Day: August 24, 2020

Landlords encouraged to look forward to new academic year

SafeDeposits Scotland is working with landlords who provide student accommodation to help overcome challenges brought on by Covid-19, as the number of overseas students returning to the UK drops.  

During lockdown, the not-for-profit organisation reached out to landlords and tenants to provide advice and information around changes to the sector due to the pandemic. It works closely with all landlords including those that have been impacted by the decrease in students enrolling this academic year.

The Glasgow-based tenancy deposit scheme holds deposits on behalf of landlords and agents in line with government regulations designed to ensure responsible leasing.

As the sector continues to work towards pre-Covid-19 levels of activity, SafeDeposits Scotland is urging landlords to focus on providing the best renting experience for current tenants, while considering options to diversify their future tenant base.

Mike Smith, operations manager at SafeDeposits Scotland, said: “UK universities expect to see a £2.6 billion shortfall in the next academic year due to the pandemic, with 20% of domestic students not returning to university, and 75% of overseas students not enrolling this September.

“Pre-lockdown, demand for student accommodation in Scotland was notably high. Boasting some of the UK’s top universities, it’s no surprise areas including Aberdeen, Dundee, St Andrews, Glasgow and Edinburgh experienced an influx of students each year looking for housing.

But despite the drop in numbers of students expected to enrol this year, it’s evident there’s faith in the resilience of the sector, with a number of high-profile developments announced in the past month alone.

“Two recent Edinburgh examples of long-term growth within the sector include the new 120-bed purpose built student accommodation complex set to be built at Haymarket, while Unite Student has confirmed plans for a £24 million build of student flats at Meadowbank.”

To understand the concerns of landlords in the private rented sector during these unprecedented times more clearly, SafeDeposits Scotland carried out research to find out how they have coped during lockdown and how they feel about leasing property in the new academic year. 

Mike explained: “We’re confident demand for student housing will return, whether it is in the private rented sector or for purpose-built accommodation. However, until we have a clearer picture of what future academic enrolment figures are like, landlords could consider alternative ways to lease properties.

A good example is renting to young professionals that are looking to move away from home for the first time. The demands of these tenants are similar to students in the private rented sector, and it can be a way of keeping properties occupied until we know more about the future of higher education. 

“We recently carried out research with our landlords that are renting to students. This revealed that almost half (43%) secured new tenancies during lockdown while almost three quarters (73%) of this group expressed concerns around what this academic year will look like for them. 

“To alleviate concerns, we’ve been working closely with landlords to ensure the tenants they do have in place now have the best experience. To support, we’ve moved our face-to-face workshops online to offer free advice and information. Our Charitable Trust has also recently announced its funding towards research being carried out by the University of Stirling. This research is exploring the benefits of allowing tenants more flexibility to make a house a home.

“We believe having happy tenants leads to longer tenancies, creating more vibrant communities where people want to live. This boosts local economies and helps increase demand for rental property in that area.

“The property sector has been resilient during past economic challenges, but the full impact of the pandemic is yet to be seen. We know the government is working hard to support international students hoping to return to Scotland to continue their higher education studies. This will have a hugely positive impact for our landlords who rely on overseas students to rent their properties, and hopefully we will see the results of this work.

“In the short term, we urge landlords to implement safety guidance from the Scottish Government and manage risk wherever possible, while tenants adhere to the measures put in place.”

Eat Out To Help Out is helping high streets – but Government calls to get people back to the office is falling on deaf ears

  • Good weather and Eat Out To Help Out has boosted high street footfall
  • But retail and hospitality jobs at risk as office workers continue to stay away
  • Think tank warns this may not be sustained as we head into autumn

New data from the Centre for Cities High Street Recovery Tracker reveals that Eat Out To Help Out is helping the high street, but workers are resisting the Government’s calls to get back to the office – with average weekday city centre footfall showing no change at all since early July. 

Using mobile phone data, the tracker shows that the Eat Out to Help Out scheme has encouraged more people to visit city and town centres. On average on Monday to Wednesday evenings in early August visitor numbers were 8 percentage points higher than in late July.

But the scheme has been less effective in large cities. In London, the number of city centre visitors on Eat Out to Help Out nights was just 3 percentage points higher than the same nights in late July – one of the lowest increases in the UK. In contrast, average footfall on Eat Out to Help Out nights in small cities was on average 10 percentage points higher than in late July and in medium sized cities it was 14 percentage points higher. 

