Western Isles move to Level 4 restrictions as coronavirus cases spike

The Western Isles are being placed in the toughest tier of coronavirus restrictions after a spike in cases.

At the Scottish Government’s daily Covid briefing on Friday, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said six new cases were reported there on Friday and nine on Thursday.

A separate outbreak on Barra recently pushed that island into Level 4.

As a result of the spikes, the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway has now reached capacity.

Meanwhile, Ms Freeman also announced the Scottish coronavirus death toll under the daily measure – of people who first tested positive for the virus within the previous 28 days – is now 6,040.

That came after a further 70 deaths were registered in the last 24 hours. Case numbers also continue to rise, with 1,155 positive tests in the past day.

Ms Freeman said: “When the situation demands it, we must act quickly and decisively to safeguard health, save lives and protect the NHS.

“As we said we would, we have kept the island areas under review.

“The advice of our clinical advisers is that due to a rising trend of infections, lockdown is now necessary in the Western Isles.

“Discussions are under way to offer support and ease the pressure on local health services.

“It is essential that we further limit interaction between different households to stem the spread and bring the situation back under control, while we vaccinate more people.”

The measures will come into force at midnight on Saturday.

Council leader Roddie Mackay said: “The designation of the Western Isles as a Level 4 Covid-19 area is disappointing but not entirely unexpected given the recent rise in cases and the developing situation at the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway.

“Our communities continue to make stringent efforts to protect themselves and others and it is imperative, now more than ever before, that we maintain and indeed – wherever possible – increase these efforts.”

Ms Freeman added that around 96% of care home residents have now received a first vaccine dose in Scotland.

She said 68% of people over 80 have also had their first dose.

The Scottish Government is “well on track” to hit its vaccination target of all over-80s by “early next week”, she said.

Two more mass vaccination centres will open in Scotland from Monday in Aberdeen and Edinburgh.