Author: Miss McCulloch

Fyfe Craigie

West mainland P7’s still not in the know. 

Covid-19 has closed schools nationwide. Little is known about what to do about the upcoming transition days.

Transition days happen in late June, giving the new pupils a chance to visit the school, be shown around, make friends with other primary schools and try out their subjects. Currently it is unknown whether this is going to happen at all, unless lockdown measures are eased or lifted during the summer holidays.

Headteacher Mrs Partridge has confirmed that transition activities will be very, very important, but no plans can be made till it is clear school will go ahead.

Schedules after the summer holidays may also be changed, giving the new S1’s a much harder timetable and work plan to cope with.

Mrs Partridge has said that school life will be different from our usual. The Scottish Government proposals have considered a staged return to normal school life, with staggered classes and/or limited numbers among the suggestion.

Keryn Craigie, a P7 student, said: “I am a bit more nervous about moving to the academy, and a little disappointed I miss my days. I miss my chance to meet people from other schools.”

Among the Primary 7’s there is a rather nervous feeling in the air, but with transition activities being considered perhaps it will put their minds at ease.

Grace Boonzaier

Remaining E. Fraser Electrical employees have reopened wings at the old hospital for coronavirus cases.

E. Fraser Electrical is a electrical contractor business which deals with domestic commercial jobs, such as installations and breakdowns. The company is located on Grandon Road in Finstown. It has a staff of 30, of which 27 are currently furloughed and 3 are still working in public. The 3 key workers get the standard pay, but the 27 furloughed will get 80% overall.

The remaining 3 key workers will only work in an emergency or to complete essential jobs, such as to repair heating, or power, and big jobs like the old hospital. During this time, they are predominantly working for the NHS and the OIC. They needed to carry out essential work which was opening wings at the old hospital for coronavirus cases.

At the beginning of COVID 19 plans had to be put in place by the NHS to provide more facilities to cope with cases of the virus. This included opening the old health centre and parts of the old Balfour hospital, which has been closed since the new hospital opened. The old hospital’s power had to be refurbished by the Scottish Hydro as the old heating and other electrical items had been removed from the building. The morg had to be reopened in case of high amount of virus deaths.

One of the remaining workers at E. Fraser Electrical said: “I feel without repairs on essential equipment such as heaters the public would struggle.”

But explained: “It certainly feels different as the workforce is extensively reduced, day to day routines and less staff.”

He explained that PPE was required for him to continue his work safely: “When attending jobs it’s vital to wash hands before entering. Gloves must be worn all the time, and masks if dealing with other people.”

 

Yolande Phaithaisong

At 2pm on Monday, the government released a fifty-one-page document titled “Our plan to rebuild”.  This document has the full exit plan for England, and now comes with a new message “stay alert”. But what about Scotland’s exit strategy?

The government’s exit strategy from Lockdown in England consists of three phases. However, the prime minister has stated that this plan is just a sketch and that restrictions will only be relaxed when Covid-19 is under control.

Phase one had already gotten under way on Wednesday. This meant that people in England who are not able to work from home were “actively encouraged” to return to work under the government’s plans. There will also be some relaxation of personal restrictions. For instance, people in English will be able to go sunbathing,  and exercise unlimitedly. Driving to a national park or beach will also be permitted.

The second phase will happen on June 1^st, at the earliest. This is when the government will reopen primary schools and may also reopen non-essential retailers such as clothes shops, and the restarting of sports events behind closed doors.

The final phase could be as early as July 4^th. This will then be the time to reopen “at least some of the remaining businesses and premises that have been forced to close”. However, some businesses like pubs, where it is very crowded, will be the last to open and this could be as early as autumn.

In Scotland the First minister, Nicola Sturgeon, says that her key approach remains the same with the “Stay at home message”. At the time of writing, even though we haven’t been told  how Scotland might exit out of Lockdown, Nicola Sturgeon has given a hint to what may happen in her “looking beyond lockdown” document.

So far, in Scotland, the government has said businesses should only open if what they do is absolutely essential to tackling lockdown or the Coronavirus. People are also now allowed to go out for exercise more often, but this is only if it takes place close to home and that it is with members of your household or by yourself.

