14-year-old Charlie Bright of Sighthill, Edinburgh, has nominated Dad, Colin, in a national competition that asks families to name unsung heroes who’ve gone above and beyond for them in lockdown.
Colin Bright, who works as a receptionist at the Sighthill Health Centre and recently celebrated 30 years of continuous service in the NHS, has been nominated by his son, Charlie, in a national competition run by heating systems manufacturer, Viessmann.
Charlie wants to say thank you to his Dad for helping to look after him and his mum by working longer hours throughout lockdown and helping mum, Tracey, who has a long-term hearing impairment.
Colin has also taken on helping Charlie with his homework since lockdown led to a nationwide closure of schools as part of plans by the government to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
“I’ve been trying to do homework, but it’s not easy as I don’t have a teacher in front of me to help and my mum has tried her best and my dad has too,” says Charlie, 14.
Tracey has struggled with the effects of the lockdown and has felt rather lonely. With the recent government ruling enforcing masks in all shops, cinemas, galleries, banks, museums and places of worship, Tracey now feels nervous about going to the shops without Colin as she relies on lip-reading to speak with others.
“I tend to stay at home as much as possible as the wearing of face masks has left me really stressed out due to not enough awareness of the sunflower lanyard for hidden disabilities,” says Tracey.
“I have, a few times, had to explain myself to shop store staff as they have been asking me questions and I can’t see their face if they have a mask on! It feels rather embarrassing as I don’t like having to explain myself.
“After a few situations, I gave up going, so now Colin has an extra job to do and go to shops when he gets home from work or at the weekend.”
Colin, 50, works in Sighthill Health Centre in the treatment rooms and has been having to balance longer hours whilst continuing to support the family and his son with his work.
“My dad’s work is getting busier with patients as the doctors are seeing more and more people. He works on the reception desk booking patients appointments and checking them in when they arrive. He always comes home very tired as it can be a very busy long day trying to help people.”
Viessmann’s Nation’s Warmest Appreciation competition is designed to help children and families show appreciation to others’ good deeds during the first half of 2020.
“This has been a tough year for many of us, each facing our own challenges thanks to the unprecedented fallout the pandemic has brought, says James Harper, Marketing Manager at Viessmann.
“As a family-owned company that has pulled out all the stops to take care of its own members around the world over the past few months, Viessmann wanted to focus on all the good that has been going on around us all and how these times have also brought us all closer together.
“Gratitude is timeless, and because of this, we wanted to be able to help show off all the good deeds and kind acts our nation has been up to during the last six months. And by also recognising that there are still many other charities and causes that are in need of extra funding and support right now, it makes perfect sense to donate a part of the prize to those causes too.”
To enter, anyone between the age of 5-14 was invited to show their appreciation with a drawing, picture, poem or story showing who they were nominating and why they wanted to nominate them.
“I would love to nominate my Dad for all his hard work during these tough times and allowing me and Mum to stay safe at home, he is my real hero!” said Colin in his entry submission.
Entries for the competition are open until the 22nd August, with the final prize being £100 vouchers to both the entrant and nominated person and a £100 donation to a charity of their choice.
For more information and for your chance to enter, please visit the Viessmann site here.
With coronavirus continuing to have an impact across the country, one woman speaks out about the desperate need to support a social care system on the brink of collapse …
Diana McGovern, who lives in Davidsons Mains, suffers from MS and is confined to a wheelchair. She relies on her carers to complete the simple day to day tasks we all take for granted. Without ‘her angels’ as she calls them, it would be impossible for her to remain in her own home.
She is deeply concerned about the crisis facing the social care system in this country and believes any further pressure on it, such as a second wave of COVID19, would lead to its collapse.
“Protect the NHS is their claim but who is protecting the carers?” asks Diana. “An army of unsung heroes dedicated to looking after patients in their own homes with compassionate dignity and respect, preventing bed blocking in hospitals, allowing doctors and nurses to continue the vital work of saving lives.
“They work seamlessly as a team, but could the NHS function without carers? Nurses study diligently to become qualified and proudly wear their badge of office but carers also wear badges!
“Their challenge is to enhance and retain a quality of life for people who suffer from a complex and wide range of medical conditions. It’s a demanding, responsible, and emotionally draining career but one which offers tremendous job satisfaction. They are compensated with a wage less than that of a supermarket worker, while having to provide their own car and phone to carry out their duties.
