Tag: First Minister

‘A moment for care and caution’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh today (Thursday 8th July):

Good afternoon everyone. As you can see, I’m joined by the Chief Medical Officer today, and he will take questions with me shortly.

Before that though I want to reflect on our current Covid situation and, in doing that, I will also look ahead briefly to the statement I will make to Parliament next week.

But before any of that, I’ll summarize today’s statistics.

Yesterday there were 2,802 positive cases reported, which is 8% of all of the tests that were carried out.

The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 306,449.

There are 401 people who are currently in hospital  – that is 14 more than yesterday.

And 38 people are receiving intensive care, and that is 4 more than yesterday.

Sadly 4 further deaths were reported over the past 24 hours, and that takes the total number of deaths registered under this daily definition to 7,744.

As always, I want to convey my thoughts and condolences to everyone who has been bereaved over the course of this pandemic.

I’ll also briefly update on the progress of the vaccination programme.

As of this morning, 3,900,864 people had received a first dose of vaccine.

That is an increase of 10,688 since yesterday.

In addition to that, yesterday 16,984 people got the second dose and that brings the total number of second doses to 2,825,886.

So as you can see from these numbers, the vaccine programme continues to make really good progress and that should make us optimistic. For now though, that optimism needs to be balanced by concern at the high case numbers we’ve seen recently – a pattern that is increasingly evident in other countries as well.

However, on the upside – and while there will always be daily fluctuations as we can see, and that’s why we look most closely at 7 day averages – looking at the figures reported over the past few days, we can see the suggestion that the recent surge in cases may be, to some extent, levelling off now.  Today’s reported figure, for example, represents 1,432 fewer cases than were reported on this day last week.

Similarly, if we look at the seven day average, there does appear to be a slowdown in the rise in positive cases.

So while we need to monitor this in the days to come, that is encouraging news but obviously case numbers remain high.  And that is a worry.

We increasingly hear talk just now of learning to live with the virus, which we all want to be able to do.

And it is true, absolutely true, that we can’t live a restricted way of life forever – because that in itself affects our health and wellbeing. And it is also true, thankfully, that vaccines are offering us an alternative way forward.

However, that desire to just live with it cannot mean that we simply throw all caution to the wind and no longer worry at all about rising levels of infection.

And I want to just set out briefly why we can’t simply through all caution to the wind.

Firstly, this virus is still potentially dangerous. As we see almost every day just now, it is still taking lives – though mercifully, thanks to the vaccines, it is doing so in far fewer numbers than we saw in earlier stages.

Secondly, even though the majority – a quite significant majority – of cases are now in younger people, who are much less likely to become acutely ill, the health impacts can still be significant. Many young people are suffering from long Covid, which of course experts still don’t fully understand.

So it would be wrong and irresponsible – because our young people are not guinea pigs – to have no concern at all about young people being infected with this virus.

And, thirdly, even though far fewer people with Covid are ending up in hospital now – around 3% of all cases compared to 13% earlier in the year – and that’s mainly because vaccines are giving protection to those that previously were most likely to fall seriously ill, it is still the case that 3% of a high number of positive cases will still put significant pressure on our NHS. That’s a matter of basic arithmetic.

And because the NHS is much busier again with non-Covid care – which is a good thing because we are trying to catch up on the backlog created earlier in the pandemic when we had to stop a lot of non-Covid care – that pressure will be felt now much more quickly.

And it is already being felt in our NHS. Already some hospitals are having to scale back a bit on Covid elective care again. And  I just want to take the opportunity again today to pay tribute to everybody working really hard in our NHS up and down the country.

So for all of these reasons – while it is still the case, and this bit hasn’t changed, that vaccines are offering us the way out of this, hopefully soon – this is a moment for care and caution.

And that’s not true just here in Scotland, although we are undoubtedly at the sharp end of this Delta curve.

But increasingly we see and hear other countries, faced with an accelerating Delta wave, also re-emphasise the need for caution.

It is worth pointing out – and I am doing this non-pejoratively, just as a statement of fact and because the pressure is always there for Scotland to follow suit – I think it is worth pointing out that the path the UK government is embarking on for England, which is entirely a matter for them, a path of not just lifting all restrictions from 19 July, but also removing the requirement for basic mitigations like face masks, and doing so against the backdrop of sharply increasing case numbers, is something of an exception.

So while I totally understand the desire that some have for us to follow suit in every single respect, we have to think carefully about the steps we do take at this juncture.

My job is not to take the easy decisions in a quest for popularity.

It is to do what I think is most likely to keep the country as safe as possible as we get to the end of the vaccination programme.

You’ve heard me use the analogy before – and I’m far from the only person to have used it – that this is a race between the virus and the vaccines.

Over the next few weeks as we complete the vaccination programme, it is really important that we don’t let the virus outrun us.

So that brings me on to the second issue I want to just briefly cover today, which is the statement I will make to Parliament next Tuesday.

As you know, when we published our revised strategic framework, we said that 19 July was the indicative date for Scotland’s move to level 0. 

Next Tuesday, ahead of that date, I will set out to Parliament the final decision that the Cabinet will reach on Tuesday morning on whether and to what extent that move is able to proceed.

It is worth noting – again, just as a statement of fact, not because I want you to read anything particular into this – that these decisions needn’t always be binary. It is always possible to proceed with some planned changes but hold back on others if we think that is appropriate.

Obviously though, I very much hope we will be able to move ahead as planned – and the apparent slowing down in the case numbers gives me more cause for optimism about that than I might have had a week ago – but nevertheless between now and Tuesday, we will continue to monitor very carefully the latest data on cases, but also on hospitalizations and deaths to see whether that weakening of the link between cases and severe illness is continuing.

