NHS Orkney Public Health and Orkney Islands Council are working closely to contain a COVID cluster in the West Mainland that involves several school children.

Schools in Orkney are asking for your help

While staff really enjoy hearing from you, the number of calls around COVID testing is making things a little tricky.

And we want to bust a myth or two surrounding the testing process, which will hopefully reassure you.

As the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to rise across Scotland, the Council is reminding school staff and pupils of measures still in place to try and keep everyone safe while back in the classroom.

Staff and secondary pupils are asked to undertake twice-weekly lateral flow tests during term time.

Council employees Neil and Sarah Taylor have been named Orkney “Local Heroes” for the contribution they made to the community by operating a soup kitchen during the pandemic for those in need.

Orkney would appear to be retaining its place as the UK’s most popular cruise ship destination – with a potentially record-breaking near 200 cruise ships booked to call into local waters during 2022.