Several measures have been established at Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway to prevent further spread after several cases of Covid were detected.
A small number of cases were identified on Medical Ward 2 on Saturday, leading to restrictions on visitation.
More cases were linked to the Surgical Ward on Tuesday, and in response, all patients testing positive were transferred to the Covid ward.
Anyone who had contact with Covid-positive patients is now being cared for in Medical Ward 2 as part of contingency measures.
This means the Surgical Ward will remain open for new hospital admissions, however, both wards will operate restricted visiting arrangements.
NHS Western Isles is asking anyone visiting to keep visits to a minimum, and anyone who feels unwell is requested not to visit.
‘We have to act swiftly’
To help curb the spread of the virus, an Incident Management Group has been meeting daily to assess the situation.
NHS Western Isles chief executive Gordon Jamieson said: “Unfortunately, Covid-19 has not gone away and we are seeing a number of positive cases in different parts of the Western Isles.
“Despite having strict infection prevention and control measures in place across all our services and sites, the virus can get through our defences.
“When that happens we have to act swiftly to protect our vulnerable patients.
“I would like to apologise to patients for any interruption or delays they may experience, and reassure them that we have all necessary protective measures in place.”
Conversation