So that is a decision I will set out on Tuesday and I don’t want to pre-empt that decision any further today, but there is one point I do want to emphasise – particularly given that I’m very aware the media will be full of talk of so-called Freedom Day in relation to England and I absolutely understand everybody’s desire to get to what is called Freedom Day here as quickly as possible.

But as the case numbers show, Covid is still with us. It is still present across the globe and it is going to be around for some time to come.

So it is important, I think, just to remind all of us that a move to level 0 does not mean the immediate end of all restrictions.

Many of the baseline measures we use – things like face coverings, physical distancing, rigorous hand hygiene, advising on good ventilation – these are going to continue to be important mitigations in protecting ourselves and others from the virus, perhaps for some time yet.

So no matter what our decision is next week about the move to level 0, there won’t be an abrupt end to these basic protective measures when we do move to level 0.  Obviously I will set out more about that in the statement I make next week.

To finish though, I want to remind everyone of the three things all of us can do to help beat this virus.

We hopefully are seeing a slowdown in the rate of increase that we’ve had in the last couple of weeks. That’s good news. The vaccination programme continues to go well, we’ve got drop in clinics in every part of mainland Scotland to encourage people to come forward for vaccinations. So we have cause and reason to continue to be optimistic – but this is a moment in our path out of this pandemic for us to be careful and cautious.

All of us have a part to play and I just want to end by reiterating the things that all of us can do to help get us back to that position of normality as quickly as possible.  

The first is to get vaccinated as soon as you are invited to do so. If you are over 18 years of age, you should have had your invitation for the first jag by now. So if you haven’t had that, you can self-register on the NHS Inform website to get an appointment or  you can go to one of the drop-in clinics.

As I said a moment ago, there are open clinics in all mainland health board areas and you can find details of the one nearest to you on NHS Inform website or on the social media accounts of your own health board.

These drop in clinics are also available to anyone who has had a first dose 8 weeks or more ago but hasn’t yet had a second dose.

I simply can’t emphasise enough just how important it is that we all get vaccinated with both doses.  So please get both jags as soon as you can and the NHS Inform website is a place to go if you need more information on how to get your jag.  

The second thing we’re asking everyone to do, is to take the opportunity to test yourself regularly. That’s particularly important if you are planning to visit somebody or go somewhere.  If you take a test before you go, you will reduce the risk of you inadvertently spreading the virus if you perhaps have it and don’t have symptoms. So it helps protect those that you will be coming into contact with. 

You can get lateral flow tests through the NHS inform website.  That way you can get them sent to you by post. But you can also pick them up from local and regional test centres, or from local pharmacies.

If you test positive through one of these lateral flow devices – or if you have symptoms of the virus – please make sure that you self-isolate, and that you book a PCR test as quickly as possible.

And if you are identified as a close contact of someone with Covid, you will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days – so please do that. We are reviewing the policy on isolation for contacts of positive cases for the future and will set out our intentions on that shortly. But for now it remains an important mitigation.

The third and final thing we’re asking people to do is stick to the rules wherever you live, and keep following the basic hygiene measures.

Meet other people outdoors as much as possible.

If you are meeting indoors, stick to the limits on group sizes, follow the advice around hygiene and ventilation and remember that is important even if you are meeting indoors to watch the football or other sport.

And please remember physical distancing, hand-washing, face coverings – all of these basic mitigations still help us to limit the spread of this virus.

And if, like I’m sure most of us have been over the past few weeks, you have been slipping on these things this is a moment to tighten up again as we hopefully embark on this next and final phase of getting out of the Covid restrictions.

So those are the key things we’re asking everybody do to. We’re all thoroughly sick of every single aspect of this. I don’t just know that, I feel that, but it’s really important that, having come so far, and having hopefully an effective end point to this in sight, that we stick with it to make sure not just that we get to that end point but that we get to that end point as safely as possible.

So thank you for your continued patience, thank you for your continued forbearance with all of this, and please continue to stick with it.

Covid: “Keep the Heid”

No change in direction despite record numbers

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: First Minister’s statement, 29 June:

Thanks very much for joining the Chief Medical Officer and I today. Today’s statistics have actually just been published on the Scottish Government’s website, given that today’s briefing is a bit later than normal so I am going to quickly summarise these.

 Three thousand one hundred and eighteen positive cases were reported yesterday which is 11.6% of all of the tests carried out.

The total number of confirmed cases for the duration of the pandemic is now 277,335.

As of today  215 people are receiving hospital treatment – that  is an increase of 13 since yesterday.

And 20 people are in intensive care, and that  is the same number as  yesterday.

Sadly, one further death has been  reported and that takes the total number of deaths registered, under our daily definition to 7,713. And, as always, my deepest condolences are with  everyone who has lost someone as a result of the virus.

Let me also briefly update on the vaccination programme.

As of this morning, 3,781,887 people have received a first.

That’s an increase of 16,508 since yesterday.

And 9,420 people got a second dose yesterday, which brings the total number of second doses now to 2,701,195.

Today’s case numbers reinforce the pattern that we have seen over the past week.

There has been a much faster increase in cases than at any time since the start of this year – in fact, over the past 7 days we have reported more than twice as many new cases as we did in the previous week. 

In recent days, the numbers of positive cases being reported has also been higher than at any previous point in the pandemic.

It is, however,  important to put that into context, and there is two contextual points that I think it is worth me making at this stage.

Firstly, and before I make this one let  me be very clear that this is early days and we need to monitor this over the course of coming days. When we look at cases over the past week by the date the specimen was taken as opposed to the date we report the test result, which are the numbers we report on a daily basis, then what we see is a peak in cases last Tuesday and since then we have seen what appears to be a slowing down of the rate of increase.

