The Prime Minister is to write to every UK household to urge them to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. The letter will land on the doorsteps of 30 million households across all four UK nations from next week.
The Prime Minister will outline the guidance everyone should follow and the measures the government has put in place to fight coronavirus and to support businesses and workers.
He will urge everyone to follow the rules to save lives and thank NHS staff working round the clock as well as everyone volunteering their time to protect others.
The letter reads:
I am writing to you to update you on the steps we are taking to combat coronavirus.
In just a few short weeks, everyday life in this country has changed dramatically. We all feel the profound impact of coronavirus not just on ourselves, but on our loved ones and our communities.
I understand completely the difficulties this disruption has caused to your lives, businesses and jobs. But the action we have taken is absolutely necessary, for one very simple reason.
If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to cope. This will cost lives. We must slow the spread of the disease, and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment in order to save as many lives as possible.
That is why we are giving one simple instruction – you must stay at home.
You should not meet friends or relatives who do not live in your home. You may only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. You can travel to and from work but should work from home if you can.
When you do have to leave your home, you should ensure, wherever possible, that you are two metres apart from anyone outside of your household.
These rules must be observed. So, if people break the rules, the police will issue fines and disperse gatherings.
I know many of you will be deeplyworried about the financial impact on you and your family. The Government will do whatever it takes to help you make ends meet and put food on the table.
The enclosed leaflet sets out more detail about the support available and the rules you need to follow. You can also find the latest advice at gov.uk/coronavirus
From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do.
It’s important for me to level with you – we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal.
I want to thank everyone who is working flat out to beat the virus, in particular the staff in our fantastic NHS and care sector across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour.
Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS – and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. It is with that great British spirit that we will beat coronavirus and we will beat it together.
That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stayathome,protecttheNHSandsavelives.
Edinburgh’s council leaders have urged the public to be considerate of one another and of their surroundings to help the city respond to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Adam McVey and Cammy Day have called for residents to treat frontline staff working to deliver vital services to the city with compassion, while praising the community-mindedness of those looking out for vulnerable neighbours and encouraging adherence to social distancing guidelines.
They have also appealed for people to take responsibility for litter, dog fouling and bulky items being disposed of, particularly at this time, when limited waste and cleansing resources must be prioritised for essential bin collections.
While certain services have been reduced as a result of the pandemic, thousands of people across the Council are still helping to keep the city moving.
They include school staff providing care for children of key workers, waste collection crews, cleaners and carers as well as parks officers working to close play parks to reduce social interaction and parking attendants making sure the roads network is clear of obstructions.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’re working together as a city with the common purpose of keeping everyone safe and well, and it’s particularly heartening to see so many people looking out for one another, encouraging social distancing and showing their support for the people leaving their homes every day to provide crucial services regardless of the circumstances.
As well as the amazing support provided by NHS staff and other emergency services, there are thousands of people making every effort to serve the people of Edinburgh, from the teams picking up our bins and crews out gritting our roads and pavements overnight to the cleaners keeping key buildings open and housing officers helping to find safe places for people experiencing homelessness.
“I know we all recognise the great job being done, and I understand some of frustrations people will feel, but I would urge everyone to get behind the effort of key staff and give them our support during this difficult time – by being kind to each other we can make this unfortunate situation a little easier for everyone working so hard for us.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “These are particularly challenging circumstances, and I want to thank the thousands of people who are going the extra mile to deliver essential services, to care for our most vulnerable residents and to share positive messages.
“Of course, we’re all adapting to significant changes, and it’s taking time to adjust, but we do need the public to help us to continue delivering services under increasing pressure. We must prioritise limited resources so by taking responsibility for things like rubbish and dog fouling when you do head out of the house, by treating frontline workers with respect and staying at home as much as possible, we really can get through this together.”
Several service changes have been implemented by the Council this week to help limit the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in Edinburgh. These include the suspension of pay and display parking charges, closing play parks and games areas and establishing Council Resilience Centres.
Victims of crime struggling financially amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic will be able to access assistance worth up to £3,000, Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has announced.
A victims’ fund of £100,000 will help meet immediate financial needs of victims, paying for a wide range of goods and services where they have no other access to funds.
Victim Support Scotland (VSS), which will administer the fund, already provides financial support totalling £30,000 a year through the Scottish Government-backed ‘victims’ fund’. The new enhanced fund increases this to £100,000 and is available to victims supported by other organisations as well as VSS.
