Tourists advised to take tests to prevent bringing Covid into community
NHS Shetland has asked tourists to take tests before and during their trip to the isles to prevent bringing Covid into the community.
The health board said a surge in cases would put them “under huge strain”.
Their advice to tourists is for them to:
- Complete a lateral flow test three days before travel – and again on the day of travel
- Delay their trip if their lateral flow test is positive and to book a PCR test
- Delay their trip if they have any symptoms
It said that Shetland and Orkney have no intensive care units, so if anyone requires specialist attention for Covid they would have to be transferred by air ambulance to the mainland.
NHS Shetland released the statement after Shetland recorded four new cases on Saturday – all related to travel to the mainland.
The health board said on Saturday that more cases were likely as the Delta variant spread throughout Scotland.
It is not thought that the Delta variant has actually reached Shetland yet, although tests on the latest cases are still to be carried out.
Jane Johnson
The more restrictions that are being lifted and more travel in and out of Shetland unfortunately puts even more restrictions on the vulnerable in our community’s. As NHS Shetland quite rightly points out that there are no intensive care units here in Shetland, the very thing that surely would guide the Shetland Islands Council to not just ” urge or advise “travellers to take tests but to make it mandatory. There must be an agreeable solution, to not find one is letting the vulnerable down badly.
John M Scott
If you are going to make lateral flow tests mandatory for travellers to Shetland, then people travelling from the islands to the mainland must be subject to the same restrictions. Remember, the crew of HMS Northumberland had to go into quarantine after a visit to Lerwick last year.