The first Western Isles resident has died where Covid-19 was the primary cause of death, the NHS confirmed.
It is believed the patient was from Barra, where a cluster of more than 50 cases resulted in more than 160 people self-isolating on an island with just 1,200 people. That outbreak has now been declared over after no cases in the past 16 days.
But NHS Western Isles chief executive Gordon Jamieson said: “I would like to extend my condolences to the family at this very sad time.”
The Barra and Vaterrsay Covid-19 Forum said on social media: ”Our island has now lost a respected member of our community, leaving a family devastated in grief – directly because of this virus.
“This sadness is felt throughout every village in our community. We wish to pass on our thoughts, prayers and sympathies to the family at such a heartbreaking time.”
Mr Jamieson said this was the first Covid-related death from the islands where Covid-19 was the primary cause of death.
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Mainland figures for the islands have included earlier losses of life – but in these cases, testing positive within 28 days of death had been followed by negative tests, or the person involved was not actually resident on the Islands, although registered with the NHS there.
Meanwhile, there was one new case on Lewis, a household contact of an existing case in the continuing outbreak.
This brings the Lewis outbreak overall total to 85 cases.