Following discussions with a range of victims organisations about the immediate and potential impact of the current national crisis and public health response – particularly on some of Scotland’s most vulnerable victims of crime – the Scottish Government has increased the size of the fund for the new financial year by £70,000.
Mr Yousaf said: “Across the country, we are seeing incredible acts of courage and self-sacrifice as we all strive to keep our loved-ones and our communities safe in this public health emergency.
“However, for victims of crime, the impact of their own experience can be long-lasting – even before we consider the understandable anxiety that they will be feeling, along with most of us, about the coronavirus outbreak.
“While overall crime, including non-sexual violent crime, has fallen substantially over the last decade, we know that those living in our most disadvantaged communities are more likely to experience crime.
“That is why I’ve decided to increase our investment in the victims fund and help deliver a range of goods and services which are likely to be required by the most vulnerable victims during the outbreak. This includes support such as food vouchers, help with utility bills, as well as assistance for domestic abuse victims who may have to urgently leave their homes.
“The fund will also be able to help with other costs which have arisen as a direct result of being a victim of crime such as contributions towards insurance excesses, improved home security, and replacement windows, doors and furniture.”
Kate Wallace, Chief Executive of Victim Support Scotland, said: “The increase to the victims’ fund is hugely beneficial at this time when people are social distancing, self-isolating and spending more time online.
“Isolation, in particular, can impact people affected by crime as their support networks may not be available in the same ways as before. We expect certain crime types to rise, such as fraud, cybercrime, stalking and domestic, child and elderly abuse. The fund will allow us to be adaptive and responsive to individual victim’s needs.
“These are challenging times which have the potential to greatly affect victims. Victim Support Scotland is committed to providing practical help and emotional support to anyone affected by crime during the coronavirus outbreak and has increased helpline and webchat services. We encourage anyone who needs support to get in touch.”
Victim Support Scotland provide free emotional and practical support for victims and witnesses of crime. Their Freephone helpline number is 0800 160 1985 and their website is http://www.victimsupport.scot.
Through Spartans and Social Bite, one hundred free packed lunches a day are on offer to people living in Drylaw. This service will start on Monday (30th March) and will be available Monday – Friday every week.
If you know an individual or family who might benefit from this offer please get in touch with Allan.Hosey@ea.edin.sch.uk
NB: Please discuss this offer with the individual or family before nominating them.
The packed lunches will be delivered with appropriate social distancing in place.
Unfortunately, due to the limited number of packed lunches available, we will not be able to meet all demands for this service.
This initiative is part of a North Edinburgh-wide effort which has swung into action over the last ten days. Staff and volunteers from a host of community organisations have joined forces to ensure that our area’s most vulnerable people don’t go without essentials during these most difficult of times.
Would you like to play your part and help out? More volunteers would be warmly welcomed – to find out what’s involved contact Allan (email above)
Some security advice to help protect British shoppers against cyber-crime has been released as we head online for the basics:
Internet shopping specialists from NetVoucherCodes.co.uk have revealed their 13 top tips to help UK consumers stay safe when shopping on the web in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
From using a credit card and keeping software up to date, to writing down complicated passwords and making up answers to security questions, online shoppers could avoid becoming a cyber criminal’s next victim by following the guidance.
A spokesperson for NetVoucherCodes.co.uk said: “With more and more Britons heading online to shop for the essentials, it’s important to take online security even more seriously.
“Browsing the web can be a security minefield for consumers – a computer virus, hacker or fraud could be just one click away.
“So to help Brits shop online with greater peace of mind, we’ve revealed the different measures you can take to stay safe when buying something on the internet.”
If you purchase online using a debit card and it turns out to be a scam there’s usually no way to retrieve your money, but fraudulent charges must be reimbursed by credit card companies.
Check your statements regularly, just in case a purchase you didn’t make gets through the card provider’s safety net and you need to dispute it. This could also help if a purchase is shows up different to what you ordered, damaged or doesn’t arrive at all.
2. Make up security answers
When creating an account with online shopping sites, you might be asked to set up password reset security questions to confirm your identity.
Rather than entering the real town you were born in or mother’s maiden name, enter false answers and write them down if you can’t remember. This makes it much harder for cyber criminals who might be trying to gather information on you.
3. Only fill out required fields
Don’t offer up any more personal information that is necessary to complete an online purchase.
The required fields are usually starred or highlighted when checking out – it’s usually wise to leave the rest blank.
