REMOTE island communities in Scotland are experiencing their highest ever Covid rates amid a surge in infections across several rural areas.
The trend goes against the overall national picture, which has seen cases flatlining since the beginning of October.
In sharp contrast, in Western Isles and Orkney Covid numbers have soared to their highest ever levels in recent weeks with the islands now reporting the highest virus rates in Scotland while major urban areas including Edinburgh and Glasgow are among the lowest.
By November 5, NHS Orkney was detecting 19 cases per day - up from 1.6 in early October.
In the Western Isles infections have increased more than four-fold since mid-October, from an average of 4.7 per day as of October 11 to 23.9 by November 5.
The figures, from Public Helath Scotland, are based on specimen date - that is, the date that a positive swab was submitted for PCR testing.
READ MORE: If Covid cases are flatlining, why are infection rates rising in the fully vaccinated?
The Western Isles now has the highest incidence of the virus in Scotland, with 630 cases per 100,000, followed by Orkney on 598 per 100,000.
The trend is not universal across all Scotland's island communities, however.
In Shetland, cases have risen (from 1.6 on October 23 to 5.3 by November 5) but it still has the lowest Covid rate in Scotland - 162 per 100,000 - with Glasgow and Edinburgh second and third lowest respectively.
On the mainland, cases are also rising notably in Highland, the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway.
In the Highlands, cases have doubled from an average of 85.6 per day at the beginning of October to 178.6 per day by November 5. That is twice as high as the region's January peak.
READ MORE: From Scotland's worst hit neighbourhoods to the comparison between flu deaths and Covid
In the Borders, average daily cases have more than doubled since the end of September and the region is now detecting around 71 cases a day - on a par with its January peak of 72 per day.
Neighbouring Dumfries and Galloway is experiencing a similar pattern, with daily cases nearly doubling from an average of 48.4 around October 16 to 92.6 by November 5.
It is unclear what is behind the trend in more remote and rural areas.
Dumfries and Galloway and Shetland, for example, have the highest rollout figures so far for booster and third dose Covid jags, at 51.9% and 50.5% respectively.
At the same time, both are seeing an increase in cases - although Dumfries and Galloway's infection rate per 100,000 is around three times higher than Shetland's.
However, Orkney does have the lowest booster/third dose rollout so far - at 20.5% uptake - followed by Highland on 30.8%.
NHS Highland - which is administering the vaccinations through a combination of GP practices and community clinics - recently apologised for "software issues" which had caused difficulty for patients trying to arrange appointments via vaccination hubs.
It said on Friday that these problems had now been resolved, adding: "We will roll out vaccination over the coming weeks, prioritising the over 70s, the clinically extremely vulnerable and the severely immunosuppressed and working through other eligible groups."
IN NHS Borders, uptake of boosters and third doses is at 33.7% - on a par with 33.6% in NHS Lothian.
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