Day: May 27, 2020

£5m to support active travel in the capital

Edinburgh will benefit significantly from £5m Scottish Government funding to support the creation of safe, accessible routes for walking, cycling and wheeling as lockdown restrictions are lifted.

The Capital is receiving half of the original £10m Spaces for People funding total (administered by Sustrans) – now trebled by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Michael Matheson, to £30m – to carry out road space improvements like temporary pavement widening, pop-up segregated cycle lanes and pedestrianised streets.

Earlier this month the council published a widespread package of suggested measures to make it easier and safer for people to travel by foot, bike or wheelchair while maintaining physical distancing.

These proposals recognise a real surge in walking and cycling rates since lockdown began, and the positive impact of this, and fewer cars, on air quality and congestion levels. The changes to how we allocate road space will help sustain this increase in people choosing active travel as the city moves towards the ‘new normal’.

The council’s received many suggestions for road closures, widened pavements, segregated cycle lanes and other possible actions from across the city and they are all helping to shape our efforts over the next weeks and months.

A programme of changes is already well underway across the city, with road closures in Silverknowes, Greenbank, Cammo and Leith prompting strolling, cycling and family exercise amongst community members.

Thanks to the latest funding boost, the city council will be able to make further, extensive improvements at no extra cost to Council budgets, including the next phase of measures set to be implemented next week.

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This significant award from Transport Scotland – half of the original total for Scotland – is testament to the scale and ambition of the schemes being brought forward.

“We’re delighted that this will allow us to make extensive changes to provide a safer and more attractive environment for walking, cycling or wheeling at no cost to the Council.

“We are building a sustainable future for the Capital as we emerge from this crisis, as our Adaptation and Renewal programme demonstrates, and setting an example through our approach to transport.

“There’s been a step-change in the way people move around the city, with a surge in walking and cycling, and our proposed measures will harness this enthusiasm long term. Facilitating active travel and public transport use is essential if we are to limit the negative impacts of congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions as we return to a ‘new normal’.

“Of course, this is a complex process, and our project team are working extremely hard to get schemes in place where they are needed most. We’ve already seen a fantastic reaction to the first phase of improvements in areas like Silverknowes and Greenbank, where road closures have brought communities out to stroll and cycle on newly-peaceful streets, and this is exactly the kind of response we want to see.

“There’s clearly a desire to be able to travel on foot or bike and by giving residents safe and accessible routes to do this, we are encouraging healthier, more environmentally-friendly habits now and for generations to come.

Transport and Environment Vice Convener Councillor Karen Doran said: This is fantastic news. Our close working relationship with funding administrators Sustrans, who have supported us to develop innovative, effective projects to enable active travel, has helped pave a smoother path to funding, which will be extremely beneficial to the city long-term.

“In line with national policies to drive down carbon emissions and encourage healthy, sustainable transport choices, we are already 100% committed to delivering a people-friendly, accessible city.

“Our existing plans for Edinburgh City Centre Transformation, the City Mobility Plan and Low Emission Zones envision a city where pedestrians, cyclists and public transport is prioritised, and the temporary measures made possible by this funding will help us build towards this.”

Transport officers have been working to prioritise areas where supportive measures are most-needed, and the next phase of improvements will be:

  • The partial closure of Stanley Street and Hope Lane between Stanley Street and Christian Grove to provide a low-traffic corridor for people to walk and cycle and access nearby green spaces like Figgate Park for exercise, from 2 June.
  • The closure of Warriston Road to through traffic to provide a wide pedestrian and cyclist-friendly space leading to access to the North Edinburgh path Network, from 2 June. Access to the allotment and Warriston Crematorium will be maintained via Ferry Road.
  • The implementation of a temporary segregated cycleway on Old Dalkeith Road, between Cameron Toll and the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
  • The introduction of an advisory cycle lane on Crewe Road South, between the Orchard Brae roundabout and Crewe Toll roundabout. Both this and the cycle lane on Old Dalkeith Road will allow safer travel by bike for key workers and service users, from early June.

From this week, the council will also be prioritising pedestrians at 150 junctions by removing the need to press the button to call the green man during the daytime and evening. Those with visual impairments will be able to continue using crossings as before.

The Council’s overall approach will be implemented to support the Scottish Government’s phased approach to lifting lockdown.

