News from Heart of Newhaven

January 2021 Newsletter

Happy New Year! – Szczesliwego Nowego Roku – Feliz Ano Novo – Un An Nou Fericit -Bonne année – Glückliches Neues Jahr – Eutychismenos o Kainourgios Chronos – Feliz año nuevo -Shuvo noboborsho – Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu – Bliadhna Mhath Ur!

We hope you brought the new Year in in style, including playing our very own version of Auld Lang Syne and by making suitable resolutions.

Saying goodbye to 2020, let’s look forward with positivity and enthusiasm for what is to come, for this is the year we do it.
This is the year we move in to Victoria Primary School and make it the hub the growing Newhaven community wants and needs. How are we going to do this and how can you help?

Things to look out for:

FEBRUARY

The launch of our Crowdfunding campaign:

Help us kickstart our Heart – Help us create a centre for you!

The first phase will identify the immediate essential work required to bring the building into use and our appointed architect will be working with the community to design age-friendly spaces to meet the needs of all users.

If you can give even a small amount to ensure our plans for the community go smoothly, then please do so and encourage all your friends and neighbours to do the same. Whether it’s contributing towards the necessary lawyers’ fees or for the installation of a lift to the first floor, everything will be put to good use. You’ll be able to read all about it in the next newsletter.

SPRING

The launch of our ‘gardening and greening project’ still to be named – watch this space project, a brand new community project run by our ever-expanding group of volunteers. Several of our volunteers who ticked “gardening” in the volunteer choices, have been busy working on this and we look forward to being able to introduce it to everyone very soon.

Then there’s our very first AGM as a SCIO. Members will be able to have a real say in what happens next. Watch out for an announcement about the date and time and method.

JUNE

The next round of the Scottish Land Fund grants. Our application will be among the many to be decided once the new Scottish Parliament to be elected in May gives the go-ahead for the fund to get going again. We’ve already had very positive vibes from the SLF so we have great hopes that our application will meet with success.

That’s just the first half of the year. Imagine what the second half has in store!

Our New Year’s Resolution was to take HoNC from strength to strength and for that, as usual, we need your help.

We want to know what you thought of the community initiatives we ran before Christmas. Did you participate in Newhaven Neighbours (still running, by the way), Newhaven Sings or Newhaven Lights Up ?

We want to know if we’re getting it right or, if not, what we could have done better.

Please can you feed back here

Let us know how we can improve.

Finally, remember to keep watching the website.

There’s always something new, including the View from the Chair, our Chairman’s blog.

Cat missing for 12 years rewarded with fur-ever home

A cat who hit the headlines after turning up 12 years after she disappeared has found a new home where she can live out her days in peace and quiet.

Georgie was discovered to have been living in the grounds of a Loch Lomond campsite where she had gone missing years earlier when her owners from Rochdale took her with them on a family camping holiday.  

She vanished during the trip and despite efforts to trace her, Georgie’s owners had to make the 250-mile trip home without her in the hope that her microchip would eventually help reunite them – not realising this would take 12 years.

Despite Georgie becoming a much-loved fixture around the campsite, being fed by campers and staff at the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park site in Rowardennen, she was still living the tough life of a stray, enduring the harsh winters out in the open.

When the campsite was forced to close during the first Scottish lockdown, meaning there would be no-one on site to keep their eye on her, staff called in Cats Protection for help. The charity’s Glasgow Adoption Centre, in line with protocol, scanned for a microchip, and traced her original owner.

Owner Amy Davies was surprised and overjoyed to learn Georgie had been found after so many years, but a change in her personal circumstances unfortunately meant she was unable to have Georgie back, so made the difficult decision to allow her to be adopted.

Georgie remained at the adoption centre for four months while dedicated staff gave her time and space to recuperate. At the age of 16, she had a list of health problems including thyroid and dental issues which needed treatment, as well as arthritis.

Meanwhile, cat lover Margaret Petrie, a secondary school teacher who lives minutes from Cats Protection’s Glasgow Adoption Centre, was looking for a new cat companion, having lost her previous pet, Cheddar, to illness.

Margaret said: “It’s always good to have a wee cat. I hadn’t heard about Georgie’s story when I was looking at the centre’s website, but I was looking to home a cat that other people might not want. I was heartbroken when I heard what a tough life she’d had.

“Years ago, my old cat Poppy escaped on a trip to the vets and I never gave up searching for her, putting up flyers and leaflets through doors. She turned up after six weeks of living in the wild, including through fireworks night, and I was so happy.”

Georgie came to live with Margaret before Christmas and has settled in well to her new home, spending much of her time in her favourite spot on a memory foam mattress by the radiator. She continues to be on regular medication for arthritis and her healthy appetite has seen her put on weight.  

She also shares the home with giant rabbit, Rupert, and an occasional visitor into the house, Ruby, Margaret’s pet hen.

“Georgie’s very affectionate, friendly and loving and will come in and in say hello when I’m sitting in the lounge, before returning to her bed. She could go out if she wanted but she isn’t very mobile and prefers to stay indoors after such a long time spent living outdoors.

“Georgie pays no attention to the rabbit, who is bigger than her, or the hen!”

Glasgow Adoption Centre manager Andy Currie said: “We are delighted Georgie has found a home where she will be able to live a quiet, stress-free life after so many years living the life of a stray. We wish them all the best for the future.