4. Never save information
Allowing even the most reputable of websites to store your payment or address information is unnecessary.
Don’t say yes when your browser suggests saving any passwords either and always log out when you’ve finished shopping.
5. Change passwords often
Regularly change between complicated, hard to guess, alphanumeric passwords that also contain symbols, even if you have to write them all down somewhere secure at home. Keep them different for each site you use too.
Using the same, simple but memorable password for every website for years, such as a pet’s name, is asking for trouble when online shopping.
6. Look for security indicators
A web address (or URL) that begins with ‘HTTPS’ are secure – those without the ‘S’, ‘HTTP’, may not be.
Other signs of shopping site security to look out for could include a closed padlock or complete key, possibly green, alongside the URL, next to the search bar or elsewhere around the screen.
7. Avoid public Wi-Fi
Entering personal information such as credit card details, passwords or home address while using free public Wi-Fi hotspots is dangerous as your data won’t be protected by encryption and could vulnerable to hackers.
8. Update your computer
Using an older version of a popular internet browser, operating system or anti-virus software on your computer means that you’ll be missing out on important security updates, which could leave you exposed when browsing the web.
9. Be extra careful on mobiles
Most mobile phones won’t have the same level of anti-virus protection as laptop or desktop computers so extra vigilance is required, particularly around shortened mobile-friendly URLs.
Mobile devices are also more likely to be stolen, so make sure any payment details are passcode or fingerprint protected.
10. Avoid email links
Rather than clicking on potentially suspect links to shopping sites that you see on social media, other websites or in emails, search for the website yourself.
This helps to make sure you browse the authentic site. If you’re getting a lot of spam emails, consider setting up a dedicated online shopping only email address.
11. Leave badly designed websites
If a shopping site appears to be out of date, has a strange URL, comes with lots of pop ups, or is dominated by cheap, irrelevant or overseas adverts, the page could be dodgy and worth exiting before it’s too late.
12. Research and read reviews
When considering spending on a new site that you haven’t used before, it can be useful to browse forums and social media to see what experience others have had of shopping there.
If you can find a real physical address and verifiable contact details for the company you intend to make a purchase from, they’re probably legitimate.
13. Trust your instincts
Just as you would when shopping on the high street, if you feel like a website is requesting too much personal information or could harm your computer with viruses, close it.
If in any doubt, stick to shopping with sites you know and trust.
Remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Which? – Coronavirus email and text phishing scams
Phishing and smishing emails and SMS messages are already being sent out to trap the unwary into giving up login details.
One we’ve seen is an email that claims to come from the World Health Organization. It’s short and sweet, asking that you click on a link to what it says is a PDF offering advice on how to stay safe during the outbreak.
Security firm Sophos has a detailed breakdown of what happens if you click on that link, but broadly it shows you a pop-up in front of what looks like the WHO’s actual website asking you to input your email address and password so that you can receive the non-existent PDF.
Other phishing emails and SMS messages (known as ‘smishing’ texts) are also doing the rounds: Action Fraud has warned that emails purporting to be from organisations including the US Centers for Disease Control and the WHO are being sent with the aim of tricking you into opening malicious attachments or giving away your passwords.
The latest email and text phishing scams:
Fake lockdown fines
People have been warned not to fall for a bogus text message saying they have been fined for stepping outside during the coronavirus lockdown. The scam message claims to be from the Government, telling the recipient their movements have been monitored through their phone and they must pay a fine or face a more severe penalty.
HMRC goodwill payment
The MET police are warning of a fake message designed to steal your account details that says ‘As part of the NHS promise to battle the COV-19 virus, HMRC has issued a payment of £258 as a goodwill payment’.
Free school meals
The Department for Education has issued warnings about a scam email designed to steal your bank details saying: ‘As schools will be closing, if you’re entitled to free school meals, please send your bank details and we’ll make sure you’re supported.’
Conspiracy theories and misinformation
Another email we’ve seen is full of doom-laden warnings that ‘There is no vaccine for coronavirus’ and that ‘the US government, like the Chinese government, isn’t telling us the truth about how many are infected’. That email is full of links. While we’ve only seen screenshots of this, it seems likely that these links will lead you to either phishing sites or, worse, sites that can infect your computer with malware.
Sophos has also reported on emails that – for now – are targeting Italian email addresses and which include a Word document that purports to offer guidelines for preventing infection, but which in fact harbours a malicious script that infects Windows computers with a banking Trojan, i.e. malware that aims to steal online banking credentials.