The proposed partial pedestrianisation of Waverley Bridge, for example, aims to create more space at a key transport hub, while the measures in the city’s eight local high streets will support local shops, pubs and cafes to re-open in safe environments.

Space will be created on the main routes into the city to support people coming back to workplaces by walking where possible, and by bike, which has seen a surge in popularity.

All measures that are introduced will be closely monitored and refined or adapted in response to any issues, where necessary. A dedicated webpage will also be set up listing schemes that have been implemented, those that are under consideration and any which have been discounted.

Find out more about plans, and other changes to council services, on the Council website.

Sight loss charity RNIB Scotland has written to the City of Edinburgh Council asking it to ensure that new plans to create temporary cycle-lanes do not endanger blind and partially sighted people.

This week, transport secretary Michael Matheson announced he will treble the £10m originally put forward under his ‘Spaces for People’ initiative, inviting Scottish local authorities to take advantage of reduced traffic levels and introduce additional cycle-lanes or expand existing ones.

While welcoming the ‘Spaces for People’ initiative, RNIB Scotland fears this could still exacerbate problems it has been campaigning on if too hastily introduced.

“New cycle lanes must be created with full regard to pedestrians with sight loss or other mobility issues,” insisted its director James Adams.

“The problem is that blind and partially sighted people might not be able to see or hear cyclists approaching, while cyclists might simply assume a pedestrian will see them coming. Mobility aids such as white canes getting caught up in bicycle wheels is a further hazard to both.

“Mr Matheson also urged councils to engage with disability organisations so plans do not compromise the ability of people who have impaired mobility to cross roads and to use pedestrian crossing facilities.”

RNIB Scotland is promoting its Coronavirus Courtesy Code https://www.rnib.org.uk/scotland/campaigning-rnib-scotland/coronavirus-courtesy-code to encourage better understanding of the needs of pedestrians with disabilities. The charity is also calling for any extra space for cycle-lanes to be allocated from roads and not pavements, for raised kerbs to be maintained, and for warning signs to alert cyclists when they are approaching a crossing.

* The RNIB Helpline is available to help blind and partially sighted people and their families and carers on 0303 123 9999.

 

Edinburgh resident wins prestigious Activate award

History teacher Michael Davies (above) has been awarded a grant from the Winston Churchill Trust’s new Activate Fund  to  help aid the teaching of controversial histories in UK schools.  He is one of only 7 people nationwide to receive this award.

Over the past two decades, schools have stopped teaching controversial historical topics.  For example, by 2016 only 2,000 GCSE students – out of 250,000 – had studied the history of the Middle East. Government research has shown that this is caused by teachers being either worried or unequipped to address the topic.

Furthermore, at the end of 2019, two educational publishers, Hodder and Pearson, both withdrew textbooks about Israel and Palestine and 9/11 after accusation of bias, making it even harder for teachers and students to tackle these emotive subjects in the classroom.

Michael aims  to use the grant from the Activate Fund to  expand his Parallel Histories debating programme, initially across nine London schools and then beyond.

Parallel Histories  brings together students from different religious and social backgrounds to debate controversial history robustly but respectfully. The programme  will conclude in the summer of 2021 with a conference to showcase the students’ skills in front of politicians, educators and policymakers.

It has been successfully adapted to Covid-19 and three inter-school debates have already been run online.

From this, Michael aims  to introduce a Parallel Histories module into teacher training to help equip them, whilst expanding other histories to be debated as part of the curriculum.

Ultimately Michael intends this work to encourage a change in national education policy, so that controversial history – and especially the history of current conflicts – will be taught in schools .

He would like to see  accredited exam bodies such as  A QA and OCR offering a Middle East option at GCSE , and an expansion to at least 10% of students taking a Middle East module at GCSE level.

Michael was awarded a Churchill Fellowship in 2015 to visit  schools in Israel, Jordan and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, to find a better way of teaching the contentious history of Israel and Palestine.

With the encouragement of Prof Eyal Naveh, the editor of a book telling Israeli and Palestinian history as two separate narratives, he returned to the UK and created  Parallel Histories , a new type of history resource that tells competing narratives using film clips, photos, maps and documents and challenges students to make up their own minds.

In 2017 Parallel Histories became a UK charity and in 2018 Michael stopped teaching to work on this full time.