So that is encouraging, but again I would stress that it is early days, we will want to monitor this carefully over the days to come and obviously see what that looks like a week form now.

 But the second, perhaps more fundamental point of context is that while we are comparing case numbers now to the situation at the start of the year. It is the case that at the start of the year, which was the last time case numbers were anywhere near the numbers they are at just now, we were in much stricter lockdown.

Far, far fewer restrictions are in force now. So the reality now that now without vaccination the level of restrictions that are in place just now would undoubtedly be leading to far higher case numbers than is actually the case.

So that is the first sign that vaccination is actually having an effect.

But the number of new cases now is still a cause for concern – and it is obviously the main issue I want to talk about today.

Before I  come on to do that, though, in a bit more detail, l just want to confirm a change that we have indicated this morning in relation to travel.

Because there is no longer a significant difference in case rates between Scotland and the following places, I can confirm that the travel restrictions relating to Manchester, Salford and Bolton are being lifted.

However restrictions will remain in place for now between Scotland and Blackburn with Darwen – where case levels remain higher than in those three other areas. We will undertake a further review of those restrictions, over the course of this week.

Let me return now, though,  to the situation here in Scotland.

As we have been saying from the start of this year, we are very much in a race just now between the virus and the vaccines. Our job is to do all we can to make sure the vaccine stays ahead of the virus.

I should be very clear we are confident, very confident that the vaccines will ultimately win this race. The question is what happens between now and then.

If, over the next few weeks, the virus gets ahead, unfortunately we will see more people become ill, we will see more people die and we will see more significantly pressure on our National Health Service than will be the case if we manage to keep the vaccines ahead of the virus

 The problem we have got just now is  the virus is running faster than it has ever done previously.

The Delta variant that we are dealing with just now is –  accounts for the overwhelming bulk of all new cases right now – is significantly more transmissible than previous variants.

And that is helping to driving the steep rise in cases that we have  been seeing in recent days.

On the other hand, and this is the positive part,  we know that the vaccines are breaking the link between cases and serious illness.

The nature of this wave of the virus is different both in nature but also in  impact than previous waves.

 Let me just illustrate that over the whole pandemic, round about 13% of all cases and 89% of all deaths have been in the over 65  year old age group.

However because virtually all over 65 year olds have now had both doses of vaccine, that is changing, and it is changing really markedly.

According to our most recent figures, those aged 65 or over are now accounting for just 2% of new cases. And what we have seen in recent days is that more than 80% of new cases are in people under the age of 44.

The impact of vaccination is also clear when we look at the data on hospitalisations.

Back in January, more than 10% , perhaps closer to 13 % of people who tested positive for Covid were being admitted to hospital within 14 days of the positive test.

By the start of June, the start of this month that had fallen to just 3%.

In addition, more of those who are admitted to hospital with Covid now are being discharged relatively quickly.

Again, that will reflect the fact that most new cases now are in younger age groups.

So in summary, fewer people who get Covid now need to go to hospital. And a higher proportion of people who do need to go to hospital, are not staying in hospital for as long.

Those two factors are helping, obviously, to cut down the serious illness impact of the virus, but also they are helping to  protect the NHS from the full scale of the pressure that case numbers like this would have heaped on it before vaccination – and these factors are also what continues to give us  confidence that vaccination is going to get us out of this. And that hasn’t changed.

That is why, notwithstanding this increase in cases that we are seeing just now – and obviously bearing in mind that we have  to keep this under review, as we always have done  – we do remain hopeful that we will be able  to continue lifting restrictions first on the 19 July and then ultimately on the  9 August.

But – and this is an important but – how safely we get there will depend on what we do now.

This is a critical moment – I really can’t stress that enough – and over the next few weeks, it demands renewed care and vigilance from all of us.

The virus, as we can see,  is still out there – and it is still potentially dangerous.

Vaccination is very effective – after two doses – but no vaccine gives 100% protection.

And – importantly – while we are vaccinating as quickly as we can, there are still a lot of people who do not yet have the protection of both doses of the vaccine.

That includes many younger people. And while younger people are much less likely to fall seriously ill, they can still be badly affected, including of course from long Covid.

And finally, while we know that a lower percentage of people with Covid are ending up in hospital now, the fact is that a lower percentage of a very big number of cases, is still  going to be a sizeable number.

So if cases continue to rise as they have been doing, we will see pressure on our NHS in coming weeks – and our worry is that that will set back work that is now being done to recover our  NHS and catch up with the Covid backlogs.

And so my appeal to everyone right now is a serious one.

While we work hard to get to get people vaccinated – and more and more people are being fully vaccinated every days just now,  please help us keep the virus at bay by taking care and following all of the vital health advice.

I know, I really do know, everyone is sick of this – and I include myself in that – I also know that many feel frustrated because we might think others are not taking this as seriously as we have been – but the fact is we are so close now, not just at seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but actually  reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.

Having come so far, let’s redouble our efforts, just for  a few more weeks,  to make sure that we get there and get there as safely as possible.

So there are three key things in particular that each of us really need to do right now to help make sure we get to those milestones, and get to those milestones with as little health impact as we possibly can.

I know that you will have heard this before.

But I’m stressing it again for a reason – with case levels so high, it really is vital that we all play our part in slowing the virus down while the vaccines continue to get ahead and do their work.

So, firstly, please continue to follow the key rules where you live and all of the basic but vital public health advice – for example on physical distancing, hand-washing and face coverings.

Also, meet other people outdoors as much as possible particularly when the weather is a bit nicer – no environment is risk free, but we know that outdoors is relatively safe compared to indoors.

If you are meeting people indoors, please stick to the limits and open the windows to maximise ventilation.

That does apply if you are watching football – or of course now with Wimbledon underway   the tennis.