Seaside towns appear to have been some of the biggest beneficiaries of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and the good weather. With a 23 percentage point increase in Monday to Wednesday night visitors, Bournemouth has had the biggest Eat Out To Help Out boom. Meanwhile Southend, Blackpool and Brighton have also benefited.

Where is the Eat Out To Help Out Scheme encouraging city and town centre visitors?
RankCity or town centreBiggest percentage point increase in Mon-Wed night visitors from late Jul to early AugRankCity or townSmallest percentage point increase in Mon-Wed night visitors from late Jul to early Aug
1Bournemouth231Aberdeen-3
2Southend222Basildon0
3Dundee213Aldershot3
4Doncaster204London3
5Peterborough195Barnsley4
6Swansea196Blackburn4
7Ipswich197Sheffield5
8Middlesbrough188Wigan6
9Milton Keynes189Manchester6
10Blackpool1810Mansfield6
UK city average: 8 percentage point change from late July to early August (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)Source: Locomizer
       

Workers are showing no signs of getting back to the office…

The number of workers heading back to the office has increased in fewer than half of the UK’s biggest city and town centres.

In central London and Manchester, early August weekday footfall rose by just one percentage point compared to the early July. While Leeds, Bristol and Nottingham all saw no change and in Birmingham city centre the number of workers has fallen this summer.

The persistently low numbers of workers going back into city centres, particularly in big cities, reinforces the concerns for the future of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars that depend on office workers for custom.      

Where are people heading back to the office?
RankCity or town centreBiggest percentage point INCREASE in worker footfall between w/c 29 Jun and w/c 3 AugRankCity or townBiggest percentage point DECREASE in worker footfall between w/c 29 Jun and w/c 3 Aug
1Ipswich81Blackburn-15
2Dundee52Basildon-10
3Swansea53Plymouth-7
4Cardiff44Northampton-6
5Liverpool35Gloucester-6
6Edinburgh36Barnsley-5
7Bournemouth37Aberdeen-4
8Newcastle38Blackpool-4
9Glasgow29Wakefield-4
10Middlesbrough210Slough-4
UK city average: 0 percentage point change from w/c 29 June to 11 AugustSource: Locomizer
       

Summer has bought better news for businesses in some places. Seaside towns in particular have seen some of the biggest boosts in visitors since the beginning of July with Bournemouth, Blackpool, Southend and Brighton all seeing increases.

But, again, overall footfall in bigger cities is much weaker than in smaller places. Central London’s overall footfall increased by just five percentage points since early July, and Manchester and Leeds’ by 7 percentage points. On the other hand, footfall in small cities increased by 14 percentage points and medium-sized cities by 18 percentage points over the same period.

Where has had the biggest increase in footfall?
RankCity or town centreBiggest percentage point increase in footfall between w/c 29 Jun and w/c 3 AugRankCity or townSmallest percentage point increase in footfall between w/c 29 Jun and w/c 3 Aug
1Bournemouth591Blackburn-5
2Blackpool512Basildon-1
3York353Bradford0
4Dundee324Northampton3
5Southend315Luton4
6Brighton316Aldershot4
7Edinburgh307London5
8Swansea268Mansfield5
9Plymouth229Wakefield6
10Exeter2210Aberdeen6
UK city average: 11 percentage point change from w/c 29 June to 11 AugustSource: Locomizer
       

Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive Andrew Carter said: “Good weather and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme have helped increase the number of visitors to city and town centres.

“But a question mark remains over whether the footfall increase that we have seen this summer can be sustained into the autumn without the good weather and Government incentive – particularly with so many people still working from home.  

“Shops, restaurants and pubs face an uncertain future while office workers remain at home. So, in the absence of a big increase in people returning to the office, the Government must set out how it will support the people working in city centre retail and hospitality who could well find themselves out of a job by Christmas.”

Simple mini-workout for those managing health conditions – or anyone else, really!

Designed for people managing long term health conditions but also useful for those have gotten out of the way of being active, find activity challenging or have trouble getting started, this resource from the ‘We Are Undefeatable’ campaign is excellent.

The attached ‘Five in Five’ booklet presents a simple template: choose 5 exercises from the activity library and do each one for 1 minute, adding up to a 5 minute mini-workout.

