ONE of Scotland’s island communities could be set to join the mainland under the country’s strictest lockdown restrictions if an outbreak continues to worsen.

The Shetland Islands have seen a surge in coronavirus cases, with 14 new cases on Monday taking the total over the past week to 30, with 120 people also told to self-isolate as a result.

Mainland Scotland has been under the strictest (Level 4) set of restrictions since Boxing Day, with the islands in Level 3.

The current situation is viewed as the most serious set of cases seen on the islands so far in the pandemic, with indoor visits at all of Shetland’s care homes suspended in response.

NHS Shetland’s Elizabeth Robinson said: “This is not a time to judge or point fingers but rather for each one of us to look at our own actions and ensure that we are doing everything possible to keep ourselves and others safe.”