All but three of Aberdeenshire’s minor injury units are now closed to the public.
Peterhead, Fraserburgh and Huntly remain open for business, but the six other units across the region have shut their doors in an effort to protect staff.
Advice issued by the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership is to attend one of the open facilities unless patients have symptoms associated with Covid-19.
In that case they should not go to any hospitals.
Units in Aboyne, Banff, Insch, Inverurie, Stonehaven and Turriff have been closed to avoid the spread of the virus to essential NHS Grampian staff.
The partnership has advised that anyone with minor ailments should go to their community pharmacist as a first port of call.
The announcement was made late on Tuesday evening and was followed yesterday by the announcement that visiting at all Aberdeenshire community hospitals had been suspended.
In a bid to protect staff and patients, visitors will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances and only with the agreement of the senior charge nurse.
People dropping off gifts should speak to the ward first so the present can be passed to patients, if possible.