“We also want to remind people of the importance of microchipping, and keeping registration details updated, so that if your cat should unfortunately go missing there is a much better chance of being reunited.”

Microchipping is a simple procedure which involves placing a chip the size of a grain of rice beneath a cat’s skin. It contains an owner’s contact details and can be easily updated by a vet. It is a safe and permanent way to identify a cat and the best way to ensure lost cats are returned to their loving families.

For more details about Cats Protection’s campaigning to make microchipping compulsory visit www.cats.org.uk/microchippingpetition

Don’t miss out: Apply early for Scottish Child Payment

Parents across Scotland have been applying early for the new Scottish Child Payment that will open on Monday 15 February.

Social Security Scotland is taking applications ahead of the introduction of the new benefit to help manage demand. 56,000 applications were received between Monday 9 November and Sunday 3 January.

Those who apply before the start date will have their payments calculated from 15 February. Parents are encouraged to apply now to avoid losing out on any money.

The new benefit will give eligible families on tax credits or certain benefits an extra £40 every four weeks for each child under six.

Scotland is the only part of the UK where this additional payment for families with young children will be available. The Scottish Fiscal Commission have forecast that the payment could support up to 194,000 children this financial year.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “This is a great response to our new payment.

“The Scottish Child Payment is the most ambitious anti-poverty measure currently being undertaken anywhere in the UK but there are many more families out there who are entitled to this support and we want to make sure that they get every penny that they are due. That’s why we are asking people to get their application in early so that their payments will be calculated from the first day the payment starts.

“Almost 60% of all children in poverty live in a family where a child is under six so I am proud we are able to introduce it early for families with young children before we roll it out to children under 16 in 2022.

“Significantly more families are now relying on benefits due to the events of the last year – some perhaps for the first time – and this payment will help lift children in Scotland out of poverty.

“COVID-19 continues to challenge us and the required additional restrictions bring additional pressures for families. I know that mums and dads and carers will be balancing many things right now but if you can find ten minutes, that’s all it takes to fill in the application form, it could mean that there is some extra money that could maybe ease the financial pressure that you may be facing post-Christmas and amid the national lockdown.”

Paul Carberry, Action for Children Director for Scotland, said: “Action for Children staff see the effects of child poverty every day and the impact it has on many of the children and families whom we support, care for and work with.

“We recognise that the impact of child poverty is not only felt in purely financial means but is also measured by children having an increase in poverty of opportunity. One simple act to help reduce child poverty is by putting money in the pockets of parents.

“The Scottish Child Payment can ease the struggle some families face in providing the basics and necessities of life. The impacts of poverty are profound for Scotland’s children, from poor mental and physical health and wellbeing to poor performance at school.

“The Scottish Child Payment will offer vital financial support for children, young people, and their families. It can give back choice and dignity. We urge all eligible families to apply for this.”

For those who apply before Monday 15 February, their payment will be calculated from Monday 15 February. For those who apply after Monday 15 February, their payment will be calculated from the date they apply.

Workers asked to shield should not have to choose between their life and livelihood

On Monday Boris Johnson, in response to mounting evidence and calls to take urgent steps to protect the public, announced a new lockdown, the third we’ve had to date. The government must ensure that those asked to shield are able to do so (writes TUC’s Quinn Roache).

New strains of coronavirus are spreading like wildfire. 

The new strain of the virus is 50% to 70% more transmissible and levels of infections are increasing to record levels, leading to huge strains on hospitals across the country.  

Disabled people make up the majority of those who have died from Covid-19 – government statistics show that disabled people accounted for 3 in 5 covid-19 deaths. This is why it is imperative that, going into this new lockdown, disabled people who are told to shield can do so effectively.    

Impact 

This new lockdown is having a tangible impact on everyone. It impacts on many workers physical and mental health as well as livelihoods and income.  

This is particularly true of those who’ve been asked to shield. A group the government have termed ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’, which means they have a higher risk of severe illness if infected.  

Evidence suggests that in England this group is almost 4% of the population, or 1 in 25 people, and that they are disproportionately more likely to be disabled. 

Disabled workers previously asked to shield told the TUC they felt forgotten and overlooked. They told us that the first lockdown left them isolated, without access to basic needs like food and a negative impact on both their physical and mental health1.  

The government must do better this time.  

Government advice to those who should shield 

Their guidance is that those advised to shield should no longer attend work, school, college or university.  

And that they should limit the time they spend outside their home, only going out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. 

Shield confirmation 

Many people asked to shield will have done so already and they and their employers will have a good understanding of how to proceed throughout this lockdown.  

However, it is important for employers and workers to understand the changing nature of the shielding group.  

Since the start of the pandemic, workers will have come on and off the shielding list as their health conditions have changed. For example, those who were newly diagnosed with cancer and are undergoing active chemotherapy would have only just be put on the shielding list.  

To avoid any confusion, everyone who needs to shield will be sent a letter by the government to confirm their shield status. However, receiving confirmation you should shield has not been a seamless process in the past. 

In the first lockdown many people who were at very high risk from the virus were not on the list of those who should shield and, as a result, did not receive a letter advising them to do so.  