“On top of an already difficult situation they were handed the challenge of COVID-19. They were expected to care for and nurture patients discharged from hospital, cope with distressed relatives and battle to save the lives of the sick and dying, with little support or guidance – all while trying to protect their own lives and the lives of their families.
“The media has highlighted how wonderful our carers are and revealed the very inadequate wages they receive. Has any policy maker or government addressed this disgraceful situation? NO.
“Have we not learned from past mistakes? We may be living with a pandemic now, but we may be facing an even greater crisis soon, with winter flu and further lockdowns possible. Doctors and nurses are making contingency plans, but what about recruiting carers? The strain on the skeleton level of care workers we have now is enormous. Any additional stress placed on the system would surely see it collapse.
“Does it take the voice of a person completely wheelchair bound, living independently with the support of carers, to highlight the urgent problem of recruiting and paying an appropriate decent living wage to all carers? Is the government ignoring this crisis?
“Nicola Sturgeon has stood up for Scotland and been applauded. Can she now take urgent action to recruit and increase the pay to compensate and reward our dedicated carers? We are dependent on the NHS, but in a crisis, we rely on our trusted carer.
“How do we keep and recruit careers when they don’t receive a decent pay? We need to pay now not tomorrow, or the government may have bigger crisis on their hands.
“Unless action is taken now, the system will crash. We must act before it’s too late.”
Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic crash in Sighthill. The incident happened at around 1.10pm yesterday in Bankhead Terrace when the male rider of a quad bike was injured when he came off his machine.
Sergeant Jill Kirkpatrick of the Roads Policing Unit said: “We would like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed this crash. In particular we would like to speak to the occupants of a red coloured Toyota Prius car which was seen driving west along Bankhead Terrace at the time of the crash.
“I would also ask anyone who may have been driving in the area in a vehicle which had a dash-cam fitted to check their device for anything which might help us establish the circumstances surrounding this crash.
“Callers can use the 101 number to call in and should quote the reference number 1609 of 18 August 2020.”
Voucher scheme to ensure superfast broadband access for all.
Details of a voucher scheme to help ensure everyone in Scotland will have access to superfast broadband by the end of 2021 have been announced.
The Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme will provide funding of up to £5,000 to help homes and businesses not in scope of either Reaching 100% (R100) contracts or planned commercial investment to obtain superfast broadband where providers may not ordinarily go.
Interim vouchers of up to £400 are also being made available for premises where superfast broadband is planned for after the end of 2021 – with an additional £250 for those in the hardest-to-reach areas.
An online postcode checker has been launched to give homes and businesses information on superfast roll-out in their area as well as providing information on voucher scheme eligibility.
Scotland’s Connectivity Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Digital Connectivity has played a vital role in supporting our efforts to keep people safe during the Covid-19 lockdown and will be pivotal in plans for our strategic economic recovery from the pandemic.
“Work is underway to build the infrastructure which will underpin R100, backed by Scottish Government funding of £579M. This, together with commercially-driven work, will ensure the vast majority of homes and businesses across the country can access superfast broadband access by the end of 2021.
“But Scotland has some of the most challenging locations anywhere in Europe for providing telecoms infrastructure and I have always been clear that additional measures may still be needed to provide superfast access to some of the hardest-to-reach areas.
“That is why we have been developing plans in parallel with the main infrastructure investment to ensure our 100% commitment is met, and the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme offering a level of funding far exceeding that of any other broadband voucher scheme currently in operation within the UK, will ensure that everyone can access and benefit from this world-leading digital capability.”
Around 23,000 low income households without proper internet access will be helped to get online with the assistance of £15 million of Scottish Government funding.
The investment, part of the Connecting Scotland programme, will prioritise disadvantaged families with children and young people leaving care. These families will get a device, twelve months unlimited data as well as technical support to get online safely and securely.
Households will also be linked with a Digital Champion who will provide six months of training and support over the phone. Suitable recipients will be identified by local authorities and third sector organisations who apply to the programme on behalf of those they support.
This second phase of the programme, builds on an initial £5 million to get up to 9,000 households with people at clinical or high risk from Covid-19 connected online.
Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “It has never been more important to be connected and online. It enables us to access information about how to stay safe and healthy during Covid-19, keep in touch with friends and family, and study or work.
“I am therefore very pleased to be able to extend our Connecting Scotland programme and tackle the digital divide by reaching over 30,000 households across both phases that are experiencing difficulties with online access.
“An additional £15 million will help thousands of families and young care leavers who could not otherwise afford to get online, making sure they are not further disadvantaged by providing the necessary hardware, data, and skills they need to get connected.
“This builds on £25m investment in devices and connectivity which will support around 70,000 school pupils.”
David McNeill, Director of Development at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, added: “The first phase of Connecting Scotland has made a significant difference to the lives of thousands of people who were missing out on the benefits of being online. It has enabled them to stay connected to friends and family, informed and entertained, and able to continue with learning and work.
“This additional investment will enable hundreds of organisations from across the public and third sectors to provide support to those who need it most, removing the barriers related to the affordability of kit and connectivity, as well as helping to build digital confidence and skills.”
Mary Glasgow, Chief Executive, Children 1st also said: “Children 1st were delighted to take part in the first phase of the Connecting Scotland programme to help families without access to IT to cope through coronavirus.
“Good digital access is essential to keeping both children and parents connected to education, their friends and families and to wider support from charities like Children 1st during these extremely difficult times. It’s great to see the programme being rolled out to reach even more families.”
Office for National Statistics to significantly expand infection survey to 400,000 people, making it the country’s largest study tracking COVID-19 in the general population
New data will support rapid testing and diagnosis of COVID-19 on a national and local level, helping to narrow down the areas of concern
UK Government to provide £2 million grant to ZOE COVID-19 Symptom Study app to support its ongoing data collection
The Office for National Statistics has partnered with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to extend the ONS COVID-19 Infection Survey tracking the virus in the general population across the UK – making this the UK’s largest COVID-19 surveillance survey.
It will expand from regularly testing 28,000 people per fortnight in England to 150,000 by October, the Health Secretary announced today. The survey aims to increase to 400,000 people across the entire project.
The expanded study will play a crucial role in providing extensive, weekly data on the spread of infection, supporting rapid testing and diagnosis of COVID-19 both nationally and in areas of concern. The ONS will prioritise ramping up in the north west of England and London in light of recent upticks in infection rates in these areas.
Letters have already been sent out to tens of thousands of homes inviting new participants to take part in the survey. Anyone who receives a letter asking them to participate in the study is encouraged to do so.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This country now has the capacity to test for coronavirus on an unprecedented scale and this ONS survey will be a crucial part of this work – improving our understanding of the rate of infection in the population and how many people have antibodies.
“This will allow us to further narrow down the areas potentially affected by local outbreaks and continue our fight to curb the spread ahead of winter.
“I urge anyone who is able to take part in this study to do so – you will be playing a vital role in the fight against the virus. The data and insight gathered will help inform our national, regional and local responses to the pandemic, allowing this nation to get back to the things we love doing.”
Reporting on a weekly basis, the ONS study will provide both a national picture of how the virus is spreading as well as granular estimates of the number of COVID-19 cases down to local level.
Crucially, this will allow government and local authorities to further narrow down the areas which may be undergoing outbreaks, potentially reducing the number of people affected by new restrictions and allowing for swift action to curb the spread of the virus.
Led by the ONS and The University of Oxford in partnership with the departments of health across the UK, the survey uses routine swabbing and antibody testing to provide insight into the rate of infection and antibody levels in the community.
Professor Sir Ian Diamond, UK National Statistician, said: “Vigilance is key to containing this pandemic and the extra data on the spread of infections and antibodies at local level will be invaluable to the planning of effective local responses.
“Following this expansion, the ONS-led COVID-19 Infection Survey will be the biggest of its kind in this country. If you’ve been approached to take part then please do so. You will be helping us all to contain this terrible virus and get on with our lives.”
Alongside this significant expansion, the government is providing a £2 million grant to the ZOE COVID-19 Symptom Study app to support its data collection. Participants use the app to regularly report on their health and symptoms and whether they have tested positive for the virus or not, making it the largest public science project of its kind anywhere in the world.