Michael, who now lives in Edinburgh, said: “This fantastic Activate grant from the Winston Churchill Trust is to allow development of our schools debating programme across the UK.

“The initial work was in the North West and this grant will expand that work to London. We have also been working on a Scottish product and have created the Parallel Histories of the Union told from Unionist and Nationalist perspectives.

https://www.parallelhistories.org.uk/teachingscotland

“In August  when schools return we will be setting up a Scottish debating forum to discuss controversial topics around the history of the Union with the help of Gemma Lindsay at The High School of Glasgow and Monica McGhee at Biggar High School. We’d be delighted to hear from schools interested in taking part.”

Michael is one of seven recipients of a grant from the Activate Fund, a new programme from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust  which supports Churchill Fellows’ projects during the key period when they first return from their overseas research and start to make change happen in the UK.  

This year the Fund is providing £101,000 in grants to seven Fellows, as part of a dedicated support package encompassing  funds and non-financial assistance. The Activate Fund is a three-year pilot project, making its first grants in 2020.

Is COVID-19 changing our relationship with food?

How have our eating, cooking and food purchasing habits changed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the resultant lockdown measures in the UK, Europe and much of the world?

Researchers at the James Hutton Institute are part of an EU consortium which has launched an international study to answer these questions.

Anecdotal evidence and social media suggest that more people are buying locally produced food, yet supermarkets and online retailers are experiencing record growth. It seems that our food-related habits have changed because of COVID-19, and in different ways.

That is why Hutton researchers and their colleagues across Europe have launched this large-scale study of the pandemic’s impact on how people relate to food, including food waste, at this time of crisis. Scientists are particularly interested in finding out if people are adopting more sustainable behaviours, and to see if these habits continue once the pandemic has passed.

The researchers have created a questionnaire open to anyone over the age of eighteen that can be accessed by visiting www.food-covid-19.org. The survey will be open until the end of June and the more widespread participation they get the better, so the team are calling on everyone who can to complete it and will report back on what they find.

Dr Liz Dinnie, a social researcher leading the research at the James Hutton Institute, said: “We are currently experiencing unprecedented circumstances where most people are forced to spend much more time at home.

“That also means many people eat more meals at home than before the lockdown. So far, we have no idea what consequences that has, e.g. in terms of how balanced the diets are, or how food systems in rural and urban areas might be affected. There are many contradictory trends, for instance a focus on healthy eating for strengthening the immune system, yet an increase in the sales of sweets, chocolate and snacks.

“With our research, we want to find out how food-related habits are changing in the population and what this means more widely, particularly in terms of food systems, sustainability and for tackling food poverty.

“We hope the results will give recommendations to decision-makers in the food sector and at policy level on how to respond to changes and make food systems fit for future food-related habits following the current pandemic.

“In Scotland this will include recommendations under the Good Food Nation Bill, which aims to put social justice and sustainability at the heart of Scotland’s food systems.”

Professor Colin Campbell, the Institute’s Chief Executive, commented: “Our food systems need to change if we are to change our trajectory on climate change. We also need a new relationship with food for the sake of our health.

“As the current pandemic has shown underlying health is critical to how we come through this, so we desperately need to know what people think and how they are changing if at all. It is only through understanding the changes taking place at this time that we can help to design food systems and value chains that are both socially just and environmentally sustainable.”

The survey can be accessed at www.food-covid-19.org.

Covid symptoms? Book a Test

Test and Protect – NHS Scotland’s approach to controlling the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the community – will be rolled out across all health boards from tomorrow (Thursday 28 May).

From that date, everyone aged five and over who has COVID-19 symptoms of a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change in sense of taste or smell should go to NHS Inform online or call 0800 028 2816 to book a test.

Under the system, people will need to isolate with their household as soon as they have symptoms and, if they have a positive test result, they will be asked to provide details of all recent close contacts to NHS contact tracers.  Those people will be contacted and asked to isolate for 14 days.

As part of the roll out, guidance for individuals and employers has been published which sets out advice on what to do if someone is displaying symptoms or if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

It includes information on how to self-isolate safely as part of Test and Protect, what plans need to be made by households and families, and how to help older people or those with underlying health conditions.