So watch out for emails that include attachments.
Read the Which? guide on how to spot a phishing scam for more information:
Extra funding to develop mental health services to cope with further demand as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been confirmed by the Scottish Government.
Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey has announced a further £3.8 million to begin to increase the capacity of NHS 24’s telephone and online services.
This includes £2.6 million to expand the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub and Breathing Space telephone helpline and web support service and £1.2 million to provide extra capacity for Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CCBT). Information about these expanded services will come on line as they become active.
Ms Haughey said: “Dedicated mental health professionals provide high quality care across Scotland – but in these trying times they are needed more than ever.
“The current situation around COVID-19, including concerns around social distancing, is an understandable cause of anxiety for many people. NHS 24 has already begun to see an increase in calls, including to Breathing Space, in recent weeks and anticipate this will continue to grow.
“It is vital that during this period of uncertainty anyone who requires support for their mental health can receive it.”
The additional £3.8 million will support a two-strand approach to the health response to COVID-19, both increasing the capacity of existing services while aiming to reduce demand.
Funding of £2.6 million will provide additional capacity to the NHS Mental Health Hub of 27 full time equivalent (FTE) Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners, five FTE Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, and two FTE Senior Charge Nurses to provide 24-hour cover. This service is currently only available out of hours during the week and over the weekend.
This will take the total staffing for the hub to 69 PWPs, 20 MHNPs and six SCNs (all FTE).
The number of Breathing Space advisors will increase by 10 FTE workers and two FTE supervisors to expand both the telephone and webchat facilities. NHS 24 will also adapt a number of self-help guides and online resources through the NHS Inform website.
Funding of £1.2 million in the financial year 2020-21 will provide additional capacity to meet the immediate COVID-19 challenge on digital therapies supporting the rise in demand and addressing the pressure on core NHS mental health services. This will give support to the public and also to the Health and Social Care workforce and their families.
The constant barrage of new developments regarding the current outbreak of COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus) can cause particular challenges for people living with anxiety, stress and/or anxiety-based depression especially those that have health anxiety and/or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – OCD.
Whilst there’s plenty of advice on how to protect yourself and limit the risk of exposing yourself to the virus, little has been said about the effect a problem of this nature- can have on our mental health and specifically those who have pre-existing mental health issues such as anxiety disorders.
It is well established that for many that live with anxiety, a common characteristic is that of having an ability to tolerate uncertainty. The current situation with coronavirus has clearly created a lot of uncertainty which might be difficult for those with pre-existing anxiety conditions such as health anxiety to manage.
For such individuals the whole situation may feel extra daunting and worrying and with the extensive media coverage that the subject has attracted, it’s understandable that some people may feel overwhelmed and begin to catastrophise – imagining the worst case scenario.
One thing that might be helpful for those experiencing anxiety to remember is that whilst no-one knows exactly what might happen, the good news is that most services and businesses will already have a contingency plan in place to ensure that they are able to continue operating as close to normal as possible.
Anxiety UK also has a robust business continuity plan in place which will allow us to keep supporting those that need our help.
Our services will not be disrupted and anyone who needs further assistance around any aspect of anxiety can contact us via our support email support@anxietyuk.org.uk or by calling the helpline on 03444 775 774 between the usual opening hours of 9.30am – 5.30pm.
Health anxiety can make any kind of symptom feel like the worst case scenario, however taking on board the below tips should help those experiencing health anxiety to feel in control and manage their anxiety:
Firstly, try to limit your exposure to news sources which are covering the coronavirus issue as this only serves to feed fear.
Ensure that you have some mental ‘downtime’ woven into your daily schedule. Mindfulness practice can be incredibly helpful with apps such as the Headspace app (available to all Anxiety UK members at no additional cost) assist with keeping us in the here and now as opposed to allowing our minds to think about future scenarios which might never happen.
If you are feeling concerned or overly worried about it there are some techniques you can use to help manage your anxiety such as simple breathing or (short-term) distraction exercises and mindfulness.
Try practising the APPLE technique which encourages you to Acknowledge, Pause, Pull back, Let go and Explore:
Acknowledge – Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes to mind.
Pause – Don’t react as you normally do. Don’t react at all. Just pause and breath.
Pull back – Tell yourself this is just the worry talking, and this apparent need for certainty is not helpful and not necessary. It is only a thought or feeling. Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are not statements or facts.