Government guidance says, a GP or hospital clinician can add individuals to the Shielded Patient List if, based on their clinical judgement, they deem to them be at higher risk of serious illness if they catch the virus.  

Workers who do not receive a letter telling them shield but who think they should be on the list should speak to their clinician or GP.  

Furlough 

It is vital that workers advised to shield should stay at home to protect their health, however, being told to shield and being able to afford to do so are two different things.  

We’ve been told that although employers have access to the furlough scheme not all of them are using it so often those most at risk from the virus, are not being furloughed.  

Employers should ensure that shielding workers who cannot work from home are offered an alternative role they can fulfil from home. Failing that, shielding workers should be furloughed.  

Workers told to shield from any sector, public, private or the charity/third sector, who can not work from home but cannot return to the workplace must be furloughed. And to ensure this group’s health, the job retention scheme should be open to workers who live with someone told to shield and who cannot work from home.  

Nobody should be losing pay as a result of an existing health condition and NHS advice to shield. No one should have to choose between their life and livelihood.  

This is why the government, upon the urging of unions, has extended the job retention scheme to the end of April 2021 and which means furloughed workers will continue to receive up to 80% of their salary up to £2,500 which employers can claim back from the government. Employers can, and we believe should where they can afford it, top up wages to 100 per cent. 

The government must also make sure benefits like statutory sick pay and universal credit pay the real living wage. It must repair the UK’s safety net as far too many people, around 14 million, were already living in poverty before the virus struck. Disabled people are disproportionality effected by this as nearly half of all people living in poverty in the UK are disabled themselves or live with someone who is.   

People who lose their jobs must get the support they need to make ends meet and to get back on their feet.  

Without fixing these benefits, many risk being plunged into poverty.  

TUC recommendations 

The TUC is calling on all employers to: 

  • ensure that shielding workers who cannot work from home are offered an alternative role they can fulfil from home. Failing that, shielding workers should be furloughed. 

The TUC is calling on the government to: 

  • raise the basic level of Universal Credit for the duration of the outbreak to 80% of the real living wage – or £260 a week  
  • raise sick pay from £94 a week to the equivalent of a week’s pay at the Real Living Wage – around £320 a week. 

Strike action set for British Gas over ‘Fire and Rehire’ plan

Over 1,000 British Gas workers in Scotland will begin five days of strikes from 00.01 hours this morning (Thursday 7 January) as part of the biggest dispute seen in the sector for over forty years.

In a direct response to the ‘fire and rehire’ plan for British Gas operations laid-out by Centrica Plc Group’s Chief Executive Officer Chris O’Shea, over 10,000 GMB members across the UK four nations will take part in the action.

O’Shea has refused to accept efforts by GMB to negotiate a way forward for the business. Instead, after months of talks, workers have been told to accept the slashing of wages and conditions, or face being sacked.

All British Gas divisions and services, including Service & Repair, Electrical Services, Smart Metering, Installations, and Customer Services will be impacted.

GMB Scotland Senior Organiser for Commercial Services Hazel Nolan, blasted Centrica’s executives for their role in creating their own company crisis and exploiting workers during the COVID-19 pandemic:

“Today is CEO pay day, Chris O’Shea will take home a pre-bonus wage of £775,000, and Centrica have recorded a £901million operating profit for 2019.

“While GMB members in British Gas acted as emergency workers during the COVID19 pandemic, Chris O’Shea & the Senior Millionaires Team of British Gas were busy plotting how to slash workers terms & conditions.

“In the grip of a global pandemic, Chris O’Shea’s anti-worker, ‘fire and rehire’ agenda would set a dangerous precedent for major UK employers, opening the floodgates for widespread attacks on workers’ jobs, pay and conditions. This is not how a country builds back better.

“GMB members are being told they’ll be sacked and then forced to accept new terms and conditions – across the board cuts in wages pensions and leave. Take it or leave it. Centrica are turning a once great British industrial institution into a cowboy contractor.

“We have no choice but to fight-back.”

Centrica says contingency measures are in place.

BBC to offer major educational support during lockdown

“Education is absolutely vital – the BBC is here to play its part and I’m delighted that we have been able to bring this to audiences so swiftly.”

The BBC is set to deliver the biggest education offer in its history across more of its platforms. It will bring together BBC Two, CBBC, BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and online to deliver a new education offer to children, teachers and parents as a third national lockdown begins.

Reacting quickly to the news of UK schools moving to remote learning, the new offer from the BBC will ensure all children can access curriculum-based learning, even if they don’t have access to the internet.

Starting on Monday 11 January, each weekday on CBBC will see a three-hour block of primary school programming from 9am, including BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily, as well as other educational programming such as Our School and Celebrity Supply Teacher and much loved titles such as Horrible Histories, Art Ninja and Operation Ouch.

BBC Two will cater for secondary students with programming to support the GCSE curriculum, with a least two hours of content each weekday.

Content will be built around Bitesize Daily secondary shows, complemented by Shakespeare and classic drama adaptations alongside science, history and factual titles from the BBC’s award-winning factual programming units.

Bitesize Daily primary and secondary will also air every day on BBC Red Button as well as episodes being available on demand on BBC iPlayer.

Tim Davie, BBC Director General, says: “Ensuring children across the UK have the opportunity to continue to follow the appropriate core parts of their nation’s school curriculum has been a key priority for the BBC throughout this past year.