Additional support for self-isolation is also being made available to those who need it through the National Assistance Helpline.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The aim of Test and Protect is to protect the public from spreading COVID-19 and to protect the country from a second peak.

“By ensuring those who may have come into contact with the virus take steps to isolate, we can break the chains of transmission and keep the virus suppressed whilst slowly changing lockdown measures.

“This approach can only work if we all play our part. From Thursday, we are asking everyone aged five and over who has COVID-19 symptoms – a new continuous cough, temperature or loss or change in sense of taste or smell – to book a test as soon as possible.

“It is important to do this as soon as symptoms are suspected. The quicker the virus can be identified, the better chance there is of stopping it spreading.

“It remains vital that alongside Test and Protect people continue to follow physical distancing advice and practise good hand and cough hygiene.”

Cllr Stuart Currie , COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: “COVID-19 continues to have an impact on all of our daily lives and it is important that we carefully manage the transition out of lockdown. 

“That is why we welcome the Test and Protect guidance that has been co-produced by Scottish Government and NHS Scotland in partnership with Local Government.

“It is vital that people work together to follow this advice and self-isolate when required, not just for their own safety, but in order to protect others. Only by taking this approach will we be able to slow the spread of the virus.

“Local Government has already been at the forefront of efforts to support people during lockdown, providing essential services and assistance to the many people in Scotland who don’t have a network of support in place.  We will continue to support our communities by taking a central role in the delivery of Test and Protect.”

Guidance for the public, including a summary is available online along with guidance for employers. 

covid-19-test-trace-isolate-support-public-health-approach-maintaining-low-levels-community-transmission-covid-19-scotland

Covid Life: How’s It Been For You?

Hi folks

Hope everyone coping with the present situation – it looks like it is going to be a long haul. It would be good if we come out of this with lessons learned … citizens standing up for the NHS and Social Care and the vulnerable in our communities.

Edinburgh University’s Generation Scotland team and network are urgently researching the effect the Covid-19 situation – and the government’s policies regarding it – are having on the lives of people in the U.K, and, importantly, who is being affected.

It is a major survey of which interim results are already beginning to have an impact at national policy level in Scotland.

Its important that with all the work ongoing across NW Edinburgh and the issues we know local people are facing daily, that we feed into this.

It would be great if you would complete the survey through the link below and also share it around youre networks:

https://edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3Fc6S8ttNkyDHNP
Thanks
 
Linda
on behalf of the MAKING CONNECTIONS GROUP

Scottish Government issues sector guidance for easing lockdown

Support to return to work safely

New guidance has been published for retailers and manufacturers to consider how people can safely return to work, with updated guidance for construction to publish later this week.

The documents, which are among the first for a number of specific sectors, have been developed in consultation with business, trades unions and regulators. It will provide advice on essential equipment and services needed to create the conditions for safer workplaces.

Companies are expected to undertake a robust risk management approach that has been developed and maintained through joint working with employees. This will offer assurances to workers when the time is right to return to work.

Working to the phased approach in the route map on easing lockdown published last week, it details the steps required for businesses, acknowledging that some will face more complications when reopening than others, while also considering the impact on employees.

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Many businesses have been adapting to new ways of working with a significant proportion of staff working from home.

“While many people will continue with this, there are areas where it is not possible. We are listening to how businesses have made changes and in discussion with them to see how these changes can be safely applied to allow reopening.

“We’ve been working in partnership with industry, trades unions and regulators in around 14 sectors and will publish more sector-specific guidance over the next few weeks.

“However, I want to be clear that the journey doesn’t end once the guidance is published. This is just the starting point and these documents will continually evolve, where required, based on public health evidence and feedback from industry and trade unions.

“Guidance on its own, will not create safe working environments. We continue to work closely with the key enforcement agencies – the Health and Safety Executive, local authorities and Police Scotland – to ensure a joined up approach to the enforcement and monitoring of workplace public health measures.

“We are already supporting businesses through our unique package of support totalling £2.38 billion which reflects the specific needs of our economy. Our recovery will be an opportunity to renew our economy and build our resilience and future prosperity.”

Coronavirus (COVID-19): manufacturing sector guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): retail sector guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for customers

COVID-19: Scotland’s route map for transitioning through and out of the crisis

Coronavirus (COVID-19): safer work places statement – Joint statement by the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, Health and Safety Executive and local authorities on safe workplaces.