Good luck to Andy Murray for his next match. And good luck to England tonight.

But if you are planning to watch sport indoors with others, please remember that the maximum group size is 6 people, from 3 households. And the 3 households includes  your own.

That rule is really important. And if we all stop and think about it, It is obvious why that rule is important, if somebody in your group has Covid and might not realise it, then if you have got a limited number of people and households in the house with them, then it is reducing the number of households that the virus might be able to spread to

In addition, try to make sure that people from different households are sitting as far apart as is possible. And as I said earlier, keep some windows open because that helps ventilation and the better ventilated a room is, the less risky it is going to be.

 The second thing everybody is being asked to do, please get tested regularly – and that is especially important if you are planning to visit somebody. Test before you go. Because you are helping not just to spot if you have the virus, but you are obviously helping to protect those you are going to visit.

Lateral flow tests are available through the NHS inform website.

You can get them sent to you that way in the post. But also now you can collect them from local and regional test sites, and from your local pharmacies.

If you test positive through one of these lateral flow devices – or if you have symptoms of the virus – make sure that you self-isolate, and book a PCR test as quickly as possible, and that’s vitally important.

If you are identified as a close contact of someone with Covid, you will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days –usually through a text message so that gets to you as quickly as possible.

Self-isolation is really tough. It is probably more frustrating now that there are fewer restrictions in place than it was earlier in the pandemic .

But it remains vitally important to help break chains of transmission.

Thirdly and finally, our key and ultimate weapon against the virus is the vaccine.

So make sure that you do get vaccinated when you are invited to do so. And make sure you attend for both doses.

If you are aged 18 or over, you should definitely have received news of your first appointment by now.

If you haven’t done so – go on to the NHS Inform website, you can  self-register. The new portal which allows you to do that opened yesterday.

 And that means your up to date details can be submitted and you can get an appointment sent to you as quickly as possible

You should also go to the  website if you need to rearrange an appointment, or if you had your first dose of the vaccine 8 weeks or more ago and want to bring your second appointment forward.

I cant stress enough how important it is that all of us get vaccinated with both doses.

It protects you – but it also protects your family, your friends and anyone that you come into contact with.

So please make sure that you get both doses when you get your invitation – I think, part of the collective, civic duty we all owe to each other.

But to be blunt about it,  it is also our ticket out of this nightmare. So let’s  make sure make full use of it and get out of this as quickly as possible

So these are the three points I want to stress.

Get vaccinated when you are asked, get tested regularly and particularly if you are going to visit somebody or going for an outing somewhere, and continue to follow the public health guidance.

The current surge in cases is a concern – we are seeing it happening elsewhere as the Delta variants starts to take hold – so I’m not going to pretend it is not a concern.

 But I do know that if we all exercise caution and common sense we can make a difference while the vaccine gets ahead. And I remain as confident, possibly even more confident than I have ever been that the vaccine is getting us out of this.

 So if we can all can just keep the heid, keep doing all the things we know we need to do so that we can look forward to the vaccine  getting us back to normal later this summer.

 So thank you very much for listening to all of that just now. 

A temporary travel restriction between Scotland and parts of north west England has been lifted.

Current rules on travel between Scotland and Manchester and Salford – which came into effect on 21 June – was be eased at midnight. A travel restriction on Bolton – in place since 24 May – is also easing.

Coronavirus cases on the rise: ‘Edinburgh is the new Glasgow’

Alex Cole-Hamilton challenges First Minister over disparity in Covid response

Liberal Democrat Heath Spokesperson Alex Cole-Hamilton has challenged the First Minister as to why Edinburgh residents have not been offered the same access to surge testing that Glasgow residents were, despite the rise in cases.

Edinburgh now has more cases per 100,000 of the population than Glasgow and several schools within the city have reported outbreaks.

Despite confirming yesterday that walk-in clinics will be provided for over 40s who have yet to receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine or anyone of any age waiting more than 10 weeks for their second astrazeneca dose, door to door surge testing, which has been available in areas of Glasgow for weeks is still not available in Edinburgh.

The First Minister was clearly dissatisfied with Mr Cole-Hamilton’s question, failing to answer and accusing him of “trying to divide and set people against each other.”

Mr Cole Hamilton commented: “It is really disappointing to see the First Minister refuse to engage constructively on such a vital issue. The Health Secretary used the exact words ‘Edinburgh is the new Glasgow’ in a discussion I had with him last week. On that basis it is not unreasonable that I would seek the same level of action for my constituents as people in Glasgow saw.

“I have welcomed the announcement that walk-in vaccination centres will now be available to those over 40 but it is not enough. As well as surge testing, we need to provide walk in centres for those aged 18 and over who are yet to receive their first dose of this vaccine.

“My first responsibility is to my constituents, and I will never apologise for using my place in Parliament to fight for their best interests.”

Greater Glasgow launches drop-in COVID vaccination centres for people aged 40 and over

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has announced the latest stage in its fight against COVID-19.

The First Minister announced yesterday that Glasgow is to remain in level three lockdown for a further week.
 
Six months into the vaccination programme, and with nearly one million people having received their first dose, NHSGGC is opening drop-in vaccination centres for people aged 40 years and over.
 
If you are 40 or over and have not yet had your first dose of vaccine, or have waited more than 10 weeks for your second dose of Astra Zeneca – in other words, if you had your first dose in March – you can come along to one of the centres listed below from today (Saturday 29th May) and get vaccinated.
 
People will be seen on a first come first served basis, and there will be a set capacity each day. Future dates will be made available if required and we will use our social media channels to keep you regularly updated about potentially busy periods at each of the centres.
 
