Whalsay leisure centre among precautionary closures as Covid testing takes place on island

CORONAVIRUS testing is taking place in Whalsay following a recent confirmed case, while a number of public buildings such as the leisure centre have closed as a precaution.

It is understood that people who were at the Whalsay v Delting football match in Brae on Monday are among those who have been contact traced.

NHS Shetland said the new case confirmed on Thursday was linked to travel and other cases on the UK mainland.

Two new cases were added to Shetland’s tally of positive coronavirus tests today (Friday).

NHS Shetland sent a testing team to Whalsay on Friday to swab people who have been asked to get a test. This is by appointment only.

Anyone who does not have symptoms and who has not been asked to get a PCR test, can access lateral flow tests.

Whalsay Leisure Centre said on Friday that it will be closed as a precautionary measure until further notice.

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The island’s boating club and the golf clubhouse have also closed temporarily as a precaution, although the golf course will be open for play with social distancing. The Oot Ower Lounge pub is closed too.

North Isles councillor Duncan Anderson, who is from Whalsay, said it was important for people to remain calm and let the contact tracing process do its job.

“Hopefully this will be contained and we will be case free again soon enough,” he said.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon, meanwhile, said that across Scotland the situation with coronavirus was “fragile”.

She encouraged people to meet outdoors as much as possible.

Meanwhile the UK medicine regulator has now approved the Pfizer Covid vaccine for 12 to 15 year olds.

At the moment only people aged 16 and over can receive Covid vaccines.

Sturgeon said it was “really good news”.