Guides from the Health and Safety Executive provide useful sources of information:

 

Police issue latest Performance Report

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor has urged people to share their concerns with police as a new report highlights offences in private and virtual spaces.

The Quarter 4 Performance Report is the final one of the 2019-20 performance cycle that supports Police Scotland’s outcomes focused approach to reporting.

It shows almost 1,700 offences were recorded under new domestic abuse laws during its first year in legislation.

Introduced on 1 April 2019, the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act criminalised the coercive and controlling behaviours used by domestic abusers, creating a single offence which covers the full range of abusive behaviours whether physical, psychological, financial or sexual.

The report reveals 1,681 crimes under DASA were recorded during the year, with 1,158 detected.

The new offences are counted within Group 1 crimes of violence, which increased by 1,297 crimes (16.2%) year on year overall.

The Performance Report also highlights increases in crimes with a cyber element, including the disclosure of, or threat of disclosure of, intimate images, as well as online grooming and cyber-related fraud.

The period covered by this report includes only a very small number of days during which emergency measures to ensure physical distancing in response to coronavirus were in place.

Deputy Chief Constable Fiona Taylor said: “Crimes recorded under the new domestic abuse legislation underline the fact that, sadly, private, and indeed virtual, spaces are not safe places for everyone.

“For some people, the stay at home guidance may expose them to a greater risk of abuse, harm and neglect.

“We are seeking to be proactive when it comes to people we know have a history of committing domestic violence or domestic abuse, and we also want to ensure that support is given to people who may have been victims in the past, and we are encouraging people and neighbours to look out for each other.

“I want to reiterate that Police Scotland remains here to help and support our fellow citizens to keep them safe in all aspects of their lives.

“If you need police assistance, if you need our support or intervention, or if you have concerns about someone else, contact us and we will help.”

The report, which can be read here, will be presented at the Scottish Police Authority’s Policing Performance Committee on Thursday (28 May 2020).

Police Scotland has also published detailed management information covering Quarter 4 here. The data, while not official statistics, relates mainly to crime recorded by Police Scotland.

To assist public understanding of their work, Police Scotland is providing provisional information about the nature and level of demand on policing specifically for the period during which the measures have been in place and how we are responding to this public health emergency. Find out more here.

Further, detailed, management information relating to the period beginning April 2020 will be published routinely in the Q1 of 2020-21 Performance Report and management information.

Violent crimes and housebreaking have fallen in Edinburgh, according to the latest figures.

The Performance Report  shows that overall crime in the capital is down year-on-year by 1.6 per cent, or 818 offences.

In Edinburgh, violent crime rose by 182 offences. However, when removing offences recorded under new domestic abuse legislation, there was a fall in violent crime.

A total of 205 offences were recorded under the Domestic Abuse Scotland Act, which came into effect last year and created a single offence covering the full range of abusive behaviours, whether physical; psychological; financial or sexual.

There were five fewer victims of attempted murder – a reduction of almost 19 per cent, while serious assaults also fell by just over 18 per cent, equating to 77 fewer incidents.

Protecting vulnerable people and bringing perpetrators of sexual offences to justice remains both a national and local priority and year to date detection rates for all sexual crimes is up 3.4 percentage points, which includes a 6.3 percentage point rise in the detection rate for sexual assaults.

One area of sexual offending that has seen a rise in reporting is lewd and libidinous crime, which rose from 100 offences in 2018/19 to 129 in 2019/20. Many of these offences were identified as part of larger investigations, where additional victims and crimes came to light. Edinburgh Division’s Public Protection Unit continue to conduct proactive inquiries to identify victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

Housebreaking, motor vehicle crime and shoplifting offences are all down from the previous year.

The figures show that there are 484 fewer housebreaking offences, 80 fewer motor vehicle crimes and 783 fewer shoplifting incidents.

Edinburgh Division has also seen 88 more drug supply charges brought against members of the public, as well as a 26.3 per cent rise in drugs possession offences. This is driven by an increase in proactive work within the Capital, through Operation Threshold and two large scale dance events held at the Royal Highland Showground in Ingliston.

Antisocial behaviour continues to fall in Edinburgh, with 1383 fewer incidents than last year.

The most significant reduction is 891 fewer noise complaint reports and fire-raising crimes have also reduced by almost 24 per cent, which equates to 62 less crimes.

