We have some extremely sad news: it is with a very heavy heart that the Henderson family took the decision earlier this month to close the doors of Hendersons of Holyrood & Hendersons of Hanover after 58 years in trading.
As a family-run business since the beginning, the shop/deli first opened in 1962, driven by Janet Henderson who 30 years earlier had discovered during her travels in Europe about the benefits of an organic and vegetarian diet. She and her husband Mac then brought this to life on their farm with an organic market garden in East Lothian. Mac Henderson lived to the ripe old age of 101.
As Covid 19 took hold in February/March 2020, this had a very detrimental effect on the business in terms of both footfall and revenue. Covid 19 hit us at a hard time, as we were just coming out of the quieter winter months, looking forward to Easter, summer trading and Edinburgh Festival.
The Government’s resistance to close hospitality businesses until late March meant that by this time our restaurant & deli business closed, we had haemorrhaged a serious amount of money leaving us in a very weak position.
The furlough scheme was a life-line with some hope but still came at a cost with 40 employees, plus we still had essential fixed operating costs, insurance, rent, utilities – with very high monthly outgoing costs and no income coming in – the current situation was unsustainable.
We opened the shop/deli for a month, providing a food/vegetable box delivery and click & collect service. Unfortunately, the city centre is bereft of footfall as virtually no passers-by, tourists or office workers, thus it was impossible to continue operating at a loss.
If our location was in a neighbourhood area it might have been a different story and if we had more of a strong online presence or wholesale trade, perhaps we could have pushed through and come out the other side.
Due to the uncertainty of the future of hospitality, lack of guidance from the Government and ongoing restrictions, there was no realistic prospect of us returning to any kind of normality in the foreseeable future.
As a family, this has not been an easy decision and we are absolutely devastated to be in this situation, outwith our control. The three restaurants and deli will not re-open.
Our family has been privileged to play our part in Janet and Mac Henderson’s great adventure that has been so well supported over the years.
It has been a very difficult decision for us and the Henderson family would like to thank our loyal customers, brilliant suppliers and lovely staff over the past 58 years and we will miss being part of what was Edinburgh’s bustling restaurant scene, which we hope will return in the not too distant future.
SESH Hairdressing in Leith has gone above and beyond standard requirements to ensure the health and safety of their clients and team ahead of reopening tomorrow (Wednesday 15th July).
Following the enforced closure since March, the salon is a different space than it was pre Covid-19 and they have implemented processes to ensure safety and minimise impact on the environment.
The team supported local Edinburgh based company, Be Safe, by having branded fabric face coverings made for the team. These Breathe Easy masks will keep the salon team safe and ensure all clients remain protected. The face masks can be washed after use to minimise waste from disposable masks. In addition to this all team members will wear face shields.
The salon is known for their caring nature and going above and beyond to ensure an enjoyable experience for their clients. It was important to SESH Hairdressing to make sure the salon visit remained a luxurious experience and believed the standard issue plastic capes which are popular post Covid-19 would hinder this.
To combat this, SESH have decided to have laundry installed in the salon which means clients will still receive the soft gown they were used to prior to the closure. All gowns will be laundered after one use, and this will dramatically reduce the waste SESH dispose of. Not only is this initiative in the interest of clients, it is also in the interest of the environment.
An extension of this caring approach which is instinctive to SESH Hairdressing and Salon Owner, Simon Hill is the avoidance of any surcharges as they reopen. It is apparent lots of salons are adding a Covid-19 charge to their clients bill to cover the cost of the required PPE.
SESH Hairdressing believes this to be within their duty of care for their clients and team and therefore will not be adding any charge to their bills. Instead a small fee between £2 – £6 will be added for any additional work involved due to the overdue nature of the appointments.
In order to make the new normal easy for clients to adapt to and understand, SESH have been using their social media channels to communicate a clear visual of what clients can expect. This will continue into the salon with clearly marked ‘SESH Sanitise Stations’ throughout the salon and clear markers through the salon to ensure clients keep a safe distance and adhere to the guidelines set out by government.
Salon Owner, Simon Hill commented: “The salon reopening is long awaited and myself and the team are all so excited to get back to doing what we love. We have taken the necessary steps to make the salon as safe as possible.
“As we believe strongly in our duty of care to our clients, we have also gone the extra mile to protect the team and clients. This also led to our decision to avoid any Covid-19 surcharges as we feel it is our responsibility to safely proof the salon for their enjoyment.”