“Education is absolutely vital – the BBC is here to play its part and I’m delighted that we have been able to bring this to audiences so swiftly.”

This TV offer sits alongside a wealth of online content which parents, children and teachers can access when and where they need it:

  • For primary, BBC Bitesize online has an expanded offer of structured lessons in Maths and English for all year groups – these can be used at home or in the classroom. ‘This Term’s Topics’ also covers other curriculum subjects and curates learning content that works for the Spring curriculum. This content can be easily incorporated into a learning plan or used to explore different topics at home. Visit bbc.co.uk/bitesize, click on the year group and subject and all the content is there.
  • For secondary pupils, Bitesize is also home to two-week learning packs for English and Maths in KS3 (years 7, 8 and 9) as well as This Term’s Topics for other subjects to be used at home or to support teachers in the remote classrooms.
  • For students in Years 10 and 11, the Bitesize GCSE offer allows students to pick their exam board and subject to find everything they need to help with their studies. Visit bbc.co.uk/bitesize/secondary for details.

Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, says: “The BBC has helped the nation through some of the toughest moments of the last century, and for the next few weeks it will help our children learn whilst we stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.

“This will be a lifeline to parents and I welcome the BBC playing its part.”

Educational content for all nations will also be available.

IT’S LOCKDOWN II: AND THIS TIME IT’S ‘EXTREMELY SERIOUS’

From tomorrow, mainland Scotland will move from Level 4 to a temporary Lockdown, with new guidance to stay at home except for essential purposes.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the following statement to Parliament this afternoon:

I’m grateful to you, Presiding Office for this recall of Parliament today. And I want to wish you, members, and everyone watching, all the best for a new year that we hope – despite a very difficult start – will bring better times.

The Cabinet met this morning to assess the up to date Covid situation – which is extremely serious – and discuss what further action is necessary to minimise further spread of the virus. I will set out our decisions shortly.

However, I can confirm now, in summary, that we decided to introduce from midnight tonight for the duration of January, a legal requirement to stay at home except for essential purposes. This is similar to the lockdown of March last year.

However, before I set out Cabinet’s decisions in more detail, I want to explain in some detail why they are so necessary.

In the last few weeks, there have been two significant game changers in our fight against this virus.

One, the approval of vaccines, is hugely positive and offers us the way out of this pandemic.

But the other – the new faster spreading variant of the virus – is a massive blow.

Possibly the most simple way of explaining the challenge we face right now is to compare it to a race.

In one lane we have vaccines – our job is to make sure they can run as fast as possible. That’s why the government will be doing everything we can to vaccinate people as quickly as possible. I will say more about that later.

But in the other lane is the virus which – as a result of this new variant – has just learned to run much faster and has most definitely picked up pace in the last couple of weeks.

To ensure that the vaccine wins the race, it is essential to speed up vaccination as far as possible. But to give it the time it needs to get ahead, we must also slow the virus down.

And because it is now spreading faster, that means even tougher restrictions are necessary.

The evidence is now compelling that the new variant is up to 70% more transmissible than previously circulating strains, and that it may add as much as 0.7 to the R number.

And according to recent analysis of PCR test samples, it appears that the new variant already accounts for almost half of all new cases in Scotland. That increased and faster spread is undoubtedly driving the very serious situation we now face.

Today’s case numbers – 1,905 new cases, with 15% of tests being positive – illustrate the severity and urgency of the situation.

No new deaths were reported today – because yesterday was a Sunday and registration offices were largely closed – but since I updated Parliament before Christmas, 289 deaths have been recorded in the daily figures. That again reminds us of the continuing grief this pandemic is causing.

But this is not just about one day’s numbers.

We are now seeing a steeply rising trend of infections.

Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.

In the week from 23 to 30 December, the seven day incidence of cases per 100,000 of the population increased by 65% – from 136 per 100,000 to 225 per 100,000.

Test positivity has risen sharply too.

The next update on the numbers of Covid patients in hospital and intensive care will be published tomorrow.

I would expect these to show that, nationally, the total number of Covid patients in hospital is close to its April peak. And in some boards, the pressure is already very real.

For example, in terms of hospital beds, NHS Ayrshire and Arran is currently at 96% of its Covid capacity, and three other health boards – Borders, Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Lanarkshire –  are above 60% of their capacity. 

The number of people in intensive care is still significantly lower than the April peak – which partly reflects the fact that treatment of Covid has improved significantly since last spring.

But even so, the total number of patients in intensive care in Scotland is already above normal winter levels.  Indeed, all mainland health boards have now exceeded their normal intensive care unit capacity.

And it is important to be clear that people who are in hospital and ICU now are likely to have been infected 10 days to 2 weeks ago.

That means that these numbers reflect what the level of new cases was around 2 weeks ago.

Given that the number of cases has increased significantly since then, we can expect to see significantly increased pressure on the NHS over the course of this month.

Contingency plans remain in place to double and then treble ICU capacity if necessary.

And the NHS Louisa Jordan continues to be available to help meet demand – as indeed it has been doing in recent months. 12,000 patients have attended there for scans and outpatient appointments; nearly 5,000 NHS staff and students have been trained there; and it is currently being used for Covid vaccinations.