For more information, go to our website at NHSGGC: Drop-In Vaccinations 

Drop-in centre locations and times:

Saturday 29th May: 

  • Mobile vaccination unit, New Victoria Ambulatory Care Hospital, Minor Injuries Unit car park, 11am-6.30pm

Sunday 30th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm

Monday 31st:

  • Glasgow Club Easterhouse, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Club Donald Dewar, 9am-6pm
  • Hub Community Centre Clydebank, 9am-3pm

Tuesday 1st June:

  • Mobile vaccination unit, Govan Housing Association Car Park, 35 McKechnie Street, Govan, Glasgow, G51 3AQ, 11am-6.30pm
  • Lagoon Leisure Centre, Paisley, 9am-6pm

Wednesday 2nd:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Lagoon Leisure Centre, Paisley, 9am-6pm
  • Allander Leisure Centre, Bearsden, 9am-6pm
  • Mobile Vaccination Unit, Shields Health and care Centre Shields Centre, 80 McCulloch Street, Pollockshields, G41 1NX, 11am-6:30pm

Thursday 3rd:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Alexandria Community Centre, 9am-3pm
  • Barmulloch Community Centre, Glasgow, 9am-6pm

Friday 4th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Barrhead Foundry, 9am-3pm
  • Carmichael Hall, Eastwood, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Club Castlemilk, 9am-3pm
  • Port Glasgow, 9am-3pm

Saturday 5th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Carmichael Hall, Eastwood, 9am-6pm
  • Renfrew Leisure Centre, 9am-3pm
  • Johnstone Town Hall, 9am-3pm

Sunday 6th:

  • SSE Hydro, 9am-6pm
  • Glasgow Central Mosque, 9am-6pm
  • Kirkintilloch Leisure Centre, 9am-3pm
  • Greenock Town Hall, 9am-6pm
  • Concorde Centre, Dumbarton, 9am-3pm

Glasgow will move to Level 2 from next weekend as long as key indicators remain stable or fall, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced yesterday.

In line with the recommendation of the National Incident Management Team (NIMT), the First Minister said there are signs that the situation is stabilising in the postcodes at the heart of the initial outbreak and across the city generally, and that, if that trend continues, the city can move to Level 2 from 00:01 on Saturday 5 June.

The First Minister said yesterday: “Case levels in Glasgow are uncomfortably high but there are signs of progress. So the view of the National Incident Management Team is that it would be premature to move Glasgow out of Level 3 this week while the situation remains so fragile. However, if incidence continues to stabilise, and assuming levels of hospitalisation remain reasonably stable, they will support a move to Level 2 from the end of next week.

“Of course, it is necessary that we do see progress continue. We will be watching the critical statistics carefully every day. If the massive public health efforts continue to have an impact; if our collective efforts continue to drive the virus back; then from next Saturday – 5 June – the plan would be for the city to move to Level 2.

“But, I need to be very clear. We need to see the positive signs to continue to make that a reality. To give as much advance notice as possible, I intend to confirm any decision to Parliament no later than Wednesday of next week.

“So, my message to the people of Glasgow is, don’t lose heart. I live in the city, so I know how hard this is. But please, continue to help with all of the public health efforts that are in place. If we continue to do that, we will move out of Level 3 quickly.

“In particular, please come forward for the vaccine – not just the first, but both doses. And that applies to young people too. This virus can and does make people ill – being young is not a cast iron protection against it. Far from it – a high proportion of the, albeit relatively low, number of hospital cases now are amongst younger age groups.”

MSPs to elect First Minister today

Holyrood’s MSPs are set to elect a First Minister for the sixth session of the Scottish Parliament today (Tuesday 18 May 2021). Under the Scotland Act 1998, a new First Minister must be elected within the first 28 days of the election, or another Scottish Election must be held.

The election process will take place at 2pm, with the new Presiding Officer announcing, in alphabetical order, the names of the nominations received.

Each nominee will then speak for five minutes in support of their candidacy before the voting process begins via the Parliament’s digital voting system. 

After a candidate is selected, each party leader will be invited to speak for five minutes each, taken in party size (largest party first) with the successful candidate being called to speak last.

The approximate timings are as follows: 

9.30 am: nomination period opens

1.30 pm: nomination period closes 

2.00 pm: Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Alison Johnstone MSP, presides over the election of a First Minister. 

While Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has thrown his hat into the ring, it would be a shock of cataclysmic proportions should anyone other than the SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon be announced as the victor! The SNP won 64 of the 129 seats in the parliament at the election on 6 May.

Stakes couldn’t be higher as Sturgeon faces biggest test

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon faces the biggest test of her political life when she is grilled by a Holyrood Committee this morning.

The First Minister faces questions over her government’s handling of events surrounding the 2018 harassment investigation into Alex Salmond. It was found to be unlawful by a court in a process which cost the taxpayer over £600,000.

Questions have been raised over her recollection of events and Former First Minister Alex Salmond has accused his one time friend and ally of misleading parliament: that’s tantamount to lying and, if proven, Miss Sturgeon would be expected to resign.

The Tories are not waiting for the committee to deliberate, however: they have passed judgement already. The Scottish Conservatives lodged a motion of no confidence in the First Minister last night following the long-awaited release of legal evidence relating to the case.

The documents cover the key advice from external Counsel that informed decisions at critical points in the progress of the judicial review.

Two key witnesses also come forward ast night with an offer to give evidence which supports Mr Salmond’s timetable of events.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “There is no longer any doubt that Nicola Sturgeon lied to the Scottish Parliament and broke the ministerial code on numerous counts.

“No first minister can be allowed to mislead the Scottish people and continue in office, especially when they have tried to cover up the truth and abused the power of their office in the process.”

The First Minister has repeatedly said that she ‘can’t wait’ to give her side of the story to the Holyrood committee. Today, she has that opportunity.