To book an appointment at the salon you can call 0131 555 0708 and visit their Instagram page @seshhairdressing.
Edinburgh and Lothians restaurants, pubs, cafes and other establishments that sell food for consumption on-premises are being urged to sign up to the UK Government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme.
Businesses who use the scheme will offer a 50% reduction, up to a maximum of £10 per person, to all diners who eat or drink-in throughout August.
The scheme is open to businesses across the UK and can be used all day, Monday to Wednesday in August.
Customers do not need a voucher as participating establishments will just remove the discount from their bill. Businesses simply reclaim the discounted amount through an online service, supported by HMRC.
The scheme is aimed at protecting jobs in the hospitality industry and is in addition to the reduction in VAT from 20% to 5% for tourism and hospitality businesses.
Businesses who sign up to the scheme will receive a window sticker and will be able to use promotional items such as posters and logos for social media.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“During lockdown the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest industries due to necessary closures.
“This scheme can give the industry a real boost during August to help businesses get back on their feet again.
“The hospitality and catering industry supports a huge number of jobs in Edinburgh and the Lothians which rely on the sector doing well.
“I encourage businesses across Edinburgh and the Lothians sign up to this scheme to attract more custom at the beginning of the week throughout August.”
Patients will receive letters to reschedule appointments
The Breast Screening Programme which was paused in March because of coronavirus (COVID-19) is to resume safely and carefully from 3 August.
Anyone who was invited for a breast screening appointment before the pause, who was unable to attend for any reason or had an appointment cancelled will receive a letter in the coming weeks.
There will be no change to the screening test itself, however additional measures have been introduced to allow breast screening to take place in a safe environment. Staff will wear necessary personal protective equipment and appointments will be staggered to ensure waiting areas are quieter, allowing staff and patients to adhere to physical distancing.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Pausing the adult national screening programmes was one of a series of difficult decisions we have had to make in responding to the impact of COVID-19. I am delighted breast cancer screening is resuming and I would urge everyone to attend their appointment, as screening can find early signs of cancer.
“The continued efforts we are making to limit the spread of the virus have allowed us to restart the national breast screening programme in line with expert clinical advice and the recommendations of the Scottish Screening Committee, as part of the planned safe and incremental remobilisation of NHS Scotland.
“The safety of patients and staff will continue to be our priority as all of the national screening programmes restart and expand. I want to reassure you that we are taking these precautions so that we can safely offer the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”
Marion O’Neill, Head of External Affairs (Devolved Nations) at Cancer Research UK, said: “It is great news that breast cancer screening services in Scotland are returning. Although breast cancer screening has both benefits and harms, we know cancer screening programmes saves lives.
“There may be some changes to what happens at your appointment because of COVID-19 and your results may be delayed, so it’s more important than ever that you read the information provided. Ask at your appointment how long it might take and who to contact if you haven’t heard in that time.
“It is important to remember that screening is for healthy people with no symptoms. If you notice any unusual changes to your body that don’t go away, talk to your doctor.”
More information on the national screening programme is available on NHS Inform.
New and expectant mums in Lothian can now enjoy some family support as some of the national restrictions around maternity services begin to ease.
Pregnant women and women who have just welcomed a new baby into the world will be able to share the precious moments with some of their friends or family.
Until now, national guidance to keep mums and babies safe and to minimise the risk of COVID-19 has meant restrictions on the number of people attending maternity services.
However as from yesterday, expectant mums can now have one additional visitor as well as one birth partner, if requested, to support them whilst in labour.
Women will also be able to have a designated visitor, as well as their birth partner, to visit them whilst in the maternity ward.
Birth partners have also been advised that they can now attend with pregnant partners for ante-natal ultrasound scanning appointments.
Frances McGuire, Chief Midwife, NHS Lothian said: “We know how hard the restrictions have been for women and their partners during these most important life events and our team have tried to ensure that the experience has been as positive as possible during this pandemic.
“Our priority remains the safety of mothers and their babies, and we are very much looking forward to safely welcoming more Lothian visitors to meet our new mothers and babies.”
Ultrasound scanning departments in Lothian will do their utmost to allow one birth partner to be present at the appointment.
Waiting area capacity is still severely restricted due to the requirement for physical spacing of seating to comply with social distancing guidance. Only the one person will be able to accompany the patient into the waiting area and for the scan.
Radiology Services are planning to adjust ultrasound scanning appointment times and are assessing waiting area capacity to improve access.
Birth partners and visitors must wear a face covering at all times and maintain physical distancing where possible.
