NHS Western Isles Chief Executive Gordon Jamieson has taken on a wintry look for his daily Covid-19 update on Facebook and Twitter – but the news from the frontline is much more warming.

The Zoe Covid-19 app - which gives a remarkably accurate snapshot of what's happening on the ground just now - is showing a firm renewed decline in local infection case loads. 

While the Scottish national figures show a drop in the level of positive tests, and a decline in numbers in intensive care.  

And the latest update from Mr Jamieson says there were 7 new cases yesterday (Thursday December 2), all on Lewis, all contacts of existing cases – 3 of them are nursery or school-age children.

A massive renewed focus is on expanding the vaccination programmes - in the aftermath of the UK-level concern about the Omicron variant of the virus.

Today NHSWI have a flu/booster/COVID 2nd dose drop-in clinic running in the Dark Island Hotel in Linaclete  from 9am - 4pm. The flu/booster clinic is for those aged 50+, unpaid carers, those with an underlying health condition that puts them at risk, anyone who lives in a household where someone is immunosuppressed, and NHS and frontline social care workers.

The booster can now be given at 12 weeks after the second dose (for tomorrow’s clinic that means a 2nd dose on or before 10th September).

Anyone aged 12 or over can also attend the clinic for a second dose. For those aged below 18, it must be 12 weeks since they had a first dose (for anyone aged 18 or over they can receive a second dose at 8 weeks).

There is a flu and COVID booster drop-in clinic in Western Isles Hospital from 12.30-4.30pm for anyone aged 40 or over, unpaid carers, those with an underlying health condition that puts them at risk, anyone who lives in a household where someone is immunosuppressed, and NHS and frontline social care workers.

Following that, there is a first/second dose drop-in clinic in Western Isles Hospital from 5.30pm - 7.30pm for anyone aged 12 or over.