The number of road casualties in the division fell from 936, to 779 – a decrease of 153 incidents. Similarly, the number of fatalities has reduced from seven to three.

Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh said: “It is incredibly encouraging to see significant reductions in crime figures for the Capital and I am grateful to all of my officers and staff for their continued professionalism and dedication in serving Edinburgh’s communities.

“Tackling violent and sexual offences are two of our top priorities, along with reducing housebreaking, and I am delighted that these crimes have fallen, meaning we have several hundred fewer victims.

“We are also giving enhanced focus and attention to not only detecting domestic offences, but ensuring victims are suitably supported, while perpetrators are brought before the courts. I want to mirror what DCC Taylor has said and reassure our communities that, despite these offences mostly taking place behind closed doors and in virtual spaces, we will utilise all resources at our disposal to investigate these incidents professionally and sensitively when they are reported.

“Nevertheless, we recognise that more still needs to be done to tackle the continued use of weapons, particularly bladed items during other criminality and our Violence Reduction Units work tirelessly to identify those who both carry and utilise weapons and remove them from our communities.

“In addition, School Link Officers regularly speak with pupils in our high schools to raise awareness of the risks and consequences associated with carrying a weapon.

“The new legislation for domestic abuse to include coercive control means we are seeing more and more reported incidents and I welcome this, as domestic abuse remains an under-reported issue. For those living in a situation where they find themselves being physically, emotionally or sexually abused by a partner, please contact us immediately so we can help you.

“I also want to reaffirm our commitment to road safety and to assure all road users that Road Policing Officers will continue to provide a visible presence on the city’s roads to identify motoring offences and educate the public on safe driving.

“Police Scotland will continue to work alongside all of our relevant partners to improve the quality of life for the city’s residents and to ensure that any issues requiring a police, or multi-agency response, are dealt with appropriately.

“The public continue to have a huge role in helping us not only tackle and reduce crime, but prevent it in the first instance, by taking a range of simple steps to protect themselves, their loved ones and their possessions.

“Please visit our website at www.scotland.police.uk for lots of useful information on crime prevention and personal safety.”

 

He’s got to go!

Edinburgh Pentlands MSP, Gordon MacDonald, has joined calls for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to sack his most senior adviser Dominic Cummings for repeatedly breaking his own government’s lockdown rules.

Over the weekend it emerged that Mr Cummings drove his family 264 miles to his parents’ estate in Durham while his wife was suffering coronavirus symptoms.

And in an extraordinary press conference in the Downing Street garden on Monday night, instead of resigning Cummings admitted to a series of further breaches of lockdown.

Cummings refused to apologise or even accept that he had fatally undermined the essential public health message that people who have the virus should stay at home.

MSP Gordon MacDonald (above) said: “People in Edinburgh have made huge sacrifices over the months to obey the rules, while Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser was breaking them on multiple occasions.

“He should have resigned but instead he showed no contrition and refused to say sorry for his behaviour which has left millions of people – who have been sticking to the rules – justifiably furious.

“Cummings’ double standards are breath taking. His convoluted excuses to justify his inexcusable behaviour were frankly insulting to the people of Edinburgh.

“Prime Minister has no option but to sack Mr Cummings. His failure to do so by now is a failure of leadership that could have a catastrophic effect on how Coronavirus is contained.

“As Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw said: ‘There cannot be one rule for bosses and another for everyone else‘. People must have confidence that the Tory government is following its own rules – not protecting advisors who break them.

“Boris Johnson has apparently known about this for weeks, has failed to offer any answers himself and now has no option but to sack Dominic Cummings and answer questions about his own role in the Downing Street cover-up.

“Leading public health experts have warned this failure of leadership is damaging the public health message and putting lives at risk.

“The longer the Prime Minister allows this farce to continue the more the Tory government will lose credibility and respect. He must sack Mr Cummings without further delay.”

“In Scotland, the clear public health advice has not changed. The Scottish Government will review the current rules on Thursday and hopefully this will lead to a gradual easing of some restrictions, evidence permitting. 

“But for now, people in Edinburgh should continue to stay at home – it really is helping to save lives.”

Scotland Office minister Donald Ross resigned yesterday over the Cummings controversy and up to forty Conservative MPs have called for the Prime Minister’s right hand man to be dismissed.