Everyone must also adhere to strict hand hygiene measures and use the alcohol gel provided.
Visiting can be arranged with ward staff on a daily basis as numbers will have to be managed due to the ward capacity and social distancing guidelines.
“The ups reminded me where I wanted to go, and the downs pushed me to get there”
A STUDENT who lost five family members to violent crime in two months has told how she battled through grief to graduate with distinction from Edinburgh Napier University.
Hazina Alladin’s world was turned upside down by the deaths of two cousins, a cousin-in-law, an uncle and his wife in two separate home invasion robberies in her home country of Trinidad.
She admits the murders brought her “to her knees”, and led to her ignoring her mental and emotional health as she threw herself into the demands of both her day job and study programme.
Hazina credits the university’s Wellbeing & Support online pages with helping her eventually come to terms with her grief, anger and disbelief, as well as her Christian faith, confidence-boosting voluntary work and creative hobbies like photography and dancing.
Now she has learned that she has graduated from Edinburgh Napier with a BA with Distinction in Business & Enterprise. Despite the family tragedies in her Caribbean homeland, she achieved merits and distinctions for all of her assignments on the online course.
Hazina, 28, who was also elected Online Programme Representative at the university, said: “Coping with my losses while working full-time, volunteering, studying for a degree and being away from my family was indeed challenging. However, I realised I needed both the peaks and the valleys to keep moving forward. The ups reminded me where I wanted to go, and the downs pushed me to get there.”
The first incident happened in Penal, south Trinidad, in August last year. While working on a course assignment, Hazina learned in a call from her mother that two cousins and one of their wives had been found dead in their house with gunshot wounds and cuts to their throats.
She said: “I fell to my knees and cried uncontrollably. I screamed the word ‘no’ for hours until my voice was gone. It was absolutely heartbreaking.”
Two months later, a retired uncle and his wife were killed in a violent home invasion in Central Trinidad. A 24-year-old suspect was later arrested after being spotted driving their stolen vehicle.
In the weeks that followed, Hazina experienced outbursts of grief but also began following processes that helped her create space for herself.
She said: “I was afraid that these tragic events would affect my ability to continue learning.
“Grief made everything feel like an extra effort, whether it was making friends or submitting work, but there were plenty of resources available at Edinburgh Napier to help me work though my feelings. The Wellbeing & Support site was extremely helpful. I explored books on the Shelf Help section and strategies to reduce pain and boost my ability to cope.
“I also enjoyed networking with Edinburgh Napier’s global community of students, and the online programme rep role was a big help in this. It involved keeping abreast of student issues on our degree programme, representing students’ interests and addressing issues that impacted on the quality of their experience at the university.”
Now Hazina – who earlier studied at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School – is putting what she learned from her one-year online course at Edinburgh Napier to good use in her current job with a property development firm in New York City, where she has lived for four years.
She said: “I was offered a position as Administrator just two months after enrolling at Napier. I am responsible for coordinating office activities in compliance to company policy and procedure. Now, I can better relate to the company after learning about business plans and how to calculate the return on the investments a company makes and how different business models work.
“I’ve found that when you are able to apply the material and talk about how it relates to life today, you’re much more able to remember it. It’s almost like your brain presses an ‘on’ switch and you start to absorb the material better because you are at least partially invested in it.”
Dr Kingsley Omeihe, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Edinburgh Napier’s Business School, said: “Hazina is an outstanding, dedicated and talented student.
“Achieving a distinction is an impressive feat, and the fact that she has been able to do as well as she has, given the circumstances, says a lot about her. Her personal qualities are as impressive as her intellectual accomplishments.”
Leith Theatre is delighted to announce that they have begun a partnership with new community interest company, ‘Empty Kitchens Full Hearts,’ to feed those in need during the Covid crisis and beyond.
The Thomas Morton Hall has been transformed into a bustling food storage, drop-off and packing centre and the attached kitchens, which are generally not in use, have once again found their calling, as a team of professional chefs work round the clock to prepare a selection of healthy foods for free delivery and takeaway.
Empty Kitchens Full Hearts started out in April as a response to Covid-19 directly affecting vulnerable people who already had limited access to food. Using food donated by supermarkets, charities and individuals, and utensils and catering equipment given by closed kitchens and restaurants, the team have already sent out 86,456 free meals.
Leith Theatre, which has recently closed the doors in a bid to protect itself against the financial impact of Covid-19, sought out a collaboration with Empty Kitchens Full Hearts in order to continue doing the only thing possible in the current situation; steadfastly support the community it is at the heart of.
