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Local people are being urged to help protect front line services by heeding Scottish Government advice aimed at curbing COVID-19 transmission in the community, including minimising social contacts.

Orkney Health and Care has issued a rallying call to relatives of users of the Care at Home Service appealing for their help to keep some of Orkney’s most vulnerable folk safe over the festive period.

There is a national shortage of care workers, agency staff who have been bolstering the local teams are heading home for Christmas and New Year and now, additional precautions regarding the new COVID-19 variant Omicron are likely to impact on Home Care staffing levels further.

Class teachers continue to provide work online using the Seesaw tool and, in addition, pupils from the closed P4 class have been sent a pack of activities. Given the small, but continual, increase in positive lateral flow test results among the pupils of the closed P4 class it has been decided to keep the P4 class closed for the remainder of term. This means that the P4 class will not reopen now until after the festive holiday break. However, any parents with an urgent need for childcare on Monday and Tuesday next week and who are COVID-19 free, are asked to contact the school’s Head Teacher, Mark Taylor, directly via his school glow email. Mr Taylor will respond ahead of Monday.

The Stromness Community Testing clinic is open again today until 1pm – and a drop in clinic has been organised for Kirkwall, at the Fire Station, tomorrow (Friday 17 December) from 10am-1pm. 

Simply put – Home Carer Kayleigh Swannie “loves” her job.

The 23-year-old has been a relief Home Carer covering the West Mainland since April 2017.

She’s a well kent face out west having worked with most of the teams and folk who are supported to live at home at some stage during this time.

There were 42 children at St Andrews School today.

Class teachers continue to provide work online using the Seesaw tool and, in addition, pupils from the closed P4 class have been sent a pack of activities. It is still planned for a reopening of the school in full on Monday 20 December, unless circumstances change.

The byelaws referred to above have received confirmation from the Scottish Ministers, and will come into operation on 10 January 2022.

A copy of the byelaws and the relative map may be examined at Customer Services, Council Offices, Kirkwall, Orkney, during opening hours.

Following an obligatory 10-year review, Kirkwall's byelaws for the consumption of alcohol in public places have been updated to reflect the spread of the town in recent years. 

Orkney Islands Council has today (Wednesday 15 December) announced the first phase of a refresh of its corporate management structure.

Orkney Islands Council is advising that the current phase of flagstone repair works on Alfred Street in Stromness have been completed, with Alfred street now reopened to vehicular traffic. There will be no further closures in Stromness this year for flagstone repairs, with works not restarting until 10 January 2022.