Have a look and please share it with anyone you think might be interested.

WeAreUndefeatable_FiveInFive_Booklet-1-1Download

There’s more info at https://weareundefeatable.co.uk/

John Brennan | Senior Health Promotion Specialist (Physical Activity) | NHS Lothian Health Promotion Service |07776 225 778

Nostalgia’s worth £ millions

Investing in THESE Toys Can Make You a Millionaire

  • Hot Wheels have the most monthly searches at 894,500, with the most valuable car said to be worth £134,000.
  • Trading Cards have sold for the highest amount, with a Honus Wagner 1909 card being sold for £2.9m. 
  • Disney VHS Tapes have the least amount of monthly searches and have sold on eBay for £11,000. 

Over the past 6 months, we’ve all had a lot of extra time on our hands and have been using that time to clear out all the nooks and crannies in our homes that have been untouched for years. 

These clear outs have filled our hearts with nostalgia, as we go through old photo albums, clothes that no longer fit and childhood toys. 

Although toys might not seem likely contenders for items to invest in, if you are able to come across the right ones and keep them in perfect condition, you may have hit the jackpot! 

The experts at OnBuy’s Toy Department decided to look into some of the most valuable toys and games that could earn you a fortune. 

ITEMNUMBER OF MONTHLY SEARCHESHIGHEST RECORDED AMOUNT SOLD FOR ($/£)
Comic Book284,200$3.2m / £2.4m
Trading Cards20,800$3.8m / £2.9m
Toy Cars (Hot Wheels)894,500$175k / £134k
Dolls (Barbie)675,000$303k / £231k
Beanie Babies153,800$600k / £458k
Board Games560,900$147k / £112k
Disney VHS Tapes6,500$15k / £11k

The Highlights

With a monthly search of 20,800, the highest amount recorded for the purchase of a Trading Card is said to be £2.9m ($3.8m) for a Honus Wagner 1909 card. 

Other specific Trading Cards of value include Magic: The Gathering Alpha Black Lotus card, Yu-Gi-Oh Black Luster Soldier card and a Pokémon Holographic First Edition Charizard. 

Having the fourth most monthly searches with 284,200, Comic Books are big in the investing game too.

In 2014, a first edition of Action Comics from 1938 sold on Ebay for just over £2.4m when the bidder had only put it up for 99 cents (76p). Other comics of similar value include Detective Comics, Amazing Fantasy and Marvel. 

With 153,800 monthly searches, the most expensive sold bundle of Beanie Babies in the world, that went for £458,000 ($600,000), was a large Wallace, two regular sized Wallace’s, Cashew and Huggy.

Other valuable Beanie Babies include Rainbow, Valentino, Princess the Bear, Bubbles and Piccadilly Attic. 

Having the second most monthly searches at 675,000, the most expensive Barbie doll ever sold was the Stefani Canturi doll, which went for £231,000 in 2010 due to the necklace the doll sported having been designed by Stefano Canturi and featured emerald-cut pink diamonds.

Other dolls worth value include Original Barbie (1959), Marie Antoinette Barbie and Pink Jubilee Barbie.

Hot Wheels cars have the highest number of monthly searches standing at 894,500 and one of the rarer finds is said to be worth £134,000 the 1969 pink, rear-loading Beach Bomb. 

Currently standing at 560,900 monthly searches, the original Monopoly game made in 1933 was sold at an auction for £112,000. 

Lastly with the least amount of monthly searches, the most successful Disney VHS tape was sold on eBay for £11,478 ($15,000) – it was the Beauty and the Beast Black Diamond.  

Churchill and Scotland: First scholarly research appeal launched

The official society studying the life and work of Winston Churchill has published an edition of its journal Finest Hour dedicated to Churchill and Scotland with a foreword by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

The society is also launching an appeal for more information about Churchill’s many associations with Scotland to enable further study about how the famous wartime Prime Minister and the Scottish people affected one another.

The International Churchill Society (ICS), the official Churchill society founded in 1968, is among the first to collate and consider Churchill’s numerous but not always well-known connections to Scotland. 

Churchill said that the three most important things he received from Scotland were his wife, his constituency, and his regiment.

HGF9BY 1916.Churchill as Lieutenant-Colonel,commanding the 6th Battalion.the Royal Scots Fusiliers.Near Ploegstreert, Belgium. A Sinclair on WSC’s right.