The message “Stay at home” remains.

Chloe Drever 

The welfare of horses is a concern to all equestrians in Orkney at this time because of their need for exercise to prevent a condition which can be fatal.

Horse enthusiasts in Orkney are in a dilemma over whether to ride their horses or not. Their first option is not to ride so as not to put undue strain on the NHS in the event of an accident occurring. However, without exercise horses can become obese which then would lead to laminitis, which can be fatal. Up to 7% of horses and ponies die annually due to this debilitating condition.

Their second option is to ride, but be more careful than normal. This can be done through risk assessing their own personal situations, such as rider ability and horse behaviour. However, some situations are outwith their control: other road users can be disrespectful of the horses flight instinct by not slowing down to pass them safely. This is a concern to all horse riders in Orkney.

Diane Walker explained: “People must be sure that they are in control of their horses and only ride if safe to do so. We must not put the NHS under more anymore stress. You may feel due to the welfare of your horse that he/she may need exercised to keep them fit and health. This would be advised if safe to do so.”

Horse enthusiasts have not had this problem before in Orkney, so life is strange in these hard times. Riders do not think that horse riding will be affected in the future after this pandemic, as it is believed this dilemma will not be a problem once restrictions are lifted.

Thorfinn Sinclair

The newest café in Stromness, ‘ Ell & Co’,  has been forced to close its door less than a year after opening due to coronavirus sweeping the world.

The long established Café at the Pierhead had fallen into disuse in recent years, but has been given a new lease of life by the Poke family. The new business venture saw extensive renovation to the building both inside and out. With a fresh appearance, ‘Ell & Co’ was a welcome edition to the street.

Having enjoyed working in the hospitality industry, Ellen Poke (co-owner) told us “ from a young age it had been a dream of hers to own a café.” Supported by her parents, this dream became a reality. The revamp of the old café started and was themed “around nostalgia with modern twist.”

When the  café opened in April 2019, Ellen said she was “very excited but nervous about how people would react to it”, but with a very busy year that was soon forgotten.  Receiving lots of customer praise and 5 stars on Facebook reviews, this comment says it all “Fantastic cafe everything cooked fresh, staff are so friendly and helpful, value for money, well worth a visit more than once”.

Catastrophe struck in March 2020 when ‘Ell & Co’ were forced to close their doors due to the Corona crisis. This was “devastating news” for Ellen and her family who were  “ preparing for the coming season with lots of new ideas”. Ellen further commented: “its really weird not going there, driving past and seeing it in darkness.”

With no end to the lockdown in sight, the streets of Stromness are very quiet. But when the town finally reopens, the café and local businesses will rely on the support of the local community.

Remaining upbeat Ellen says: “we are hoping that very soon we can get the coffee machine going again.”

Myself and many others will be looking forward to that … but it’s a milkshake and cake for me!

Magnus Beharie

Mr and Mrs Whalley, my grandparents, have been in self-isolation in their home in Norseman Village, for over 6 weeks, after receiving a letter from the Government informing them that they were both at higher risk of serious harm from the Coronavirus pandemic. 

When asked if they have had any problems or difficulties during their isolation, Mrs Whalley said: “At first we had difficulties with getting groceries.” They usually went into Kirkwall on the bus to get groceries and used the Tesco home delivery, but when the lockdown occurred they did not want to go into town and it was very difficult to get a Tesco home delivery slot. Several shops around Orkney now offer home delivery so getting groceries is much less of a problem.

She said that “they have not been bored” and “have kept entertained by gardening, knitting, and writing letters.” They also said that there have been benefits from the self-isolation in that they have been doing healthier cooking and have started growing vegetables in their garden. There is  much less traffic on the road, making it quieter and peaceful in the garden.

Self-isolation is not just to stop people spreading the virus to other people, but also for the prevention of contracting the virus for those at a higher risk of serious health issues. The Covid-19 strain of the Coronavirus affects people with weak immune systems, such as the elderly and very young, much more than healthy adults.