In short, NHS services are coping at present – although the pressure on frontline staff is considerable – but already in some areas the position is fragile, and getting more challenging.

And if the rate of increase in case numbers that we have seen in past two weeks was to continue unchecked, there would be a real risk of our NHS being overwhelmed – even with contingency plans in place.

In fact, our modelling suggests that without further intervention, we could breach inpatient Covid capacity within 3 or 4 weeks.

And, of course, a sharply increasing number of cases, in human terms, means many more people becoming ill and dying. All of that explains why we have to act quickly and decisively.

The situation in some other parts of the UK – where case numbers are already much higher than here, and where the contribution of the new variant is already greater – shows what may lie ahead if we don’t.

As things stand, we estimate that we are possibly about four weeks behind the position in London and the south east.

The rapid acceleration in London began when it was at about 160 new cases a week, for every hundred thousand people. That’s the level Scotland was at a week ago.

London is now seeing 900 new cases a week per 100,000. Test positivity is around 27%. And pressure on NHS services is acute.

We have an opportunity in Scotland to avert the situation here deteriorating to that extent.

But we must act quickly.

The advice of our clinical advisers is clear that the increased transmissibility of the new variant means that the current level 4 measures may not be sufficient to bring the R number back below 1.

It is essential that we further limit interaction between different households to stem the spread and bring the situation back under control, while we vaccinate more people.

In short, we must return for a period to a situation much closer to the lockdown of last March.

Let me therefore set out in more detail the decisions Cabinet has reached.

It is important to stress that these are not decisions taken lightly. I am acutely aware of the impact they will have and I know they will not be welcome.

But they are in our judgment essential.

As government, our clear and overriding duty right now is to act quickly to save lives and protect the NHS.

We know that delay or prevarication in the face of this virus almost always makes things worse not better – even if it stems from an understandable desire that we all share to wait for more data or evidence.

To turn to the decisions in detail. The decisions I will speak about a bit later on schools, let me be clear at this stage, they will apply to all parts of Scotland. However other decisions that I will outline will apply to those parts of Scotland currently at level 4, which of course is all of mainland Scotland, and they are effectively an enhancement to level 4.

The island areas currently in level 3 will remain there for now, although we will continue to monitor them very carefully.

These additional level 4 restrictions – essentially returning us to a position similar to the lockdown of last March – will be in place for the whole of January. We will keep them closely under review.

However, I cannot at this stage rule out keeping them in place longer, nor making further changes. Nothing about this is easy.

The first measure is that our fundamental advice, for everyone, is to stay at home.

That is the single best way of staying safe.

We consider that this stay at home message and advice is now so important that, from tomorrow, it will become law, just as it was in the lockdown last year.

This means it will only be permissible to leave home for an essential purpose.

This will include, for example, caring responsibilities, essential shopping, exercise and being part of an extended household.

In addition, anyone who is able to work from home, must do so. It will only be a reasonable excuse to leave your home to go to work, if that work cannot be done from home.  

We are asking people and businesses to take this really seriously – as we all did in March, during the first lockdown, – because the situation is at least as serious now as it was then.

The law already requires many businesses in certain sectors to close in Level 4. We now need every business to look again at their operations, and to make sure that every single function that can be done by people working at home, is being done in that way. 

Businesses have already shown a tremendous capacity to adapt during this pandemic  and I’m very grateful to them for that – and we need them to consider their operations again, as we all work together to reduce transmissions.  

The Economy Secretary will be speaking to business organisations about this, including this afternoon. We will also engage with unions on these issues.  And we will continue to consider if more regulatory action is required.

We are also providing new guidance for people who are in the shielding category.

If you were shielding and you cannot work from home, our clear advice now is that you should not go into work at all.

The Chief Medical Officer is writing to everyone who falls into this category, and his letter will count as a Fit Note for those who need it.

Unlike the lockdown last year, the frequency of outdoor exercise is not being limited.

It is important for physical and mental health that we can get outdoors for fresh air and exercise as much as possible.

However, from tomorrow, the rule on outdoor gatherings will change.

As of now, up to six people from two households are able to meet outdoors. Given the greater transmissibility of this new variant, we consider it necessary to restrict that further.

From tomorrow, a maximum of two people from up to two households will be able to meet outdoors.

Children aged 11 and under will not be counted in that limit, and they will also be able to play outdoors in larger groups, including in organized gatherings.

However, for everyone else – including 12 to 17 year olds – outdoor exercise should only take place in a way which is consistent with the 2 people from 2 households rule.

In addition, strict travel restrictions remain in place across Scotland. From tomorrow, if you live in a level 4 area – as the majority of us do – you cannot leave your home except for an essential purpose. When you do go out, stay as close to home as possible and stay away from crowded places.

And it remains the case – and let me stress this point – that no-one is allowed to travel into or out of Scotland unless it is for an essential purpose.

Presiding Officer, a number of other measures will come into effect on Friday of this week.

It is with real regret that we consider it necessary for places of worship to close during this period for all purposes except broadcasting a service, or conducting a funeral, wedding or civil partnership.

I am well aware of how important communal worship is to people.

But we believe that this restriction is necessary to reduce the risk of transmission.

While up to 20 people will still be able to attend funeral services, wakes will not be possible during January. And a maximum of 5 people will be able to attend wedding and civil partnership services.