During the First World War, he commanded the 6th Battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the Western Front in 1916. His two leading officers were both future Scottish political leaders. Andrew Dewar Gibb, a founding member and subsequent leader of the SNP (1936–1940) was Churchill’s adjutant, and Archibald Sinclair, a future leader of the Liberal Party (1935–45), was his second-in-command. Both men are pictured seated next to Churchill with the other officers of the battalion in May 1916 (above). 

Churchill was the Liberal MP for Dundee for fourteen years. First elected in 1908, he was re-elected to the seat four times before finally losing (to a Prohibitionist candidate!) in 1922. The same year Churchill was elected to Dundee, he married Clementine Hozier, a granddaughter of the tenth Earl of Airlie.

In 1912, Churchill was among the first senior British politicians to call for Scottish home rule and UK federalism. He received his first government appointment from Scottish prime minister, Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman in 1906. He was close friends with the former Prime Minister Lord Rosebery, in his time a highly regarded Scottish politician. 

Despite Churchill having had many other personal and professional connections with Scotland, there is little in the country today to mark his presence. Two plaques to his time in Dundee were erected in 2008, and there is an outstanding portrait of him by Scotland’s Sir James Guthrie in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. Otherwise, there are merely a handful of busts around the country including a miniature sculpture in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum. 

The International Churchill Society is launching a fresh appeal for new stories, facts, photos, and diaries about Churchill’s time in Scotland to expand the field of study further. The team is looking to publish a book in the coming year. 

Gordon Brown, former British prime minister (2007–10) said: 

“So much has been written about every aspect of Winston Churchill’s life that it is surprising that one important area—his relationship with Scotland—has commanded so little attention. 

“That is why this set of essays in Finest Hour must start to rectify this and rescues Churchill’s Scottish connections from the condescension of posterity.”

David Freeman, the editor of Finest Hour, said: 

“It’s so rare to find something new to say about Churchill and lo and behold it was right in front of us. There’s a compelling case that England’s greatest Englishman should also be a celebrated hero in Scotland.

“The connections are innumerable and substantial, and we’re thrilled to be among the first to bring these together formally. Finest Hour, our subscription magazine, is free to view this month to kick start this conversation. If you’re sitting with old photos or other memorabilia from one of his many trips to Scotland, please get in touch.”

Allen Packwood, Director of the Churchill Archives, said:

“Churchill is often thought of and referred to as a quintessentially English figure, but this overlooks a multitude of Scottish connections. I am certain that there is new material awaiting discovery in attics and basements that will shed more light on his reception, connections and activities in Scotland.

“We’re delighted to start that process with our dedicated team of academics and enthusiasts, and this is a conversation that we’re delighted to begin with Scotland and, indeed, the world.”

Please get in touch at Scotland@winstonchurchill.org if you would like to learn more or have information on Churchill and Scotland you would like to share with the team. 

SJIB and Unite the Union welcome consultation calling for regulation of electricians

The Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) and Unite the Union have welcomed the launch of a consultation exercise which it is hoped will lead to the introduction of a Member’s Bill calling for regulation of electricians.

Both organisations are supporting the proposed Bill, which MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston plans to put forward following the new consultation announced last week.

The Bill by the Conservative MSP for the Highlands and Islands is calling for the introduction of protection of title, which would ensure that only properly qualified and experienced professionals could call themselves an electrician.

Mr Halcro Johnston said: “Poor quality work has potentially dangerous consequences and presents a risk to neighbours and a financial cost to insurers, as well as placing our emergency services unnecessarily in harm’s way.

“The proposed Bill would ensure that electricians undertaking work are qualified to do so and effectively registered. This will not only benefit the end consumer, but also the electrical industry, which depends on the trust of the wider public.

“Unfortunately, due to restrictions on parliamentary time, my Bill won’t be able to get through during the current parliamentary session. However, by doing this, we have started a process which could lead to an historic and long overdue change after the 2021 election.”

The launch of the consultation was endorsed by the SJIB, which is one of the many organisations backing a rapidly-growing campaign for recognition of electrician as a profession.

Fiona Harper, The Secretary of the SJIB, said: “This consultation is the first part of a very important journey to ensure that only those who are appropriately qualified and experienced are allowed to call themselves an electrician.