Let go – Let go of the thought or feeling. It will pass. You don’t have to respond to them. You might imagine them floating away in a bubble or cloud.
Explore – Explore the present moment, because right now, in this moment, all is well. Notice your breathing and the sensations of your breathing. Notice the ground beneath you. Look around and notice what you see, what you hear, what you can touch, what you can smell. Right now. Then shift your focus of attention to something else – on what you need to do, on what you were doing before you noticed the worry, or do something else – mindfully with your full attention.
If you feel that you need more targeted and 1:1 support for your anxiety, here at Anxiety UK we have a range of services which you might find helpful including talking therapy support services: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), counselling and clinical hypnotherapy – all accessible at reduced rates.
Our NHS is under extraordinary pressure and strain and I implore our government and people to help support our front line staff.
The front line workers are the only people who have to treat people infected with this virus on a personal level. The rest of us just have to stay two metres apart or at home.
We know that our front line staff do not have the protective facilities they need. It is wrong that they have to work in danger and compromise their health and safety while serving the public.
Therefore, I am pleading to the government to ensure our front line staff whether nurses, doctors, police or care workers, have protective masks, clothing and have access to testing kits.
We have seen in Italy and Spain the difficulties that staff have faced and many have lost their lives. This must not happen here, so please protect our front line staff and make sure they have the facilities they need to survive and do the invaluable work they are doing for the public.
#protectthefrontlinestaff
#coronavirus
Foysol Choudhury MBE
Chairman: Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council | Chairman: Bangladesh Samity Edinburgh. | Founder / Director: Edinburgh Mela. | President: The Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs, Scotland. | General Secretary: Council of Bangladeshis in Scotland.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost FRANK ROSS shares a message of thanks to Council staff, NHS workers and people of Edinburgh:
“This is an extremely unsettling time for everyone. Unprecedented is often the word on all of our lips as we find ourselves facing a global health and economic crisis. I send my deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and my best wishes to all who have been affected.
I’m sure I speak on behalf of everyone in the city when I express our enormous gratitude to the staff of NHS and health workers, who are doing an incredible job in the most challenging of circumstances. Last night, Edinburgh joined communities across the country in a nationwide round of applause, paying tribute to the NHS staff working hard to treat coronavirus patients. It was a truly moving moment.
Edinburgh is now feeling the effects of the pandemic, but I believe if we take the right actions now, we will slow the spread, reduce the impact and save lives. I’d like to thank everyone who has followed the rules and stayed at home.
I’m aware that we all have serious concerns about the impacts of coronavirus and what it will mean for your family, your health, your job and your family finances.
I want to reassure you that the Council is completely focussed on preparing for what lies ahead over the next days, weeks and months. We’re doing everything we can to keep vital services running and keep residents informed and supported.
I would like to thank all local authority workers for their ongoing commitment and hard work at this difficult time. The attitude and willingness to adapt to make sure key services are delivered for the people of Edinburgh is humbling and won’t be forgotten.
As key workers and service providers across the city work to keep Edinburgh moving and help those who need it most – there are some important things that we can all do to make a big difference in our communities.
I implore you to listen to and act on the advice to stay at home, as far as possible. We must follow the advice from the experts. It helps us to protect those most vulnerable to the virus and those essential workers who continue to support the city. We must do everything possible to reduce the amount of people becoming ill and dying, or we risk our NHS being overwhelmed and unable to cope.
If you do go outside please practice social distancing, go on your own or with one or two others in a small family group. Parks and beaches should not be busy. And of course, if you believe you have any of the symptoms (high temperature or fever, cough, shortness of breath) please abide by the isolation guidance and stay indoors. I’m not exaggerating when I say, lives depend on it.
It’s important that we look out for our family, friends and neighbours, in particular, the elderly and the isolated. These are troubling times and a friendly word or help with a chore can go a long way. It has been fantastic to see some the great work of local people and projects rallying together in communities.
Misinformation is also a concern of mine – we often receive and share pieces of advice that we’ve heard from a friend of a friend who is in the know and I urge you to practice good information hygiene as well as personal hygiene.
Before sharing what you’ve heard, ask for a source of the information as this could easily be false or taken out of context. Get your information from recognised sources and the updates provided by NHS and Scottish Government.
This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge we’ve faced in a very long time as a nation, but we will get through this together.
There is a lot of information and support available to help you. Please visit our information pages and follow @Edinburgh_CC for up to date information.