To date, Empty Kitchens Full Hearts have distributed 10,158 nutritious meals completely free of charge from Leith Theatre. A hot food takeaway offering is now available between 11:30-12:30 and 16:30-17:30 every day, seven days a week for those unfortunately unable to reheat food themselves. This will now be served from the main entrance porch at Leith Theatre with access at the main gates clearly marked.
Lewis McLachlan, founder of the initiative, said, “All of the meals are cooked from scratch by professional catering staff who have either lost their jobs or been on the furlough scheme and are giving their time for free, alongside an army of volunteers packing and delivering.
“There is no sign that the need for this service is slowing down. At the start of May we were providing 4000 meals per week and less than two months later this has doubled to over 8000 with the week beginning the 13th of July forecast at 11,000.
“I believe these numbers are only going to get higher and moving into the Thomas Morton Hall is a key element for us to be ready to help more as people need it.”
Lynn Morrison, Executive Director at Leith Theatre, said,“When we heard that they were looking for a new kitchen, we knew that this worthwhile enterprise was something that would fit with our ethos and would be the perfect silver lining to the cloud of our closure.
“It is a way of supporting our community in a very proactive, visible way and something we are able to do despite being shut to the public until 2021.
“Having the building shut and sealed was never going to be something that sat well with Leith Theatre and I feel very much that by offering our kitchen, hall and outside space for this project, it acts as a natural companion to our highly successful foodbank, stationery and mask material collections.
“I am excited to collaborate with this wonderful team of tenacious chefs and volunteers and welcome them to the Leith Theatre family.”
If you or anyone you know is struggling with safe access to food, please contact the team on food.ekfh@gmail.com / 07895 347157.
Although the majority of the food donated would otherwise go to waste, and the project is run by volunteers, there are still costs involved; packaging, fuel, PPE and the additional running costs associated with such a huge operation.
Together, Leith Theatre and Empty Kitchens Full Hearts will continue to transform donated food into full meal packs, ensuring access to nourishment for all, and wasting nothing so that others may want for nothing.
Donations to Empty Kitchens Full Hearts can be made here:
The BBC has launched Tiny Happy People, a five-year initiative backed by Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, to support parents and carers in developing the language and communication skills of 0-4 year old children.
Initiative backed by HRH Duchess of Cambridge who says Tiny Happy People resources are ‘gold dust’ for parents
Range of free online tools including fun activities, videos, articles and quizzes launched to support development of under-fives language and communications skills
Celebrities on board include Jenny McAlpine, Kieron Richardson, JB Gill, Jess and Dom Lever, Annie Price and Louise Pentland
At the heart of the initiative is a simple message – talk to children from as early an age as possible.
Tiny Happy People offers a wide range of free films, articles, quizzes and parenting tips that have been specially designed with experts to help to nurture children’s language right from pregnancy.
To help launch the initiative, Her Royal Highness recently met with families involved to hear about their experiences of parenting, their contribution to the campaign and how the Tiny Happy People resources and activities have been helping them.
One of the parents she spoke with, Ryan, and his 8 month old daughter Mia, explained how Tiny Happy People had helped him to identify that Mia has five different cries.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast’s Louise Minchin, The Duchess said: “He’s learnt a huge amount from Tiny Happy People… It’s information like that I wish I had had as a first time mum, it’s gold dust really for families to be given those tips and tools to be able to use, particularly in those first five years.”
The Duchess also spoke of the help that parents receive following their baby’s birth from midwives and health visitors, but that there is a then a gap before they start school which is where they really need the support from initiatives such as Tiny Happy People.
The full film of The Duchess meeting with the families can be seen on BBC Breakfast from 6am this morning.
Her Royal Highness has been involved with Tiny Happy People for a number of months, having visited the Tiny Happy People team last November to take part in development sessions and to learn more about the production process.
The Duchess helped in the character and background development for two animations on parenting, which are now available on the Tiny Happy People website about making eye contact with babies and singing to babies.
Recognising the significance of the project to supporting parents as they guide their children through the earliest years of life, The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will collaborate with the BBC as they develop and roll out Tiny Happy People.
Also supporting the initiative are a number of celebrities who are using the activities to build their own infants’ communication skills. The celebrity parents involved are soap stars Jennie McAlpine and Kieron Richardson; singer and farmer JB Gill; former Love Islanders, Jess and Dom Lever; BBC Three presenter Annie Price; and Louise Pentland, who was voted the UK’s favourite mum influencer last year.