“It adds further momentum to the industry’s commitment to improve consumer safety and is another important milestone in protecting people and businesses across Scotland.

“We would like to thank Mr Halcro Johnston for his hard work in getting this important matter to this stage and we look forward to seeing its development.”

Pat Rafferty, Unite Scotland Regional Secretary, added: “This announcement is another step on the road to protecting the reputation of properly qualified electricians, both now and for the next generation.

“Ensuring that skills, qualifications and competence are properly protected will underpin the future of our industry and help raise the bar across our profession as a whole.”

However, Fiona added: “Momentum is everything, so it’s vital that regulation happens as soon as possible. Every day we spend debating is another day that the public are exposed to shoddy and sub-standard electrical work, performed by so-called electricians with no qualifications at all.”

The SJIB and Unite are among the organisations supporting the #BackTheBrick campaign spearheaded by SELECT, Scotland’s largest trade association.

The association has been pressing the Scottish Government for regulation of electricians and has received significant support from MPs, MSPs and major organisations. In May, Liberal-Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton and SNP MP Alan Brown added their names to the SELECT Wall of Support, following in the footsteps of  the 32 MSPs who vowed to support the campaign in November 2019.

The issue has already been debated in the Scottish Parliament, with an Electricians Working Group convened to explore the challenges of ensuring the safety of electrical installations and protecting consumers.

  • The consultation can be responded to here and is open until Tuesday 10 November 2020.

TOGETHER: Men’s Support Service at Pilton Community Health Project

TOGETHER is Pilton Community Health Project’s new support service for men!

Upcoming events include walks & mindfulness sessions, as well as one-to-one support.

Find out more:

Website: https://buff.ly/2Yb1lZK
Facebook: https://buff.ly/334vdtX…

See more

Survey: Research on communities and active travel

The Scottish Community Development Centre has been commissioned by Sustrans to research how and why communities engage (or don’t engage) with active travel projects

SCDC wants to hear from all types and sizes of community and voluntary organisations across the country.

Wherever you are on your active travel journey your experience matters: from those who have never even considered an active travel project to those that are thinking and planning on to those who have successfully completed one.

It doesn’t matter the focus of your organisation – Sustrans would like to know how they can work with all sections of our communities to deliver the benefits of active travel to everyone.

Complete the short (ten-minute maximum) survey by clicking on the link below. Closes Friday 28th August at midnight:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/communities_and_active_travel

Back to skool

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today made a direct appeal to parents to return their children to the classroom when schools reopen in England next week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I have previously spoken about the moral duty to reopen schools to all pupils safely, and I would like to thank the school staff who have spent the summer months making classrooms Covid-secure in preparation for a full return in September.

“We have always been guided by our scientific and medical experts, and we now know far more about coronavirus than we did earlier this year.

“As the Chief Medical Officer has said, the risk of contracting Covid-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and well-being to be away from school any longer.

“This is why it’s vitally important that we get our children back into the classroom to learn and to be with their friends. Nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school.”

Chief Medical Officers and Deputy Chief Medical Officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales made a weekend statement on the evidence of risks and benefits to health from schools and childcare settings reopening, which says:

  • We are confident in the extensive evidence that there is an exceptionally small risk of children of primary or secondary school age dying from COVID-19. The infection fatality rate (proportion of those who are infected who die) for those aged 5 to 14 is estimated at 14 per million, lower than for most seasonal flu infections.
  • We are confident that there is clear evidence of a very low rate of severe disease in children of primary and secondary school ages compared to adults, even if they catch COVID-19. The percentage of symptomatic cases requiring hospitalisation is estimated to be 0.1% for children aged 0 to 9 and 0.3% among those aged 10 to 19, compared to a hospitalisation rate of over 4% in the UK for the general population. Most of these children make a rapid recovery.
  • We are confident that there is clear evidence from many studies that the great majority of children and teenagers who catch COVID-19 have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
  • Control measures such as hand and surface hygiene, cohorting to reduce number of daily contacts, and directional controls to reduce face-to-face contact remain key elements of maintaining COVID-19 secure school environments and minimising risk.

Children return to school in Northern Ireland this morning, while Welsh children go back next month.

Pupils in Scotland start their second full week of school this morning, and parents are reminded to observe guidelines on social distancing.

Steps include:

  • Limiting the number of family members at drop off and pick ups where possible
  • Following the specific guidance issued to them from their schools
  • Following national advice on keeping two metres apart.