Ian Murray MP, Labour’s Shadow Scottish Secretary, said: “Douglas was a fair and reasonable minister who has done the decent thing and resigned from a government that is out of control.

“Integrity has been sadly lacking from this government, especially over the last 72 hours, so I commend him for making this difficult decision.

“He understands that it’s not acceptable to have one rule for Boris Johnson’s closest adviser, another for everybody else.

“Douglas has shown more integrity than Scottish Conservative leader Jackson Carlaw and other UK Government ministers who have defended the indefensible and couldn’t be more out of touch with the people of Scotland and the UK.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face the Commons Liasion Committee later today. The government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic will dominate questions, but it’s inevitable that the Dominic Cummings road trip will be raised during the session.

Despite huge Government efforts to draw a line under the Cummings episode, the story isn’t going away any time soon.

 

 

First Minister talks Test & Protect

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Tuesday 25 May):

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,185 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 29 from yesterday.

A total of 1,200 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 69 from yesterday, including a decrease of 16 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 36 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 4 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,589 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

And unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 18 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 –  that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2291.

Each one is an individual whose loss is a source of grief to many. I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express my gratitude – as I always do – to our health and care workers, for everything you are doing in such testing circumstances.

Today, I want to focus on the launch of NHS Scotland’s test, trace and isolate programme – Test and Protect – the logo for which you will see behind me.

From the end of this week, through Test and Protect, anyone who suspects they have Covid-19 will be tested.

If you test positive, your close contacts will be traced and advised to isolate for 14 days.

The aim of Test and Protect is to quickly identify cases of the virus and then act to break the chains of transmission.

On 4th May, we published our initial plans.

I can confirm today, that the system will go live in every one of Scotland’s 14 health board areas on Thursday.

Test and Protect will be an important tool in the months ahead – it will help us suppress the virus while we slowly ease lockdown restrictions. But it will only be effective if we all play our part.

So today I’ll set out what the capacity of the new system will be at the point of launch and how this will develop.

And I’ll set out how you as an individual, your household, your workplace and your employer can support us in making it work.

Firstly we said that to launch Test and Protect nationally we needed the ability to conduct over 15,000 tests a day.  I can confirm today that this capacity is now in place.

It will be delivered through a combination of NHS labs, academic partners, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and the Lighthouse Lab in Glasgow.

Secondly, we said we would enhance and extend use of the software that public health teams already use for contact tracing in relation to other infectious diseases.

That software has been piloted in Fife, Lanarkshire and Highland over the last week and I can confirm that it will be operational in every health board by Thursday.

Thirdly, we said that we’d aim to have 2000 contact tracers available by the end of this month.

Based on current demand estimates, we assess that around 700 will be needed in the early phase. However, I can confirm that by the end of the month we will have a pool of around 2000 to draw on if necessary.

This is a system that will operate at a scale not seen before in Scotland. Over the first couple of weeks, it will need to bed down. But introducing it at the same time as we take the first cautious steps out of lockdown gives us the opportunity to address any operational issues ahead of a potentially more substantial easing of restrictions at the next review date in 3 weeks.

Over the next few weeks, we will also add enhancements to the system.

As I said earlier, the technology used by contact tracers will be in place from the start. But we will also add a digital platform to allow people who test positive to enter details of their contacts online.

We will also continue to build testing capacity and make access to testing more locally accessible. We will keep you updated on all of that.

Let me now outline what we are asking you, the public to do.

Let me stress that, just like lockdown, this is something that will only have the desired effect if we all do what is required. It can’t be seen as optional.

To make sure we all understand what is required, a public awareness campaign will start later this week. And during June, information will be delivered to every household across the country.

But let me set out the basics here.

Firstly, as of Thursday we are asking that if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 – that is a cough, temperature or loss of taste or smell – you take immediate steps to book a test.

Please don’t wait to see if you feel better after a day or two – time is of the essence, so get in touch as soon as you experience symptoms.

You should go to nhsinform.scot or, if you can’t get online, call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.

Online you can ask for a test for yourself, or for someone else that you live with, and book it at one of the drive through testing centres or mobile testing units. For some, there will also be the option of a home testing kit. As I said earlier, in the coming weekswe will be working to further expand local access to testing.

