The number of acute Covid-19 admissions to Hospital has remained steady at 266 from 265 the previous week according to latest published figures from Public Health Scotland (12th December 2023).

However, the number of patients in Hospital with Covid-19 has increased to 347 from 329 the previous week.

With the limited testing that it being done one of the few ways to monitor Covid in the local community is through the testing of waste water.

The last published test for the area served by the Kirkwall sewage system was on 21st of September.

During the current Winter 2023 vaccination programme a total of 619,397 Influenza (Adult 18+), 135,540 Influenza (Children 6 months to 17 years) and 431,122 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to the Scottish population since 4 September 2023. Information on vaccine uptake for the COVID-19 and influenza vaccine programmes is available via the PHS vaccination surveillance dashboard (external website).

National Records of Scotland have also published the weekly deaths on 12th October 2023.

The provisional total number of deaths registered in Scotland in week 40 of 2023 (2nd October to 8th October) was 1,139 (16 or 1% below the 5-year average).  There were 35 deaths mentioning COVID-19.

Those figures in more detail.

Deaths involving Covid:

• Age 45 – 64: 1 death, male
• Age 65 – 74: 8 deaths, 6 female, 2 male
• Age 75 – 84: 13 deaths, 7 female, 6 male
• Age 85+ : 13 deaths, 9 female, 4 male

Two deaths were in Care Homes, 7 at Home/ Non-Institutional Setting, and 26 in Hospital.

Of the 35 deaths involving Covid, Covid was the underlying cause in 20 of them

How well are we doing? Figures are for week 40 (2nd October)

There were 1,139 deaths due to all causes, 16 less than the 5 year average, however, there were +28 deaths above the average due to ‘all other casues’.

Fiona Grahame