Edinburgh’s Education Convener Cllr Ian Perry said: “We realise it will take time for parents and pupils to get used to the new arrangements around our schools and I want to thank everyone who has been following the advice such as dropping children off away from schools gates so there is no overcrowding.

“We would urge everyone to remember the physical distancing guidelines they have been following so well for the past few months as these also apply outside our schools. Please take on board these simple steps so we can keep everyone safe.”

Education Vice Convener Cllr Alson Dickie said: “Each school is different so specific advice has been issued to parents about the best ways to help with physical distancing at drop off and pick up times.

“Discussions between parents and schools will continue as we find solutions that best support each school. In addition a number of temporary measures have also been put in place as part of our Spaces for People programme to give pupils and their families safer access so they can physically distance using buggies, wheelchairs and other mobility aids.

“We are continuing to encourage parents/carers to travel to school by walking, cycling and scooting where possible so please follow the national guidance so we can keep the virus suppressed.”

Silverknowes Golf Club CLOSED

Silverknowes Golf Club issued the following statement last night:

We found out this morning that a member entered the clubhouse on Saturday morning for a very brief period of time, after having returned from Spain. He did not self isolate and we have been left with no other option but to close the club.

Myself and the staff have santised all of the clubhouse today but as a precautionary measure, we are closing the club for 72 hours. If you were in the clubhouse on Saturday and show signs of Covid please contact us as soon as possible so we may inform the track and trace team.

The club will be open for business on Thursday unless there are any repercussion from this.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter and I hope you appreciate that your safety and the staffs are paramount to us.

Regards

Carol

The Norhet Bar in Davidsons Mains has appealed to any customers who visited Silverknowes Golf Club on Saturday to stay away as a safety precaution.

Meanwhile, life in Aberdeen will begin to get back to something like normal this week ….

Following a SGORR meeting yesterday (Sunday 23 August) the First Minister has set out a timeline for the lifting of travel restrictions, limits on indoor meetings and the opening of hospitality.

A number of restrictions were lifted at midnight tonight so that today (Monday 24 August) Aberdeen will be broadly in line with the rest of Scotland. The five-mile travel limit, restrictions on gatherings and limitations on hospital and care home visits will be lifted.

Businesses due to open in line with the national route map can also reopen, with the exception of cafes, restaurants or any hospitality element within them.

These, along with restaurants, pubs, casinos and other hospitality premises, will be able to open from Wednesday 26 August, only once an environmental health check has been completed.

Hospitality business owners are being urged to get in touch with Aberdeen City Council if they have not already had an environmental health check.

The SGORR meeting included partners from Aberdeen City Council, NHS Grampian and Police Scotland, and heard the latest update from the Incident Management Team on the level of the virus and its transmission in Aberdeen.

The latest figures show a total of 427 cases have been identified in the Grampian Health Board area since 26 July. Of these 259 are associated with the same cluster linked to Aberdeen pubs, and 1,258 contacts have now been identified from those.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am grateful to people in Aberdeen – the local authority and health board, local businesses, and everyone who lives there – for complying so well with the rules that were put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In particular I am grateful for the understanding of the businesses that were required to close in order to help beat the virus.

“It’s due to the commitment of people in the city, as well as world class contact tracing that means we are now able to lift some of these measures from Monday and then again from Wednesday, but it is vitally important that everyone follows the FACTS rules in order to prevent an outbreak of this scale occurring again.

“That way we can move forward and get our economy, our society and our lives generally back to as much normality as possible.”

Susan Webb, Director of Public Health for NHS Grampian said: “We must be cautious to ensure the progress we have made is maintained.

“Crucially, we must all be observing physical distancing from those not in our immediate household; whether at work, meeting socially, in a supermarket or out for exercise and recreation. It is also vitally important that anyone identified as a close contact of a detected case follows the guidance on isolating for 14 days.”

The Scottish Government has not ruled out extending restrictions if necessary to protect public health.

Remember FACTS for a safer Scotland:

F – Face coverings. These should be used in shops and on public transport (buses, trains and taxis)
A – Avoid crowded places.
C – Clean your hands frequently, using water and soap whenever possible.
T – Two metres – observe physical distancing.
S – Self-isolate and book a test if you are suffering from COVID-19 symptoms.