There is huge pressure on the First Minister when she faces the committee in an hour’s time – she simply cannot afford to put a foot wrong. Her personal future, that of her party in May’s elections and even the very future of the independence movement itself are all at stake.

On Budget Day it takes something hugely important to replace the Chancellor’s plans as the main political story, but dramatic events at Holyrood have done just that.

This promises to be a memorable day indeed.

Salmond: At last … it’s time to talk

Former First Minister Alex Salmond will give evidence to the Committee on the Scottish Government’s Handling of Harassment Complaints at Holyrood this afternoon.

The Committee’s remit is to consider and report on the actions of the First Minister, Scottish Government officials and special advisers in dealing with complaints about Alex Salmond, former First Minister, considered under the Scottish Government’s “Handling of harassment complaints involving current or former ministers” procedure and actions in relation to the Scottish Ministerial Code.

In a formal submission to the committee, Mr Salmond maintains that senior members of the SNP colluded with civil servants in an orchestrated campaign to damage his reputation.

He also accuses First Minister Nicola Sturgeon of both misleading parliament and breaking the Ministerial Code. If this is proven, Ms Sturgeon would be expected to resign.

Ms Sturgeon yesterday dismissed Salmond’s claims as ‘a litany of nonsence’.

This is much more serious than a ‘he said, she said’ internal SNP stooshie: the allegations go right to the heart of Scotland’s democratic structures.

So the stakes couldn’t be higher. It remains to be seen whether today’s session will see us inch any closer to the truth …

First Minister ‘glad to see the back of 2020’

‘To be clear: that means no gatherings, no house parties, and no first footing.‘

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon updated the Scottish Parliament yesterday:

I will give a short update on today’s statistics and a few other issues. The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 2,045. That represents 11.3% of the total number of tests, and takes the total number of confirmed cases in Scotland to 124,831.

That is a significant number of new cases, and it demonstrates the severity of the situation we face right now. 

1,133 people are currently in hospital – 41 more than yesterday. And 69 people are in intensive care, which is four more than yesterday.

I’m also sad to report that 43 additional deaths have been registered in the last 24 hours of patients who had tested positive. In total, 137 deaths have been registered in the past seven days. That takes total number of deaths, under this daily measurement, to 4,510.

National Records of Scotland have not published their usual weekly update today because not all registration offices have been open throughout the festive period.  However, the figures published last week showed that the total number of deaths is now over 6,000.

Each one of those deaths is heartbreaking. And so again, I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.

There are three other issues I want to cover today.

The first is the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine that has today been authorised for supply in the UK by the medicines regulator.

This is really good news. 

It means there are now two effective Covid vaccines available for use in the UK.   

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is also logistically easier to deliver than the Pfizer one.

And, crucially, the UK has secured a much higher number of doses of this vaccine.

It is also now recommended that the second dose of both vaccines can be given up to 12 weeks after the first, rather then three.

That means we can now prioritise providing a first dose to as many people as possible – rather than providing the required two doses in as short a time as possible.

This will allow more people to be vaccinated more quickly.

We have been preparing for the deployment of the Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine for some time and I can confirm that it will be administered in Scotland from Monday.

As of Sunday, more than 92,000 people have already received their first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. 

But today’s news means that more people will get their first dose of a Covid vaccine, sooner than anticipated. 

The second issue I want to touch on are the restrictions now in place across the country.

On Boxing Day, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, and some other island communities moved to Level 3 protections. At the same time, the rest of Scotland – the vast majority – moved to level 4. 

This is not the way that any of us wanted to end 2020 – or start the new year.  But these new restrictions reflect the severity of the threat posed by this new variant.

Analysis done by Public Health Scotland shows that, yesterday, 42.8% of positive tests processed for Scotland in the Lighthouse Laboratory Network had the S gene drop out that is indicative of the new strain.

That is a higher than the 38% suggested by ONS analysis for week beginning 14 December. And that in turn compared to just six per cent at the end of November.

So this new strain appears to be fast becoming the dominant one in Scotland.

And that is obviously a cause for real concern – given that it is thought to be significantly more transmissible.

As I indicated before Christmas, the severity of this challenge means we can’t rule out the need for restrictions that are even tighter than the current level 4.

We continue to assess the situation carefully, on a daily basis, and will keep Parliament updated should any changes be required over the remainder of the festive period. 

As we learn more about the new variant, we also continue to review when pupils can safely return to classrooms.

The new strain has already made a normal scheduled return impossible but we continue to assess whether it will be possible to reopen schools as planned on 18 January.

That is what we all want and, to be clear, that remains our planning assumption. But we will continue to put the safety of pupils, teachers and staff first.  And we will ensure as much notice as possible to parents of any changes we consider to be necessary.

For now, of course, it is vital that we all do as much as possible to suppress transmission.

That means limiting our interactions with people in other households, beyond those which are absolutely essential.

To remind everyone, our very strong advice is that people should stay at home just now, as much as possible.  And when we do go out, we should stay as close to home as possible.

With a few limited exceptions, none of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now.

None of us should be travelling to other local authority areas – unless it’s for an essential purpose. 

And there must be no non-essential travel between Scotland and other parts of the UK.  That advice also applies to overseas travel.

We should also remember the FACTS advice:

  • face coverings
  • avoid crowded places
  • clean hands and surfaces
  • keep two metres distance from people from other households
  • and self-isolate, and get tested immediately, if you have symptoms.

Let me stress testing centres are open throughout the entire festive period.  So if you do experience Covid symptoms, please don’t wait.  Book a test immediately.

It’s worth noting that the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub is also open, over the festive period. 

Support of this kind is particularly vital, at a time when so many of us are missing loved ones and normal social interaction.  So if you feel the restrictions are affecting your mental health – and you need help or advice – please don’t hesitate to call the number 111. 

