COVID cases on cruise ships visiting Scotland should be monitored, especially where the vessels dock at multiple ports, according to a public health expert.

Professor Andrew Watterson’s call came after The National yesterday told how five positive cases were reported on two ships which were visiting Orkney, one of which saw an elderly man admitted to Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall.

One of the ships was due to arrive in Newcastle yesterday, while the other was in Invergordon.

Many of those visiting Orkney regularly come from Southampton, Belfast, Liverpool and Newcastle.

Around two dozen vessels have sailed to Orkney since restrictions were lifted in July, and local residents were angry at what they saw as a health threat.

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When The National asked the national agency Public Health Scotland (PHS) if the number of Covid cases on ships was monitored centrally, we were told: “Public Health Scotland does not regularly report on such incidents, these are for individual health protection teams to support and advise on.

“We provide local health protection teams with support on occasion, but Public Health Scotland is not informed of all cases.

“The management of Covid-19 cases on ships is a matter for the ship’s captain. When they dock in port, the port health authorities are informed and support the management of cases, clusters and outbreaks if required.”

We asked the same question of the Scottish Government, where a spokesperson replied: “The statistics that you requested are not held centrally and you should direct any further questions to Public Health Scotland.”

Watterson, from the Occupational and Environmental Health Research Group at the University of Stirling, said this was not satisfactory when dealing with a pandemic of the scale we have witnessed.

“I have come across the PHS response you got about the Orkney cases before,” he said.

“Their line was the same for local clusters, stating ‘it’s up to local health teams to deal with Covid cases’. However, I think this is not satisfactory when you are dealing with Covid cases on cruise ships that may stop at multiple ports in different health board areas.

“I think PHS should keep tabs on all such cruise cases.”

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Watterson added: “As the cruise ships and port authorities are arguing there are only a few of these cases, this should be a relatively easy and quick thing to do.

“The implications of even a small number of Covid cases on islands like Orkney, could be serious both for the islanders and the cruise ship passengers.

“Ships coming from the north east of England to the islands may also be coming from potential Covid hotspots.”