Visiting Restricted At Caithness General Hospital Due To Covid - Hundreds Of Wards Closed Across Scotland

26th August 2023

Hundreds of hospital wards have been forced to close due to Covid outbreaks in the first seven months of this year, according to figures obtained by the Herald.

At least 237 wards were closed to new admissions - typically for periods of around seven to 10 days - in a bid to prevent the virus spreading to other patients.

That compares to a total of 93 ward closures up to the end of July for all other infection control incidents combined, including cases of norovirus, flu, RSV, or gastroenteritis.

Read more At the Herald

Visitors to the Rosebank and Bignold wards at Caithness General Hospital have been restricted due to Covid within the hospital.
Read more at The Northern Times

The provisional total number of deaths registered in Scotland in week 33 of 2023 (14th August to 20th August was 1,095 (24 or 2% above the 5-year average). There were 23 deaths mentioning COVID-19.

By underlying cause, this number can be broken down as:

326 cancer deaths (2 higher than average)
92 dementia and Alzheimer's disease deaths (18 below average)
277 circulatory deaths (1 higher than average)
112 respiratory deaths (22 higher than average)
16 COVID-19 deaths
272 deaths from other causes (14 above average)

Source - https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/general-publications/weekly-deaths-registered-in-scotland

There are no COVID-19 restrictions in the UK.
If you have COVID-19 you should try to stay at home.

Most people cannot get free COVID-19 tests. You can buy tests in shops but you cannot report the result to the NHS.

Rules and restrictions
There are no COVID-19 rules or restrictions in Scotland. At this stage of the pandemic we are now living with COVID-19 as a respiratory infection.

There are things you can do to stay well and protect others:

stay at home if you have symptoms
if you have symptoms and do need to go out, wear a well-fitting face covering
get the vaccine if offered to ensure you are fully protected
wash your hands regularly
meet in well-ventilated spaces
support Distance Aware, for anyone who prefers others to take extra care around them

Face coverings
If you have symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, try to stay at home and avoid contact with others - if you do need to go out, wear a well-fitting face covering.

You may also wish to consider wearing, and you may be asked to wear a face covering in other settings.

Please be respectful of other people's choices, whether they choose to wear a face covering or not.

It is recommended that face coverings are made of cloth or other textiles and should be two, preferably three, layers thick in line with Worldwide Health Organisation’s recommendations.