Covid-19 numbers rising in Highland hospitals

The number of people with coronavirus being treated in NHS Highland hospitals has leapt to its jointhighest level since the pandemic began.

There are 49 people receiving treatment for Covid, a figure not recorded since April 17 2020 when the UK was less than a month into the first lockdown.

Just two weeks ago, there were 22 Covid patients in Highland hospitals who had tested positive.

No information is available on whether any of them are being treated in the ICU, as Public Health Scotland does not release data if the number is lower than five.

However, Scottish Government statistics show there are 11 patients in intensive care with coronavirus across the country – the second lowest since June last year.

NHS Grampian’s downward trend is continuing in hospital admissions although yesterday’s figure of 67 was two more than Thursday.

Scotland’s wider hospital figures seem to be on the increase since a low of 885 on February 13. It was 1,093 yesterday.

The deaths of 11 people who recently tested positive for Covid included one in Aberdeenshire.

The three island local authorities have recorded relatively high numbers of new cases once again, though no records have been broken.

There were 53 new cases in Orkney while Shetland reported 51 and the Western Isles 49.

The Highlands recorded the thirdhighest number of new cases among mainland local authorities with 380.

There were 266 in Aberdeenshire, 199 in Aberdeen and 101 in Moray, with 5,484 across Scotland.