Data from the app is analysed in collaboration with King’s College London researchers and provides granular data on symptoms across the country, helping identify local outbreaks and support NHS decision-making. Researchers are able to predict who has the virus and track infections across the UK as well as identify who is most at risk and where high-risk areas are.
The government will not have access to the base data gathered by the app. The ZOE app is separate to the NHS Test and Trace app launched last week for a trial run, to support national and local contact tracing and help minimise the spread of COVID-19.
Together, these studies will help control the spread of the virus by providing vital new intelligence on the scale of local outbreaks, inform our understanding of the virus and how it affects different demographics.
Jonathan Wolf, CEO of ZOE, said: “We are a start-up, so we are delighted that this funding guarantees the future of the study throughout the winter. When we started the study with Professor Tim Spector at King’s in March, we never imagined it could become so important. We have been blown away by the commitment of the British public to help fight COVID, by sharing the state of their health daily.
“The app is an amazing demonstration of the power of large-scale science and the use of machine learning. We have funded the app ourselves so far, and with this funding we can continue the essential work of hotspot detection and research on the long-term risks of COVID.
“We are delighted that ZOE and this innovative study can play a part in keeping the UK safe.”
Do you believe everyone in North Edinburgh has the right to feel safe?
Has Black Lives Matter meant something to you, your family, friends or neighbours?
Would you like to be part of a creative way to think about a community that feels safe for all and without racism?
Come and be a part of designing and creating a powerful Community Mural at North Edinburgh Arts.
This is for anyone from any background and any ability. We want everyone to be part of this to create something inspiring. We believe everyone has a creative voice that can make change.
For more info or to get involved, please email rosagarman@pchp.org.uk or text/WhatsApp 07595 589 343.
Lottery boost for Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden
The Friends’ group’s Gillean Paterson explained: “We received £10,000 from the National Lottery to match fund the grant from The Robertson Trust.
“The money is specifically to employ a Community Project Development Officer for one year to put in place plans for the garden.
“These include more community veg growing, a green gym, planting a miniforest to increase biodiversity, longer opening times – and that’s just to begin with!”
The EIS has made a direct plea to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, urging her to do more to make schools safe from the risk of COVID-19.
In an unusual step, the EIS has written directly to the First Minister pointing out clear inconsistencies in COVID safety policy outwith and within schools, and urging the Scottish Government to do more to protect pupils, staff and school communities from the risk of COVID infection.
In the letter, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan says, “Standing alongside you at Monday’s daily briefing, (National Clinical Director) Jason Leitch stated that there were concerns around people meeting outside schools in large groups.
“He went on to say, ‘This includes parents gathering at school gates; young people meeting friends without following the guidance on physical distances.’ He concluded, ‘To remind you, the maximum permitted is eight people from three households, including your own, indoors, and 15 people from five households outdoors.’
‘Crucially, everyone 12 and over must physically distance from everyone outside their own household. People are running the risk of spreading the virus to each other, their families and their loved ones.’ May I ask, then, why the Scottish Government thinks that it is acceptable that inside schools these rules don’t apply, where up to 33 pupils may be in a closed confined area, i.e. a classroom, with as many different households as there are people?”
The letter continues, “We need the Scottish Government to fund the hiring of the 3,500 teachers identified by the GTCS as willing to aid Education recovery, so that we can reduce class sizes and make possible physical distancing.
“We also need stronger advice on face coverings, where physical distancing is not possible. You cannot visit a museum without one but again schools are different?”
Mr Flanagan adds, “EIS members supported the decision to reopen schools as we understand the importance of Education to our young people – that does not mean the very real concerns of teachers about school safety should be set aside. I urge you and your Government to do more.”
New research by Community Finance Solutions (CFS) at the University of Salford and Carnegie UK Trust has highlighted the impact that COVID-19 is having on affordable credit providers across England, Scotland and Wales.
More than 60 Credit Unions and Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) in England, Scotland and Wales took part in the study, which asked about the impact of Covid-19 on demand; lending volume; income; liquidity; viability, and confidence.
They reported a decline in the number of people seeking loans and a reduction in the size of loans being sought; a rise in the number of customers seeking payment holidays on their loans; and an increase in saving deposits.
Providers have furloughed staff and closed branches to help them deal with the impact of the pandemic. Some have adapted their business models, increasing the use of digital tools and introducing new products.