Finally today, I want to say a few words about Hogmanay. 

I know most of us, and I certainly speak for myself here, will be glad to see the back of 2020.  

And today’s news about the new vaccine should give all of us greater hope for the year ahead.  

But for now, it is really vital to do everything we can to suppress this virus.

To keep ourselves and our loved ones safe. And to protect the NHS.

So we must mark this new year responsibly and in line with the restrictions in place.

To be clear, that means no gatherings, no house parties, and no first footing. 

Instead, we should bring in 2021 in our own homes with just our own household.  

This new strain is very serious – I cannot stress that enough. 

And our prospects for the rest of the year will be better if we get off to a safe start. 

So I urge everyone to be responsible on Hogmanay.

I know it’s hard – particularly for young people. 

But it is how we best protect ourselves and our loved ones.

It helps the NHS too. And they need our help.

In Scotland, so far, the numbers in hospital and ICU are not at the peak of the first wave. But the NHS is under pressure.

So everything we do as individuals to stop this virus spreading helps reduce the number of people who will end up in hospital and ICU beds over the next few weeks.

And that really matters.

So as this awful year draws to a close, let me again thank everyone across Scotland for your sacrifice and patience, and for looking out for each other.

We do have every reason to believe that the spring of 2021 will bring better times. But we must first get through these difficult few weeks of winter.

So let’s stick with it, and keep looking after each other.

And let me wish everyone across the chamber, and at home, when it comes, a better, brighter and happier new year.

First candle lit at Scotland’s national Menorah

Today is the first day of the Holiday of Chanukah 2020.  

Chanukah in Edinburgh won’t look the same, as for the past 12 years Chabad of Edinburgh has organized the Scottish National Hanukkah Celebration which usually attracts hundreds of guests and dignitaries from all over Scotland. 

“The Menorah serves as a symbol of light and hope for us today amidst the darkness of the pandemic, as it did for generations before us,” said Rabbi Pinny Weinman, Director of Chabad of Edinburgh.

“The flames of the menorah shine out into the night, reminding us that even when confronted with much darkness, a tiny light can dispel it all. Another act of goodness and kindness, another act of light, can make all the difference.”

This year, the holiday has added significance as so many will be isolated at home on Hanukkah amid these difficult times.

As the Rebbe —Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory— would often teach, the menorah is a reminder that light can be brought to the darkest of times, and uniquely, at the core of the holiday’s observance is sharing the light with others who may not be experiencing it.

Video Message from First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon for the Holiday of Hanukkah 2020:

https://youtu.be/AS4Lhx6TLgc

‘The best protection against this virus is your front door’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Wednesday 25 November:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us. I will give you today’s statistics first of all as usual.

There were 880 positive cases reported yesterday which is 6.8% of the total number of tests that were carried out. That means the total number of confirmed cases so far throughout the entire pandemic is 90,961.

260 of the new cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 190 in Lanarkshire, 122 in Grampian and 94 in Lothian.

The remaining cases were across 8 other health board areas. 1,161 people are currently in hospital – that is 36 fewer than yesterday. 84 people are in intensive care, that’s the same as yesterday.

And finally, I regret to report that 44 additional deaths have been registered in the past 24 hours of patients who first tested positive in the previous 28 day period. The total number of deaths under this measurement that we use on a daily basis is now 3,588.

However, National Records of Scotland, as it does every Wednesday, has just published its weekly update, that you will recall includes cases where COVID is a suspected or contributory cause of death in addition to those that we report daily where COVID has been confirmed through a test.

Today’s update shows that by Sunday just past, the total number of registered deaths linked to COVID under that wider definition, was 5,380.  

244 of those deaths were registered over the course of the last week, that is actually 35 fewer than in the week before.

And that is the first decrease in the weekly number of deaths that we have seen since the end of September. Any reduction in the number of people dying is of course good news, but any feeling of relief that we feel about that must be tempered by a recognition that the number of deaths is still far too high.

160 of last week’s deaths occurred in hospitals, 67 occurred in care homes, and 17 at home or in another non-institutional setting.

Now every single one of those deaths was of an individual who will be right now mourned by friends and family. So again today, as it is important to do every day, I want to convey my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one as a result of this virus.

Now I have a couple of issues I want to cover today before I, with Professor Leitch, will take questions from the media.

The first is that literally as we will be speaking here today the Chancellor of the Exchequer will, in the House of Commons, be delivering his autumn statement.

Over the course of this pandemic, the Scottish Government and the UK Government have worked together constructively on many issues and I will come on to talk about arrangements for the Christmas period in a moment and that is one of those issues.

But we have also welcomed several of the Chancellor’s recent decisions; for example the extension of the Job Retention Scheme until the spring.

But we do believe there are several  areas where families and businesses are likely, as a result of the pandemic, to continue to need help even after April of next year and that’s when many of the current support mechanisms are scheduled to end.

Now the kind of areas I am talking about would include rates relief for businesses, and the uplift to universal credit for households and individuals.

So we are very much hoping that today’s statement brings clarity and positive news on these issues.

That would be very important in providing certainty as all of us continue to cope with the immediate impact of COVID. And of course it would provide the Scottish Government with greater clarity as we prepare our own budget which will be presented to the Scottish Parliament in January – and that budget will provide more details of the support we are able to provide for businesses and individuals into the next financial year so the more clarity we have from the Chancellor about the overall spending envelope would be very welcome.

Now the second issue I want to cover and perhaps take a few moments to dwell on today is yesterday’s announcement about arrangements for the forthcoming Festive period.

Let me tell you that the Scottish Government will be publishing more detailed guidance fleshing out what we said yesterday, we will do that later this week, hopefully tomorrow (Thursday), and I will set out some further details in Parliament ahead of the weekly session of First Minister’s questions.

