the headline number of COVID-19 cases and deaths now includes cases based on an individual’s first positive test as well as possible reinfections, where an individual tests positive 90 days or more after their last positive test.
What you can do:
- 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: News
Just a reminder………….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2021/09/23/cruising-during-the-covid-pandemic/
I had an email from someone I know saying how distressed she is by the Covid numbers for Orkney. I answered her, and I’ll post my answer here too…..
“And what can i say, except for what you said. Just so. And it’s what S. Davidson keeps on pointing out, too. It’s a combination of long-term non-sense on the part of all the governments, and stupid behaviour on the part of the population. Folk can take this into their own hands to some extent – but they don’t even do that.
I get the impression that even the governments which tried hard at first are coming up against public disapproval as people have lost patience. As I keep saying – what about in the second World War – 6 years of having to behave – have black-outs etc. The trouble is – they can’t see the enemy.
The idea of people just travelling about is my biggest bug-bear. I don’t object to visitors coming to Orkney, but there should have been, right from the start, more control on them – proof of a negative flow test should be a must. Instead – it all going out the window!
No point in me laying it on with a trowel – we are in agreement.
Right now – I think well done Hayley for telling it like it is – but – it’s not going to change anything is it? Hayley can’t make people behave different.
I get into states about it all – then Mike and I re-affirm that we will carry on just as we have been for the last two years. But that’s only us – it doesn’t change it for other people.
The question is – where do we go from here? I mean, the whole nation, the whole world. It is madness.
And how are people in war zones and refugees supposed to do what’s needed to figth Covid when they are struggling to even exist?
It’s all around us, but what can we do but hold onto our own sanity and sense in a mad world.
It really is all we can do – and keep banging on about it and at least try to spread the idea that people need to re-consider.
We’ll just have to keep going, in every way.
And now – switching off, eating fish fingers beans and chips and drinking wine.
I can see how folk take to drink – I honestly can. But ….I won’t. I keep on considering the frogspawn – new life in the garden.
MIND THEESEN’
B