Presiding Officer, I know how devastating restrictions like these are and I give an assurance that we will not keep them in place for longer than is absolutely necessary.

There will also be additional measures in relation to businesses, in addition to the tightening of the essential retail definition that took effect from Boxing Day.

The current 1 metre exemption for workplace canteens will end – so canteens will have to ensure that employees sit 2 metres or more apart, rather than 1 metre. 

The number of non-essential services which remain open will be further restricted.

Premises which will need to close as a result of these changes will include, for example ski centres, showrooms of larger retailers, and clinics offering cosmetic and aesthetic procedures.

I know that many businesses have already been hit by the restrictions which were put in place on Boxing Day.

And of course I know that the vast majority of businesses have taken their responsibilities seriously, and have invested in Covid safety measures.

In addition, the move to home working has brought challenges for workers and employers. I am hugely grateful for the way in which businesses and their staff have responded to those challenges.

Grants are of course available for businesses required to close as a result of restrictions. That support is in addition to support through the UK wide furlough scheme.

The Scottish Government’s financial support for businesses during the pandemic currently totals more than £2.3 billion.

However, we will continue to assess what more the Scottish government can do – either in closure grants or other forms of support – to help businesses and those who work for them. 

We will also work with councils to ensure community and social support for those who need it, including for parents balancing work and online learning. We will confirm additional resources later this week.

Presiding Officer, The final substantive issue I want to address – before giving an update on vaccination – relates to schools.

We announced before Christmas that most school pupils would learn remotely – rather than in school – until Monday 18 January.

I can confirm that we have now decided to extend that date and keep schools closed to the majority of pupils until 1 February. We will review this again in mid-January. The change will apply to all pupils – except vulnerable children, and children of key workers. And it includes nursery schools, as well as primary and secondary schools.

There is no doubt that of all the difficult decisions we have had to take today, this was the most difficult of all and its impact is of course the most severe.

The evidence to date makes clear that thanks to the hard work of school staff and pupils, schools in Scotland have been low-risk environments for Covid. We will work with our partners to ensure that remains the case.

That will include ongoing work on testing in schools and discussions about when, in the context of the overall programme, it will be possible to vaccinate school staff.

And I want to be clear that it remains our priority to get school buildings open again for all pupils as quickly as possible and then keep them open.

However, right now, two factors mean that it is not consistent with a safety-first approach for all children to attend school in person.

First, the overall level of community transmission is simply too high. We need to get transmission down before schools can safely reopen. A period of online learning will also, in turn, help us do that.

The second reason is that there is still significant uncertainty about the impact of the new variant on transmission amongst young people.

We therefore have to adopt a cautious approach at this stage.

So most pupils will be learning online for at least the rest of the month.

We will review on 18 January whether they can – as we hope – return to school on the 1 February.

I know that remote learning presents significant challenges for teachers, schools, parents and young people, and we will work to support children and parents throughout this.

The Scottish Government, Education Scotland and local authorities are working together to further improve the remote learning options which are available for schools.

And it is also worth highlighting that since schools returned after the summer, more than 50,000 devices – such as laptops – have been distributed to children and young people to help with remote learning. More devices are being distributed by councils on a weekly basis, and in total we expect our investment –which builds on existing local authority action – to benefit around 70,000 disadvantaged children and young people across Scotland.

I also want to stress one final point.

Just as the last places we ever want to close are schools and nurseries – so it is the case that schools and nurseries will be the first places we want to reopen as we re-emerge from this latest lockdown.

They remain our priority.

That is why we are considering whether and to what extent – consistent with our overall duty to vaccinate the most vulnerable first in line with JCVI recommendations – we can achieve vaccination of school and childcare staff as a priority. Many teachers will of course be vaccinated over coming weeks as part of the JCVI priority list.

The fortnightly review will not simply be a choice between opening and closing schools – we will always seek to maximise the number of pupils we can safely get back to classrooms and nurseries.

So if the evidence tells us we can get some pupils back safely, we will do that.

However ultimately, the best way of enabling more pupils to return more quickly is by reducing community transmission of the virus as much as possible. And all of us – by accepting and abiding by the wider restrictions I have set out today – have a part to play in achieving that.

Before I leave the issue of education, let me remind the chamber that we already had plans in place for the staggered return of universities and colleges. We will be considering this week whether any further change is necessary.

Presiding Officer, Before I close today, I want to give a brief update on our current expectations around vaccine supply.

The Health Secretary will give a more detailed update on vaccination in a statement the chamber next week.

However, I can confirm today that well over 100,000 people have now received their first dose of the vaccine.

The first doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine are being administered today.

In total, over the period to the end of January – including the more than 100,000 already administered – we expect to have access to just over 900,000 doses of vaccine. Obviously, we hope that increases.

These will be split roughly equally between the Pfizer and Astra Zeneca vaccines.

However, we anticipate that some of the Astra Zeneca portion will be available only in the last week of January.

We do not yet have certainty on supply schedules beyond January but will keep Parliament updated as these become firmer.

However, our current expectation, based on assumptions about supply and the new advice on doses being administered up to 12 weeks apart, rather than 3, is that by early May everyone over 50, and people under 50 with specific underlying conditions, will have received at least the first dose of vaccine.

