NHS HIGHLAND

11 February 2021
COVID cases

The number of new cases has levelled off. On 11 February we had 44 new cases. The infection rate is 73/100,000 across the NHS Highland area: 107/100,000 in Argyll and Bute and 61/100,000 in North Highland.

We have a total of 17 inpatient cases in Raigmore, plus ten in ITU, and seven in Argyll and Bute.

There have been 140 recorded deaths in the NHS Highland area since the start of the pandemic: 80 in Highland and 60 in Argyll and Bute.

Care Homes
We are supporting providers with outbreaks at three care homes in Invergordon. The cumulative totals for cases in each, as at 9 February, was:
Meallmore: 37 positive residents; 39 positive staff
Castle Gardens: 34 positive residents; 43 positive staff
Mull Hall: 14 residents; 4 staff
Kintyre House in Invergordon and Fodderty House in Dingwall have both reopened. As all care home residents have now been offered a vaccination, we hope any future outbreaks will be shorter lived and have less severe impacts.

Vaccination
Our vaccination programme continues, as we work our way through the JCVI cohorts. We have now vaccinated over 70,000 people.

We have completed nearly all over 80s, with a small number of housebound residents still to be reached. This is due to an increase in people who are housebound compared to flu vaccination; the severe weather which has hampered some efforts to reach more remote localities, and some cases where people have been symptomatic or otherwise too unwell to be vaccinated. We expect to have reached all housebound over 80s by 15 February.
Housebound people are identified by their GPs and then vaccinated either by GPs, district nurses or other colleagues, depending on the circumstances and locations. Some housebound people prefer to have friends or family bring them to a clinic, which we are happy to accommodate.

We are currently vaccinating all residents over 65 and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV or shielding), with the intention of completing these cohorts by mid-February. Take up has been very good, which we believe is in part due to the relationship between GPs and their patients.

We continue to work closely with GPs, who are carrying out the majority of vaccinations in the NHS Highland area.