Hunt for contacts as Orkney is hit by new outbreak
‘There’s a real risk to the people’
HEALTH experts are concerned that an outbreak of coronavirus has begun ‘spreading rapidly’ across Orkney.
Some people have developed symptoms, travelled to their homes and then to mainland Scotland.
The cluster involves at least nine people who have worked together, and work is ongoing to trace contacts.
NHS Orkney last reported a positive case on June 15, when there had been nine cases since the start of the pandemic. But on Saturday, it said Orkney testers had picked up a positive case registered to a mainland address.
The new cases follow a lockdown in Aberdeen, which is connected to the islands by ferry, following the detection of a cluster of cases.
But last night it was reported the Orkney cluster included five confirmed cases linked to a fishing boat which had sailed there from Peterhead.
NHS Orkney chief executive Michael Dickson said: ‘We’re talking a minimum of nine people, a number of which have already tested positive.’
He added: ‘NHS Orkney is respondare ing to a significant Covid public health issue and we are profoundly concerned that the virus is spreading rapidly across our community. We believe there is a real risk to the people of Orkney and urge them to take care.’
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur said: ‘This spike in new cases is deeply worrying. It is also a timely reminder that this virus remains a real threat.’
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there was no need for any ‘undue alarm’ but warned against complacency.
Since the beginning of the Aberdeen outbreak, 182 cases of coronavirus have been linked to the outbreak and 961 contacts have been identified.
Local restrictions announced on August 5, will remain in place until 19 August at the earliest.
A cluster in Peterhead is being investigated and has led to a primary school closing, while eight cases were identified in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Last night a further three positive cases were identified in the Glasgow cluster, bringing the total to 11. A number pupils at Bannerman High School in Baillieston, but there is no indication transmission occurred in the school.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said none of the cases are causing concern.
The board’s Dr Linda de Caestecker said: ‘Each of these cases is being followed up in detail, and all of them are isolating at home.’
Miss Sturgeon said ‘clusters of this kind are inevitable’, adding: ‘We should become more used to hearing about several different clusters because the virus hasn’t gone away.
‘But while we should not be unduly alarmed, it is equally important that we are not complacent.’
Miss Sturgeon also said the virus reproduction rate – the average number of people infected by each infectious person – could now be as high as 1.3. However, she stressed that the rate becomes less reliable as the number of cases drops.