The free digital resources being offered by Tiny Happy People are easy to use and incorporate into everyday routines.
The short films, articles and quizzes cover, in a bitesize way, the science behind baby brain development. There are lots of fun activities to do with both babies and toddlers to support language development and parent well-being along with great tips for new and soon-to-be parents.
Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, says: “We couldn’t be more proud of the part we’re playing in this amazing partnership. Growing up happy and healthy is the greatest gift we can give to any child.
“This campaign embodies our mission to inform, educate and entertain. The BBC has created hundreds of videos and written content that we hope will make a real difference.”
James Purnell, BBC Director, Radio & Education, says: “Early years language provides the foundation for all aspects of a child’s life – right into adulthood.
“Tiny Happy People is a major, long term education commitment from the BBC to help close the under-fives language and communication gap and help give kids the best chance in life. We’re all so proud of it and look forward to seeing parents and carers from across the UK using the materials.”
Evidence shows that more than 1 in 4 children (27%) in England do not reach the necessary level of literacy development (language, communication and literacy skills) by the time they start primary school, rising to more than 1 in 3 (42%) in deprived areas. The picture is similar across all nations of the UK.**
Research also shows that once children start behind, they stay behind, affecting performance in school, job prospects and even life expectancy.
However, evidence also shows that parents and carers can make a big difference if they’re supported in the crucial early years – and if children develop language and communication skills before they start school, they have every opportunity to thrive.
Working with a coalition of partners, BBC Education through Tiny Happy People has the ambition to make a significant contribution to halving the number of children in the UK who do not reach the required developmental outcomes in literacy by the end of their reception year.
Those partners include academics, healthcare professional bodies, The Royal Foundation, Public Health England, The National Literacy Trust, The Education Endowment Foundation, The National Lottery Community Fund and KPMG.
All of Tiny Happy People’s resources are rooted in evidence and have been developed with the help of leading experts in the fields of child and language development to ensure parents and carers are being offered the best advice.
They include The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, The Institute of Health Visiting, The Royal College of Midwives, I CAN, early years practitioners through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and speech and language academics at The University of Liverpool, University of Sheffield, and LuCiD.
As part of Tiny Happy People’s launch, CBeebies Bedtime Stories will be broadcast Bedtime Stories read by celebrity supporters, Jennie McAlpine (July 14), Annie Price (July 15) and JB Gill (July 16).
In October 2019, Tiny Happy People was rolled out across Greater Manchester in partnership with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Together we created hubs across the authority where we introduced Tiny Happy People champions to work with frontline professionals and parents to embed Tiny Happy People activities into communities. This has provided a blueprint for a total of five new hubs that will be created in communities across the UK every year for the lifetime of the initiative.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Monday 13th July:
Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s briefing. I want to start by providing my usual update on the most recent Covid-19 statistics for Scotland.
An additional 6 positive cases were confirmed yesterday which takes the total now in Scotland to 18,365.
It’s maybe worth noting that on Friday and Sunday we saw higher numbers of new cases than has been the norm in recent weeks. Yesterday, 19 new cases were reported.
On any occasion when there is an increase like that, we look very thoroughly to see if there are any patterns or particular causes for concern.
With respect to the cases reported yesterday, 12 of the 19 cases were in Glasgow, and 7 cases – all of which were asymptomatic – related to one care home. That is being looked at in much more detail, and all necessary follow up tests, checks and precautions are being undertaken.
I can also report that a total of 550 patients are currently in hospital with the virus – either confirmed or suspected. That is 13 fewer than yesterday, but it includes an increase of 6 in the number of confirmed cases.
A total of 6 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is the same number as yesterday.
And since 5 March, a total of 4,125 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 have been able to leave hospital.
I am pleased to say that during the last 24 hours, 0 deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having Covid-19. The total number of deaths under that measurement therefore remains 2,490.
This is the fifth day in a row on which no deaths have been reported, but it is worth providing just a little bit of context for the last two days.
At the start of the Covid outbreak, registration offices took special steps to allow for 7 day operations. I am very grateful to them and their staff for doing so.
But some offices are now going back to their usual pattern of being open only on weekdays – although for emergency situations, they continue to provide weekend arrangements.
Yesterday’s figure of 0 deaths is therefore welcome – but it has to be seen in that context.
And of course, regardless of the figures for any specific day, it is still important to remember the enormous impact the virus has had. I want to pass on my condolences once again to everyone who has lost a loved one in this process.
