NHS Orkney is continuing to vaccinate against both Flu and Covid, recognising both can be serious, even for healthy people.

If you are eligible for vaccination and have missed your appointment, or you are a household contact or carer and haven’t yet had your vaccine, please come along to the drop-in clinic at The Balfour below:

• Monday 25 March 10am – 12pm

If you require more information regarding your eligibility please call the team on 0300 303 5313, or visit: NHS Inform Winter Vaccines.

Published by Public Health Scotland, 21st March 2024 is the latest data on Flu and Covid in Scotland.

The number of inpatients with COVID-19 in hospital (seven day average) has decreased to 109, as at 17th March 2024, from the previous week of 116.

The monitoring for fragments of coronavirus’ ribonucleic acid (RNA) in local waste water samples  for Orkney was last published on 5th March and was ‘weak positive’.

National Records of Scotland published the figures for weekly deaths on 21st March 2024.

The provisional total number of deaths registered in Scotland in week 11 of 2024 (11th March to 17th March) was 1,247 (94 or 7% lower than the expected number of deaths in week 11). There were 12 deaths mentioning COVID-19.

Those figures in more detail.

Deaths involving Covid.

• Age 45 – 64: 1 death, female
• Age 65 – 74: 1 death, male
• Age 75 – 84: 3 deaths, male
• Age 85+: 7 deaths, 1 female, 6 male

There were two deaths in Care Homes; 1 death at Home/Non Institutional Setting; and 9 deaths in Hospital.

Of the 12 deaths involving Covid, Covid was the main cause in 9 of them.

There were 1,247 deaths due to all causes.

Fiona Grahame