Orkney has gone a full calendar month without recording a new coronavirus case, the latest figures have revealed.
It’s the longest stretch without a case there since last summer, when no cases were recorded in Orkney between June 15 and August 13, 2020.
The most recent case was on February 18, the islands’ 70th since the pandemic began.
Regional Breakdown
There have been 45 new cases across the north and north-east in the past 24 hours.
Of these, 31 are in Grampian, 12 are in the Highlands and two are in Shetland.
The north-east’s total now stands at 13,927 positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
In Highland, the total number of cases is 4,899.
Shetland’s total has increased to 221 while the Western Isles remains on 291.
Coronavirus in Scotland – track the spread in these charts and maps
Coronavirus in Scotland
There were 624 new cases reported across Scotland, almost exactly the same number as yesterday when there were 625.
Scotland’s total positive case total now stands at 211,854 with the new cases representing 2.7% of those tested.
The number of people who have died in Scotland after contracting the virus has risen to 7,536, as seven new deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours.
A total of 405 people are currently in Scottish hospitals receiving treatment for Covid-19, 17 fewer than yesterday.
There are 38 people in intensive care.
Covid vaccine in Scotland: Track the rollout progress with these charts
Vaccine Rollout
The daily update from the Scottish Government also delivers an update on the rollout of the vaccination programme against Covid-19.
As of today, 2,023,002 people have received their first dose of the vaccine with 192,100 having had both doses required.
Sturgeon: Dip in vaccine supply will not affect July target on first jabs
A dip in supply will not affect the target to give all adults in Scotland a first dose of the vaccine by the end of July, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
A shipment of the AstraZeneca jab from India has encountered problems with the head of the Serum Institute of India suggesting the country’s government may be blocking exports to the UK.
The Scottish Government has said that people in the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) priority groups will be offered a vaccine by the middle of April, while an offer of a first dose will be made to the whole adult population by the end of July.
Speaking before First Minister’s Questions today, Nicola Sturgeon said there would be approximately 500,000 fewer doses coming to Scotland in the next month.
“At present we expect that over the next month we will have approximately 500,000 fewer doses than we had previously anticipated,” she said.
“For that reason there may be periods in April where we need to prioritise second doses.
“However, I want to be clear today that we do still expect to offer a first dose of the vaccine to the remaining JCVI priority groups by the middle of next month as planned.
“We also still expect to have offered a first dose to all adults in the population by the end of July.”