Those providers with the smallest average loan amounts (under £1,000) appear to have been most adversely affected by Covid-19, with a higher likelihood of furloughing staff, closing branches and of using government support schemes.
They are also less confident and more likely to forecast breaches of regulatory ratios or covenants and inability to meet short-term costs. These providers are the most likely to serve the most vulnerable and financially excluded.
There are likely to be a range of complex reasons behind the drop in the demand for credit. Positively, it may be because people have had support through other channels set up in response to the pandemic, such as the Job Retention Scheme or an interest free overdraft.
There have also been fewer opportunities for consumption during the crisis. Alternatively, some people may have not sought a loan from an affordable credit provider because their financial position has worsened and they may have to take other action, such as borrowing from family and friends or going without an important purchase.
There is concern that household finances will come under severe pressure as financial support interventions introduced in response to COVID-19 taper off and unemployment rises.
Affordable credit providers have a crucial role to play in supporting families through these difficult times, but this new research by the Trust and CFS shows that these providers are themselves vulnerable to the pandemic.
It will be essential that the affordable credit sector is supported to sustain and scale during this challenging period, so that it is able to support families and communities in the months ahead.
Pål Vik, Director, Community Finance Solutions said: “This research report finds that the short-term effects of Covid-19 are more acutely felt by those lenders targeting low-income consumers.
“The findings underline the needs for ongoing research and data collection to inform interventions to preserve the access to affordable credit for those that need it the most.”
Sarah Davidson, Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust said: “Affordable credit providers have a vital role to play in helping disadvantaged communities cope with Covid-19 and rebuild resilience afterwards.
“This research highlights the need to continue to monitor the impact of the pandemic on affordable credit providers, and for the sector to receive the support that it needs to sustain and scale, ensuring that it can support those who are financially vulnerable.”
Sasha Romanovich, CEO, Fair4All Finance said: “Many more people in the UK will find themselves in vulnerable circumstances and the need for fair and affordable credit is likely to grow significantly over the coming months, not least as some high cost providers fail or withdraw from the UK market place.
“Fair4All Finance have a role as a catalyst to create a thriving and sustainable affordable credit sector, and we welcome this research.”
Michael Sheen, actor and social activist said: “It is vital that affordable lenders come through the current stage of the crisis to be able to support financially vulnerable consumers in the medium to long term.
“We need all those people with a voice – councils, housing associations, the third sector and the media – to highlight to those borrowers that often need access to small sums of money that fair credit is out there, at a fair price. ”
The Carnegie UK Trust has also recently published The 10% solution: How to make affordable credit more available to those who need it most as a short and full report.
This research examines the levels of high cost credit use and the provision of affordable credit across seven Scottish local authorities, reveals the gap between demand and appropriate supply, and puts forward a range of interventions available to local authorities that can support affordable credit providers and make a significant difference to the lives of low income individuals in their areas.
Increasing the market penetration of affordable credit providers in these seven areas to 10% of demand could save low income households nearly £5m a year.
While the research fieldwork for this report took place before the COVID-19 pandemic, it demonstrates the need for affordable credit, and the importance of supporting a resilient sector which can provide for financially vulnerable consumers in the years ahead.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Thursday 18th August:
Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us again today. As usual I will start with giving you the national COVID-19 statistics for Scotland.
I can confirm that an additional 49 positive cases were confirmed yesterday.
Which represents 1% of the people who were newly tested yesterday, and takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 19,407.
A full health board breakdown will be available later, but my provisional information I have is that 7 of the 49 new cases are in the Grampian health board area.
Twelve are in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, six in Lanarkshire and sixteen in Tayside.
We are dealing with known clusters in each of these health board areas and I’ll come back to those shortly.
I can also confirm that a total of 254 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed COVID. That is six more than yesterday.
And three people are in intensive care, which is the same as yesterday.
I’m also pleased to report that yet again in the past 24 hours, no deaths were registered of patients who first tested positive over the previous 28 days. The number of deaths under that measurement therefore remains 2,491.
We should remember that the weekly National Records of Scotland figures – which include confirmed and presumed COVID deaths – showed last week that five people had died in the preceding seven days who were presumed to have had COVID or whose test was more than 28 days prior to death occurring.
This week’s more comprehensive figure will be published by NRS tomorrow.