If you can’t go online, you should call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816. An adviser will then go through some questions with you, and book you in for a test.

While you wait for your test and the result, it is essential that you and your household self-isolate.  That means staying at home at all times – with the exception of going for the test. You shouldn’t go to the shops, out for exercise or to see anybody else.

In line with the current guidance, the person with symptoms should isolate for 7 days from the start of your symptoms.

Other members of the household should self-isolate for 14 days.  If any of them start to display symptoms during that time, they should also go through the testing process.

If your test comes back negative, you and your household can end your isolation.

However, if you are contacted to be told that you have tested positive, you will be asked at that stage for details of people that you have been in contact with.

The definition of a contact is people within your household, people you have had face to face contact with, and people who have been within two metres of for a period of 15 minutes or more.

I want to take the opportunity now to assure you that your privacy will be respected at all times during this process.

The information you provide will be held securely within the NHS and used only for the purposes of tracing your contacts.

It will not be used by the Scottish Government – indeed, we won’t have access to it. All the work of identifying and tracing contacts will be done within Scotland’s NHS.

Let me turn now to what to do if you receive a call from a contact tracer to say that you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

It is no exaggeration to say that how you – how any of us – respond will be vital in stopping the spread of the virus.

We will ask you to self-isolate immediately – the success of Test and Protect will really depend on all of us trusting this advice and, for the sake of ourselves and each other, agreeing to abide by it.

If you are at work, the advice will be to immediately head home, taking care to come into contact with as few people as possible.

We have published guidance this morning for employers, making clear they should support anyone who is asked to self-isolate by Test and Protect.

If you are well, and can work from home, then your employer will expect you to do so, but they should not ask you to go into work.

The Scottish Government is also in contact with the UK Government to ensure that employment rights and entitlement to benefits including statutory sick pay, take account of the fact that people may be off work or unable to attend appointments through no fault of their own.

We have also published today general advice for anyone who is asked to self-isolate. Remember that this is something over the months ahead that could happen to any of us – on more than one occasion.

This includes hygiene advice for your home, advice for other people in your household, what to do if you care for someone who is shielding or clinically vulnerable, and what to do if you need help accessing food and medicine or even accommodation. It also suggests how we can all make some preparations in advance.

Now, I know there’s a lot of information here to take in. But don’t worry, we will be taking steps to ensure everyone knows what we are asking you to do.

For now, let me leave you with these points.

Test and Protect is an important tool for us in the period ahead. The more effective it is, the more of the lockdown restrictions we will be able to lift.

However, it can’t do all the work of suppressing the virus. We will all continue to have a vital role to play in our everyday lives. That means even as we ease lockdown, physical distancing, good hygiene and following appropriate advice will continue to be essential.

And so too will all of us doing what is asked of us. Test and Protect will only work if we all come forward for testing when we have symptoms and if we all agree to self-isolate when asked.

And if the government steps up to give you the support you need to do so.

In short, Test and Protect will require exactly the same spirit of solidarity and care for each other as lockdown has done.

It will be a collective national endeavour.

People will need the help of family, friends, colleagues and employers. Volunteers who have been supporting efforts to distribute food and care for the vulnerable through lockdown will have a valuable part to play in supporting people through Test and Protect. Government will have to ensure the right capacity, resources and support is in place.

And all of us will have to agree to make sacrifices for the common good – just as we have been doing.

In short, by agreeing that some of us will have to stay home at times – when we have symptoms, test positive, or have been in contact with someone who tests positive – we can gradually move away from a situation where everyone has to stay home all of the time.

As I said earlier, we will make much more information available in the days and weeks to come.

But let me leave you with the most important message – from Thursday, if you have symptoms you should go online to NHS Inform or call NHS 0800 028 2816 0800 and book a test straight away.

And for now, all of us must continue to stick with lockdown measures.

So please, stay at home except for essential purposes.

When you do leave the house, stay more than two metres from other people. And do not meet up with people from households other than yours.

You should wear a face covering if you are in an enclosed space such as a shop or on public transport. This is one of the issues covered in the Transport Transition Plan that we will also publish later this afternoon.

You should also continue to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

And if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, then you should stay at home completely.

At the moment, these actions are vital – to slow the spread of the virus, protect the NHS, and save lives.

So thank you once again, for helping to do that.