And again, I want to thank our health and care workers for the incredible work that you are doing.
In a few minutes the Cabinet Secretary for Health will talk about the resumption of breast cancer screening programmes. The National Clinical Director is going to say a little bit about the resumption of outdoor contact sports
I’ve got three issues I want to talk about briefly before then. The first is to tell you briefly about a new contract that NHS Scotland has signed with a Scottish biotechnology firm – E&O Laboratories.
E&O have succeeded in developing a new solution which can be placed within test tubes – the solution helps to make samples of Covid safe, so that each sample can be tested as soon as it arrives at a lab. It therefore improves the efficiency of the testing process.
E&O – who have come up with this product in just a matter of months – are now producing their first batch of the solution for NHS Scotland, and are also looking to supply to other parts of the UK.
Their success has already created 11 jobs, and they are looking to recruit for 10 more. That’s small in the context of the overall impact that Covid is having on employment in Scotland – but it is still welcome, and it is still significant.
This is a good example – and we have seen a lot of them in recent months – of a Scottish company innovating in a way which directly helps our response to Covid, while also supporting jobs.
The second issue I want to highlight is travel. In the coming weeks, we will inevitably start to travel a bit more – as more people return to work, and as some take the opportunity to make shopping trips, to visit friends, or to visit different bits of the country.
That is good news – but please do think about how and when you travel.
First of all – and this perhaps applies especially in relation to leisure travel at the weekend – if you go somewhere and it looks busy, our advice is to go somewhere else.
Yesterday, for example, at least one road had to be closed in the Trossachs, because it was being blocked by parked cars. We have also heard concerns in other areas – for example about large numbers of people wild camping in particular spots.
So we are asking you to, please, use your common sense – if car parks are full, move on, and if places look busy, then also move on.
Camp sites will start to open up from Wednesday onwards, so please if you intend to use them, book ahead of time.
And while public transport services are now returning more to normal, and physical distancing – with safety measures in place – is being relaxed to 1 metre for some services, in spite of all of that we know capacity is still likely to be restricted compared to pre-covid levels.
That is one reason why we are still asking you to work from home if you can. And if you can’t, employers and employees might want to think about other measures – such as staggered or flexible working times – which can help to reduce the pressure on our public transport network.
But I’d also ask people who are in a position to, to think about active travel.
I completely understand why for many journeys, people immediately think about using the car. But if your journey is a local one, think about whether it can be made by walking, cycling or wheeling. That won’t always be possible – but in quite a few cases, it will be a healthy and enjoyable alternative.
So as we all travel a bit more – think about how and why you are travelling.
If you are able to shop locally or work from home, continue do that.
And also, as I said, consider active travel.
And if you’re using public transport, plan ahead. If you’re able to travel at less busy times of day, that will help you and others. And at all times follow safety guidance – including of course by wearing a face covering.
That brings me on to the final point I want to cover today. Saturday and yesterday was the first full weekend when face coverings were mandatory in shops.
Everything I have seen or heard – through social media, through other reports, and through my own brief visit to a couple of shops yesterday – everything suggests that compliance with the new law has been very high indeed and I want to thank everyone for that.
It is exactly what I would have expected – but it is still very welcome.
Face coverings are mandatory in shops and on public transport – but it’s also worth remembering that they can also be useful in other indoor enclosed spaces. So if you are inside somewhere and it’s not easy to maintain physical distancing, it’s always a good idea to put your face covering on.
Indoor shopping malls open today, and you should wear the face covering not just in the shops, but also inside the shared spaces in the mall.
So my thanks to everyone who is now wearing a face covering. It is an important way in which all of us can help to protect each other.
That basic message – of solidarity, of protecting each other – is the note I want to end on. Today sees some more steps in our emergence from lockdown and later this week we will see some of the most significant steps yet.
As I’ve mentioned, indoor shopping malls open up; organised outdoor sport and play resumes for children; and some routine dental treatment restarts.
As these services reopen – and as we all leave the house a bit more it becomes more and more important for us to ensure that we are not creating possible bridges by which the virus can spread.
So I would ask you to remember the Facts. It summarises the five key things all of us should remember in everything we do.
Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport.
Avoid crowded places, whether indoors or outdoors.
Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
Two metres distancing remains the general rule we’re asking you to abide by.
and Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.
If all of us remember and abide by these 5 steps then as we get out and about a bit more we can still help to keep the virus under control.
My thanks for your co-operation so far and I appeal to you to continue to co-operate with that basic public advice.