That of course a stark reminder of the impact of this virus, it is still potentially very dangerous and of course my condolences again go to everyone who has suffered loss.
And as always, I want to thank everyone who is working hard still to help our country through this pandemic in whatever capacity you are doing so, you have our appreciation.
Now, I’m hoping that – circumstances permitting – we may shortly move to having these updates slightly less frequently, perhaps three days a week rather than five.
However, I think it is important this week, that I give regular updates on the variety of different clusters and outbreaks that are currently being tackled across the country.
I will start with Aberdeen, and given that and indeed the Grampian area more generally, have been responsible for a very significant proportion of all new cases we have seen in recent weeks.
I mentioned earlier that seven of today’s 49 new cases were in the Grampian area.
And I can report today that according to the latest figures we have a total of 386 cases have been now been identified in Grampian since the 26th of July.
220 of these are associated with the cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs, and 1125 contacts have now been identified from those 220 cases.
I can confirm today that 13 cases which had previously been identified but not allocated to the cluster have now following further investigation been added because they are considered to be associated with that cluster.
Now, the slightly more positive news is that in recent days we have seen a decline in new cases across the Grampian area.
Ten days ago, for example, we reported 39 new cases in one day. Today, we have reported seven.
The seven day average for cases has also fallen.
That suggests that the restrictions we put in place two weeks ago are having an impact – as are the efforts of our health protection teams.
However it is worth highlighting that over the past week new cases in Grampian are still higher than in other parts of the country.
We will have to take that fact into account, when we announce tomorrow whether or not there will be any change to the restrictions currently in place in Aberdeen.
The situation there does appear to be improving – but it is important to stress we can’t yet say that that outbreak is completely over.
I also mentioned yesterday about the cluster in Coupar Angus which is linked to a 2 Sisters food processing plant.
So far, I can report that this outbreak has nine confirmed cases associated with it – but I will be surprised, albeit pleasantly, if we don’t see that number rise in the days ahead.
Seven of the cases identified so far are employees of the factory, and two are people in the wider community. Contact tracing is ongoing for all of these cases.
The factory – which employs approximately 900 people in total – so it is a big workplace – closed down yesterday. A mobile testing unit is due on site today, so that the whole workforce can be tested.
This is a complex and potentially significant cluster.
In addition to the overriding public health concern relating to the outbreak, the closure of the plant potentially of course has an economic impact.
We also need to consider possible animal welfare issues – the animals which would have been sent to the factory in the next few days cannot currently be sent there.
For all of those reasons, we are monitoring all aspects of this situation very carefully and closely, and will provide further information in due course as and when it becomes available.
There are also some cases and clusters that have been identified in the last couple of days involving school pupils
For example, there are individual cases involving school students who go to primary schools in Blairgowrie, Perth and Paisley.
The health protection teams are dealing with these cases and have written to the parents and careers of the infected children’s classmates, to advise them where necessary that their own children should be isolating.
I also mentioned yesterday community clusters in Lanarkshire and North East Glasgow, which include secondary school students – and which appear to be linked to each other.
Now, it is important to stress that these are considered at this stage to be community clusters with an impact on schools, rather than school based clusters. That is an important distinction, it is not thought that the virus has transmitted within the schools
In Lanarkshire, the number of confirmed cases is eight, which includes five people from three different schools. The risk of infection at all three schools is considered low.
The cluster in Baillieston, North East Glasgow currently has 14 identified cases, some of which are students at one school.
Contact tracing is taking place for this cluster.
In addition – and this is of course relevant for both of those outbreaks I have just mentioned – there are mobile testing units at the Time Capsule car park in Coatbridge and at Ravenscraig, in addition to the testing centre at Glasgow airport.
Let me repeat a point I made earlier because I think it is really important for people to understand this. These are community based clusters. And there does appears to be a link with indoor social events.
And the evidence we have at this stage seems to suggest, not surprisingly given how infectious we know COVID is, that if the virus is present at say, a house party, everyone attending the party is at considerable risk of infection – and then of course, the risk is that they spread the infection more widely.
All of that underlines the vital importance right now of abiding by the restrictions on household gatherings.
If I can remind you of what those are, no more than eight people, from a maximum of three different households should be gathering indoors. And two metre distance should be maintained between people from different households.