That is everyone who is on the JCVI priority list, and comprises more than 2.5 million people.

Once everyone on the priority list has been vaccinated, we will start vaccinating the rest of the population, and will do this in parallel with completing second doses for those on the priority list.

Those timetables are of course heavily dependent on vaccine supply. And for that reason, they are at this stage cautious.

However, I have tasked our vaccination team with exploring and keeping under ongoing review all options to speed up the rate of vaccination and bring these timescales forward as far as possible.

I am grateful for the many offers of assistance we have received and while many of them may not prove possible or practical to take up, they will be considered

The Health Secretary will say more about all of this in her statement next week.

Presiding Officer, To conclude, this is most certainly not the new year statement I wanted to give. And I know it is a statement no one wanted to hear.

But as I said at the beginning, we are now in a race between the vaccine and the virus.

The Scottish government will do everything we can to speed up distribution of the vaccine.

But all of us must do everything we can to slow down the spread of the virus.

We can already see – by looking at infection rates elsewhere – some of what could happen here in Scotland if we don’t act.

To prevent that, we need to act immediately and firmly.

For government, that means introducing tough measures – as we have done so today.

And for all of us, it means sticking to the rules

It means continuing to follow the FACTS guidance

And it means – above all – staying at home.

That is again our central message.

Stay Home. Save lives. Protect the NHS.

If we do this, we give the vaccine the time it needs to get ahead and ultimately win the race.

I know that the next few weeks will be incredibly difficult.

I’m sorry to ask for further sacrifices, after nine long months of them. But these sacrifices are necessary.

And the difference between now and last March is that with the help of vaccines, we now have confidence that these sacrifices will pave the way to brighter days ahead. So – for everyone’s sake and safety – please stick with it and stay at home.

View the main Coronavirus page for all updates. 

Read the state of the epidemic in Scotland report

Download the Protect Scotland app from NHS Scotland.

Slight drop in COVID numbers

Scottish numbers: 2 January 2021

Summary

  • 2,137 new cases of COVID-19 reported yesterday (Satuday)
  • 21,451 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results – 10.8% of these were positive

During 1 to 4 January, daily updates will be published to provide the latest data on the number of new cases of COVID-19 and the test positivity rate. During this period (1 to 4 January) there will be no updates to the remaining statistics – you can access the latest available data in the sections below and in the trends excel file. Following the next holiday weekend, we will update on Tuesday 5 January – we will provide the latest daily data for that day and the previous 4 days.

Local area data

  • Public Health Scotland’s interactive dashboard now provides a map showing the number of cases in local areas, as well as trends for local authorities and NHS boards

Can Do Collective Celebrates Resilient Business Pioneers

Can Do Collective extends support to more Scottish businesses and champions collaborative working in wake of pandemic

The Can Do Collective – a connected community of enterprise support organisations and leaders on a mission to build a world-leading entrepreneurial, innovative and creative society – is concluding the year celebrating a 25 per cent increase in community size.

The growing portfolio of businesses is also demonstrating that collaborative working has helped them to pivot, grow and adapt amidst the challenges that 2020 has presented.

Covid-19 has had a significant impact on businesses across Scotland.For many it has meant they have had to evolve and adapt their products and services, and support for their wider business community, in new and different ways.

For the Can Do Collective, it has meant taking all of their events online, however an online and virtual approach has allowed the Can Do Collective to increase their events programme from five events in 2019, to more than 33 virtual events and gatherings in 2020.

Funded by The Scottish Government and supported by a dedicated team within independent charity Entrepreneurial Scotland Foundation, The Can Do Collective is keen to demonstrate ways in which collaborative working between Scottish businesses can help to accelerate growth and nurture entrepreneurial spirit.

Rachael Brown, Can Do Collective Convener and CEO, The Future Economy Company explains; “We’ve seen many examples of how the Scottish business community has stepped up to provide a flexible, fast and appropriate response to individuals in need this year. 

“Business support communities have removed subscriptions and paywalls, more events and conferences have moved online and there has been a marked increase in the frequency of events.

“In times like these, community and peer to peer support is so vital.  Now more than ever, there’s an opportunity for businesses to really show their human side, to come together in trust and credibility.  We’ve been truly encouraged by the sense of community spirit, entrepreneurialism, agility and creativity we’ve witnessed and the willing to work collaboratively for the greater good.”

A number of businesses have shown great strength, resilience, agility and entrepreneurial spirit in the face of Covid-19 and have continued to support their respective business communities in challenging times.  

One of the virtual events that the Can Do Collective has initiated as part of their new virtual events programme, is the Partner Spotlight webinar series, which has seen business leaders from around Scotland share their leadership journey and advice for drawing on community, creativity and resilience. 

Here, some of them share their journey through 2020 : –

Social Investment Scotland:

One of those leaders is Alastair Davis, Chief Executive of Social Investment Scotland (SIS) – the leading social enterprise whose aim is to help social enterprises to scale and grow their business. 

He explains: “The global pandemic has undoubtedly changed the way we all work.  Back in March, there was a realisation that Covid-19 was going to have a significant impact.  So as a team, we quickly started to think about ways to support our community.  We wanted to go out to them and say, ‘we’re here to support you’. 

