Shetland Islands Broadcasting Company

Scotland has seen the highest number of covid-related deaths in a week since April last year, that being a total of 50. However there have been no new deaths in Shetland, Orkney or the Western Isles.

One of the coastguard helicopters based at Sumburgh was tasked to Diamond Offshore Drilling’s 122 metre by 77 metre harsh-environment ultra-deepwater, semi-submersible drill platform Ocean GreatWhite, on charter to BP in the Schiehallion field, 70 nautical miles west of Sandness.

A vacant post for an associate GP at the Hillswick Health Centre, has now been filled, with it almost two years since the post was first advertised.

There is still a delay in the mixing plant at the Scord of Scalloway quarry being brought back into service, following a break-down in May.

It looks likely that any replacement for the Gilbert Bain Hospital will not be getting underway for some years. A revised NHS infrastructure plan, which had been due to be unveiled in the spring, is now expected to be published alongside the next Scottish budget, which is usually published around December.

The circular floating production storage and offloading platform FPSO Western Isles, which had been anchored 50 nautical miles north-east of Unst for seven years, is now undergoing refurbishment work in Scappa Flow.

A bird that is a native of the Far East, and has been spotted only a few times in the UK, has been in the Virkie area in recent days. This is the dark-coloured Pacific swift which is part of the swift family.