News Archive
31/8/2021
New legislation comes into force from 1 September 2021 which will affect people who run certain activities in the Highlands concerned with animals. Current active licences for existing dog breeders and pet shops will continue until their expiry date when they are required to obtain a licence under the new legislation.
31/8/2021
New Child poverty benefit pays out £17.6 million to families in need. More than 108,000 children have benefited from the Scottish Government's new Scottish Child Payment according to the latest official statistics.
31/8/2021
Options for Scotland's future approach to assessment and qualifications have been published. Renowned Professor Gordon Stobart, who was appointed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), considered approaches taken around the world as part of his work.
31/8/2021
Further funding has been announced to provide short-term care for acutely unwell patients in their own homes. An additional £2.6 million has been shared between ten health boards so they can continue to develop Hospital at Home services to avoid admissions to hospital.
A letter has been sent to parents and guardians of pupils in S1 and S3 at Wick High School on Friday 27th August 2021. Dear Parent or Guardian, We have identified a possible case of COVID-19 in a pupil in your child's year group.
30/8/2021
3,893* new cases of COVID-19 reported. 29,281 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 14.1% of these were positive.
30/8/2021
Organisations with ten or more employees can now sign up for asymptomatic workplace testing as part of an enhanced drive to identify emerging coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and break chains of transmission. Third sector organisations with ten or more employees (which can include formal volunteers) can now sign up for asymptomatic workplace testing.
30/8/2021
Applications now open for hardship support scheme. A scheme will provide up to £715,000 of financial support to pig producers affected by the temporary closure of the abattoir at Brechin earlier this year.
29/8/2021
7,113* new cases of COVID-19 reported. 55,543 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 13.5% of these were positive.
29/8/2021
Universal Credit Additional Payment of £20 per week ends on 6th October 2021 but some may end sooner depending on when the first claim was made. The TUC writes - Universal credit cut will hit millions of working families and key workers.
29/8/2021
People aged under 40 who have still to receive their second dose of the vaccine are being urged to book an appointment or go to a drop-in clinic and maximise the protection offered. The number of cases is rising and around two thirds of new cases are in under 40s.
29/8/2021
From the Institute for Fiscal Studies The support given to individuals and businesses and the costs of managing the pandemic have left us with the biggest peacetime deficit in British history. As the economy reopens, and the coronavirus begins to have less of a hold on our lives, the government will need to start thinking about how to return the deficit to a more sustainable level.
28/8/2021
Economy boosting step backed by move to clamp down on poor performers. People will be able to use private sector tests when returning, or visiting, from green or amber list countries under a change to international travel restrictions.
Orkney Cheese Company Limited is investing in a £925,000 refurbishment project, which is set to increase production, create jobs and help the company reach new markets over the next three years. Significant improvements will be made at the Hatston Industrial Estate based facility in Kirkwall.
28/8/2021
Well it was worth asking the question. The answer so far from a piece of research is - Conclusion In the present study, we determined that house flies could readily acquire and harbor SARS-CoV-2 from virus-spiked medium or virus-spiked milk.
28/8/2021
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed changes to its rules to allow for an increase in the single transaction contactless payment threshold from £45 to £100. The contactless threshold for multiple transactions will also increase from £130 to £300.
28/8/2021
5,858 new cases of COVID-19 reported 43,450 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results 14.2% of these were positive 8 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive. 49 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19.
The current phase of engineering works to strengthen the 1.9km viaduct that supports the railway track began in April 2021, with the aim of returning the funicular to service early next year. However, despite strong progress made in tough conditions, HIE has concluded that the planned timescale now needs to extend into the second half of 2022.
28/8/2021
The Cabinet Secretary for Culture Angus Robertson has urged the UK Government to ensure visa-free travel for those who work in the creative industries. In a letter to Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Oliver Dowden, Mr Robertson said the UK Government should negotiate an agreement with the EU this year.
27/8/2021
In this audio extract, Ian Sutherland of Wick Heritage Society relates the story of the 'Battle of the Orange', or the 'Big War in Wick'. The extract is from Moray Firth Radio's 'Recollections' series, transmitted in 1991.