“Organisations really appreciated that proactive, calm approach.  We were there from the start offering help, support and advice.  I’m really proud of that, and indeed the ways it has continued throughout the rest of this year.

“This year’s events have also shown us the energy that can be created when you work quickly, collaboratively, and responsively.  It has actually driven us to accelerate many of our plans and strategies, and we have been able to design, develop and launch things really quickly.  That’s certainly something I’d like to hold onto as we look post pandemic.

“It’s also taught us the value of investing in relationships and collaborations.  It’s so important to build communities like that created by the Can Do Collective that are supportive, curious and helpful.  Now more than ever, trust, credibility and collaboration are vital and will allow us to bounce back post pandemic, in whatever way that means for different businesses.”

Interface:

Interface is an organisation that connects businesses with academics. 

Dr Siobhán Jordan, Director, of Interface, explains the ways they have adapted to support their community through the global pandemic: “A huge part of our work is about keeping in touch with businesses to understand the difference we are making, and the ways in which we can continue to support them further.  

“That put us in a strong position to be able to proactively support our community.  We were immediately helping to address challenges faced by the businesses we work with.  Many of them had to look at adapting their existing products, and many had to look at creating new products.  

“Proactive but empathetic has been our approach in helping businesses navigate through the pandemic, and also look ahead to recovery and green shoots.

“We’ve also been hugely excited about some of the new things we’ve been able to do.  For example, we’ve developed a campaign around ‘Adopt a business’.  We asked our academic community about ways they could help the tourism and hospitality industry, practically, as they start to think about  restarting and recovery. 

“We were overwhelmed by the interest from universities to offer practical help.  Working with VisitScotland and Scottish Tourism Alliance , we then had over 80 businesses keen to work with academia.  It’s a programme we’ve been able to launch and establish really rapidly but has also been brand new for us.

“We know the next few months are not going to be easy, but collectively, we in Scotland have an opportunity to come together to bring energy to the economic recovery and ensure we continue to build networks to nurture and support.  Support groups and organisations like the Can Do Collective are vital for us all to continue to seek knowledge, ask for help from others, and support one another.”

Scottish Edge:

A business that has been involved with the Can Do Collective since its inception, Evelyn McDonald, Chief Executive of Scottish Edge, The UK’s Biggest Business Funding Competition, discusses ways in which their business has had to shift and evolve:

“I’ll admit, I found the initial few weeks after lockdown began in March, extremely challenging. 

“We had launched a competition at the end of January, and at the beginning, we kept going.  But there came a point when I had to make the difficult decision that we couldn’t continue.  Matched with the challenges all small businesses have had this year – having to put a couple of our team on furlough and having to cut costs and plan for the worst – it was pretty painful.

“But once we’d made the decision to pause the competition and focus on our 335 alumni of businesses, we knew immediately it was the right thing to do. 

“We’re really lucky to work with people who have great ideas, right at the early stages of their business and we became very focussed on providing support to those business, with a specific focus for those who have loans with us.

“We’ve been supporting with information on grants and loans, events, training, as well as peer to peer mentoring.  The great thing for us is the feedback we’ve had from our community.  We will hopefully come out of this with a stronger, more connected group of businesses.

“We’ve now announced our next competition, which we’re all incredibly invigorated by – it’s lovely to be looking forward to the next round which we will be launching in July and we will be inviting those previous applicants back and also opening to new ones.  The competition round subsequently attracted 327 applications, the largest number to date.

“What’s been truly valuable throughout is the support from the wider Can Do Collective network.  We know there are a lot of willing hands and willing hearts out there to help us. A trusted network and group of people that are open to collaboration is what can help us all recover and look forward to 2021 with renewed energy.”

Do The Right Thing!

Alister Jack calls on all Scottish MPs to back UK-EU trade deal

Secretary of State for Scotland, Alister Jack, has called on all Scottish MPs to support the UK’s historic Free Trade Agreement with the EU when Parliament votes on it this week.

He said: “We have secured a historic Free Trade deal with the EU that delivers for Scotland and the whole of the UK. This is a deep and wide-ranging deal, covering trade, security, travel, transport, energy, health and social security.

“As Parliament prepares to vote on the deal this week, I urge all Scottish MPs to give it their wholehearted support.

“Outside the EU, the UK can sign our own trade deals around the world, bringing new opportunities for exporters and some of Scotland’s most iconic products.

“For our farmers, the deal avoids tariffs on their world-beating Scotch lamb and beef.

“For our fishermen and coastal communities, the deal delivers what we promised.

“We are regaining control of our waters, we are restoring our status as an independent coastal state and, even during the five year adjustment period, there will be a big overall increase in our share of the catch in our waters.

“As we leave the Common Fisheries Policy, our fishermen will also enjoy near-exclusive access to inshore waters up to the historic 12 mile limit.

“The deal is good news for Scotland and I believe it is now time to move on from the Brexit debate and join forces in embracing our exciting future. Whether Leaver or Remainer in 2016 we need to come to together to make the most of our new opportunities.

“The people of Scotland will expect their MPs to do the right thing on Wednesday and vote for the deal. They will not easily forgive those who reject this Free Trade Agreement or throw their weight behind a no deal Brexit.”

As the Scottish Secretary is well aware, SNP MPs will vote against the deal this week. The Tories have a big majority at Westminster, however: the deal will go through – Ed.