These rules are not easy – I really do understand that. But not sticking to them is presenting perhaps one of our biggest risks of outbreaks occurring at this time.
So I can’t stress enough how important it is that we all do abide by and comply with these rules.
For all of the outbreaks I have mentioned, Test and Protect teams are working hard to identify individuals who need to self-isolate and get tested.
But as always, anybody who has symptoms – in these areas or indeed anywhere across Scotland – should book a test immediately.
The symptoms are a new cough, a high temperature, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste and smell. Tests can be booked through the NHS inform website.
And I would appeal to you again, don’t hesitate, don’t delay, don’t wait, even a few hours to see if you feel better. If you experience any of these symptoms, time is of the essence, book a test as quickly as you possibly can.
Before I conclude and move on to questions and the Chief Medical Officer is with me today who will assist me in answering the questions. I just want to come to the issue of schools and say a final few words. Firstly to stress again that all of the cases we have seen so far which have involved school students, suggest that transmission has taken place outside of the school not in the schools.
That emphasises again the importance of keeping transmission rates as low as possible in the community, continuing to do everything we can to drive these transmission rates down as close to elimination levels as we can. That’s good for our overall health and wellbeing and the overall fight against this virus but it is also the action that will allow us to keep schools safely open. And let’s not forget the importance of that objective.
It is overwhelmingly in the best interests of young people, particularly after 4 or 5 months where they have been out of school, to be in full time education. The harm to them of losing out on that are considerable.
But we will, I think inevitably see more cases which involve school students in the weeks and months ahead.
In those cases – as has happened in the ones I’ve mentioned today – contact tracers will identify if any other students or staff at the school need to isolate, and will let them and their parents know.
More generally, the Test and Protect system so far has worked well for each outbreak we have faced to date.
And for every cluster, incident management teams in the local area are considering the latest evidence, and assessing what further follow up actions need to take place. I once again want to thank everyone involved in those efforts.
So when I give updates like today’s – providing details of cases and clusters in different parts of the country, and particular when some cases involving schools – I don’t do that to alarm you. Partly, I do it to try to reassure that the appropriate steps are being taken and appropriate interventions are in place. But although I don’t want to alarm anybody, I do want people to take notice, in fact I need people to take notice.
These clusters show us that this virus continues to pose a serious risk. It is present in our communities, and that’s why I keep saying where ever you are, assume it is right next to you and capable, if you don’t do the right things, of being transmitted to you, and perhaps from you to somebody else.
We know, and the evidence coming from recent clusters is underlining this point, this is a highly infectious virus, and once it takes hold, it can spread rapidly. And the effort that is needed then through our Test and Protect teams to stop it spreading is considerable and remember, Test and Protect is our second line of defence, we are all the first line of defence.
So for all of these reasons, the Scottish Government may well again take a fairly cautious approach on Thursday, when I will announce in the Scottish Parliament the outcome of our review of the Phase 3 lockdown restrictions.
But for all of us, these clusters should remind us of the need to be ultra-careful right now.
They demonstrate in particular how quickly and easily COVID spreads in indoor environments – which is why I am asking you to be particularly careful about socialising indoors.
And remember that the limits I mentioned earlier – a maximum of eight people from no more than three different households – apply to groups in pubs and restaurants together, just as they do in people’s homes.
And finally before we move to questions, all of us must continue not to just remember FACTS but in everything we do, abide by the rules that are encapsulated in that FACTS campaign.
These are the five basic rules that will help all of us to contribute to stopping this virus spreading and getting out of control. So those five rules are; · Face coverings in enclosed spaces · Avoid crowded places indoors or outdoors · Clean your hands regularly and remember to clean hard surfaces that you might be touching. · Two metre distancing remains the overall rule. Even perhaps especially if you are mixing with other households indoors, in your own home or elsewhere and lastly · Self-isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the symptoms of COVID that I mentioned earlier. A cough, a temperature, or a loss of, or change in your sense of taste or smell.
If we all do these things, we undoubtedly will continue to see clusters and outbreaks, but all of that will help us keep these contained and stop this virus taking a greater grip of us in terms of wider community transmission.
So, my thanks again to everybody for listening today and for continuing to do the right thing. And please, my usual plea at the end is, please spread this message to as many people as you can, so as many people as possible are following all of this vital health advice.