However as you will undoubtedly have heard yesterday the four UK nations decided that for a five day window over Christmas – that means from 23 December to 27 December inclusive – we will relax slightly the current rules on travel and household meetings.

This relaxation will enable you – if you feel it is necessary and that is a point I want to stress and I will come back to that point shortly – if you feel it is necessary the relaxation will enable you to form a bubble of up to three households over that five day period.

Now let me stress, if you choose to do that, it has to be just one bubble. You can’t chop and change it over the 5 day period. And none of the households in a bubble can form another bubble with other households.

Now, as is the case with most of these COVID decisions, some of you will think this a reasonable decision that we have arrived at, others of you will think it doesn’t go far enough, and many of you will think it is a terrible decision and it goes way too far and my email inbox has all of these views expressed within it today.

But I think that just reflects a reality that none of what we are dealing with right now, none of what we are seeking to steer and navigate our way through, is straightforward. And speaking as First Minister, as head of the Scottish Government, we agonise over all of these decisions and often we are trying to balance all sorts of different factors and come to, not a perfect outcome, because in a pandemic I am not sure there is such a thing, but come to the outcome that balances best all of these competing factors and desires that people have.

And on this particular occasion what we are trying to do is reflect a reality that for some people, whether I like it or not, sticking rigidly to the current rules over Christmas – if that means, for example, leaving loved ones on their own – is something that some people might not be prepared to do.

So rather than just leave everyone to try navigate that themselves and decide their own boundaries, we came to a decision to try to set out some outer limits and some boundaries that we are asking people to work within.

But and this is the key point. Notwithstanding that decision which is trying to recognise a reality that I have just set out, that does not mean that we are positively encouraging people to get together.

I want to stress today that just because we are allowing people to create a bubble it does not mean you have to do it. And, if you do choose to do it at all you don’t have to do it the maximum permitted.

We are relying on people, as we have been throughout this entire pandemic, but maybe particularly over these next few weeks, we are relying on people across the country, to make informed choices about whether or not to come together at all over the Christmas period.

We recognise that for many people, supporting others and their families by being with them, will be something that they feel is essential. But for others, it won’t be essential, and you might choose this year therefore to mark Christmas very differently to how you normally would.

Because the virus will not have gone away by Christmas and it is really important that I am very straight with you about that and we know bringing people together at home, carries risk.

That is why we are asking people not to meet in each other’s homes right now. And of course after 8 months of very hard and very painful sacrifice, of keeping loved ones as safe as possible, and now that we are so close to a possible vaccine, we all have to ask ourselves if that is a risk we personally want to take.

So as I say we will produce guidance to help you come to these decisions and to minimise risks for those of you who do choose to come together albeit in a limited way over the Christmas period.

As I said before we will set out more detail tomorrow. But let me repeat some key points which you will no doubt hear me reiterate over the weeks between now and Christmas.

The first point is this. If you can get through this Christmas staying in your own home, within your own household, please do so. That would be the safest decision and that I guess is the default advice that I am giving to people.

However, If you feel you need to see somebody from another household, please limit that as much as possible.

Remember what I said about the five days, three households. That is the outer limits. That should be seen as a maximum. Stay as far within that as you possibly can.

And if you feel it is essential to see others, think about how you do that think about whether you could do that differently to how most of us traditionally celebrate Christmas, particularly Christmas Day.

So for example and I know this is something I am thinking in my own personal circumstances, instead of meeting indoors for Christmas go for a family walk together, exchange presents on the way, see each other outside. All of this sounds difficult and strange, but we are living in difficult and strange times.

And  of course if you are indoors with people from other households during this limited window, keep the literal windows open. Follow all the hygiene rules. It will be difficult to remember that I know, but wash your hands, clean the hard surfaces in the house that you are in and keep a physical distance as much as you can.

That will be the hardest thing of all if you are with loved ones. Not hugging them. And trying to keep apart, but it is really important we all remember and don’t allow to go by the wayside these really important rules we have been living by.

The fact that I am stressing all of this, despite the announcement we have made yesterday, underlines that yesterday’s decision was not an easy one in fact it was a really difficult one I am sure for all of the governments involved.

We know that the festive period means a lot to people, it means a lot to us as well as individuals, and we know in particular it can be an especially difficult time to be alone or to feel isolated.

Because of that, many people – in seeking to do the right thing over Christmas – will come to the view that for them that means spending some time with friends and loved ones.

And it is for that reason that we have decided to provide some rules and guidance that will minimise the risks of that. But these rules, if you exercise the flexibility they give you, still have a risk attached to them.

We know that people can be infectious without having symptoms of COVID, so all of us find it really hard to fathom and believe and comprehend that it might be our family gathering that is the one that has a risk attached to it. But it may well be, particularly if you are bringing together people in different generations that risk to vulnerable people can be great and that is exacerbated indoors.

So all of this is difficult. Governments agonise over these decisions and I am sure families will be coming to very difficult decisions as well. We are trying to give a framework in which we can all reach these decisions, but I will continue to ask you to err on the side of caution, to think about the safety of loved ones and not to forget how close we may now be to an end of this pandemic and if you have been making painful sacrifices for eight months to keep those you love safe then think about whether you want to take a risk with their safety at this eleventh hour in this horrible journey that we are all going through.

And one final point I want to stress before moving on to questions is this one.

While we are all thinking about Christmas as is inevitably the case as we get towards December Christmas is still four weeks away and the most important thing we can all do right now – to make not just Christmas as safe as possible but the period after Christmas as safe as possible – is to reduce the number of people that are infectious now and for all of us that means sticking to all of the rules and guidance that is in place right now.