*Energy Price Cap extended until end of 2021, protecting around 11 million UK households from being overcharged
*households on standard variable and default energy tariffs will continue to save between £75 and £100 a year on dual fuel bills
*2.8 million electricity and 2.1 million gas customers switched supplier in the first six months of 2020
Around 11 million households across the UK will be protected from being overcharged on their energy bills thanks to an extension to the government’s Energy Price Cap until the end of next year.
The Energy Price Cap shields those least likely to shop around for the best deals – including the elderly and most vulnerable – from being charged excessive prices.
Since its introduction in January 2019, the cap has saved customers around £1 billion a year, equivalent to around £75-100 a year for typical households on default energy tariffs.
An additional 4 million households with prepayment meters on default tariffs will also come under the protection of the cap from January.
Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said: The Energy Price Cap has been vital in ensuring customers do not pay too much on their bills, which is why we are keeping it in place for at least another year.
“Switching energy supplier to find the best value deals is still the best way to save on bills, but this government is determined to make sure all customers are treated fairly and get the protection they deserve.”
In addition to the price cap, millions of customers have been able to benefit from lower bills as the numbers of those switching to cheaper tariffs has increased and the rollout of smart meters has progressed in recent years.
A total of 2.8 million electricity and 2.1 million gas customers switched supplier in the first 6 months of 2020, building on record numbers of households switching to cheaper tariffs in 2019, the first full year of the Energy Price Cap.
However, more than half of customers are still on standard variable or default tariffs, where, in the absence of the cap, they would likely still be paying excessive charges for energy use.
In August, the independent energy regulator, Ofgem, recommended an extension to the cap following a review into the market. Today’s announcement follows that recommendation.
The Energy Price Cap extension is the latest government measure to help vulnerable customers with their energy bills and follows particular support during the coronavirus pandemic.
Energy suppliers have given prepayment and pay-as-you-go customers support when they faced financial distress.
Those with prepayment meters have also benefited from a price cap that is in place until the end of the year.
Today’s announcement means a further 4 million households with prepayment meters on default tariffs will continue to be protected from excessive prices by the wider Energy Price Cap once the Competition and Market Authority’s Prepayment Meter Cap expires at the end of 2020.
Jonathan Brearley, Chief Executive of Ofgem, said: The Secretary of State’s announcement means that 15 million households will continue to be protected under the price cap and will pay a fair price for their energy in 2021.
“Although those protected by the cap are paying a fair price, they can also reduce their energy bills further by shopping around for a better deal.
“Ofgem will continue to protect consumers in the difficult months ahead as we work with industry and government to build a greener, fairer energy system.”
Natalie Hitchins, Head of Home Products and Services at Which?, said:“With energy bills expected to rise and tighter coronavirus restrictions returning to many parts of the country, it is good to see the regulator taking steps to protect vulnerable customers and ensure they can stay warm this winter.
“Anyone facing financial difficulty or struggling to pay their energy bills should speak to their provider about what support may be available to them. Households could also potentially save themselves hundreds of pounds a year by switching to a provider offering a cheaper deal and possibly better customer service.”
Customers looking for cheaper energy deals can compare deals with Which? Switch, a transparent and impartial way to compare energy tariffs and find the best gas and electricity supplier for you.
Which? calculates that a medium user (using 12,000kWh gas and 2,900kWh electricity per year) on a dual-fuel default tariff at the level of the current price cap could save up to £221 by switching to the cheapest deal on the market. Based on widely-available tariffs available across England, Scotland and Wales, paying by monthly direct debit, with paperless bills. Data is from Energylinx and correct on 13 October 2020.
Overuse of technology and excessive screen time for Brits can be detrimental to physical and mental health, so here are seven ways to reduce screen time:
The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way Brits stay connected with friends, family and colleagues, as we have been kept physically apart.
We are all spending more time at home and staying connected virtually, but it can be hard not to have an entire day consumed by technology.
The experts at CE Safety have researched and revealed seven easy to action tips to help reduce screen time and improve Brits wellbeing.
CE Safety recommends undergoing small but effective day to day changes such as taking fewer pictures, switching electronics to grayscale, and having tech-free zones around the house like the bathroom.
Research has shown that low levels of happiness are associated with increased smartphone usage, and social media can contribute to feelings of loneliness.
Excessive technology and smartphone usage also negatively impacts sleep. With heightened anxiety and stress due to the coronavirus and lockdown, additional screen time will not help.
A spokesperson for CE Safety says: “Technology does solve many problems and can help with communicating with people. There is also an endless amount of information at our fingertips.
“But it can be distracting, time-consuming and addictive. Nomophobia is a real term to describe a growing fear in today’s world—the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact.
“We think everyone should be more aware of their technology and smartphone usage, and look to make small changes to improve their screen time, and ultimately improve their wellbeing.”
Establish tech-free zones.
There are a few locations around the house that mobiles and laptops aren’t needed. From the dining room to the bathroom, try to keep your phone in your pocket. Our parents and grandparents survived just fine without taking a phone to the bathroom.
Switch to grayscale.
Laptops and smartphones allow you to turn your screen or display grey. As a result, this will remove all the attractive, eye-catching colours from your screen. Not only is it better for your eyesight but the visual appeal is also lost.
You can even schedule greyscale or ‘night mode’ across devices now to help soften the colours your eyes consume before bedtime.
Don’t take as many pictures.
Taking pictures with your smartphone has become second-nature. A birthday party, sporting event, and holidays are all picture worthy events and Brits tend to snap at every opportunity. But in an effort to reduce your screen time, try not to take as many photos and cherish the moment for what it is, rather than turning to a smartphone at the first opportunity.
Be aware of your screen time and set time limits
Ignorance is bliss, but in this case, we’d advise making the effort to track the time you actually spend staring at screens each day. There are plenty of tools and apps that will do this for you, and iPhones track your screen time automatically and tell you how many minutes you are spending on each app.
Many Brits might be surprised at just how long they spend glued to the screen. What else could you do with that time? Go for a run? Do some cooking? Read a book?
Don’t watch the TV in bed
Try and watch TV or films from your living room rather than in your bed. Watching from your couch makes it easier to stop watching that next episode on Netflix. You want as little blue light as possible before going to bed. Also, try and turn off the TV when you’re not actually watching it.
Don’t charge your phone in the bedroom
We advise not to charge your phone next to your bed as it might tempt you to check for messages. Looking at your phone’s screen just before bed has been shown to disrupt sleep patterns.
Get your news in one place
The internet provides us with a wealth of ways to access news. But trawling through social media and news headlines to make sense of the latest events can keep users glued to the device. Try and find a reliable news source you like, and stick to it.
A virtual fun-day with activities for children and advice for parents is being held during the school holidays as part of a campaign launched to support families in Edinburgh.
The All of Us family fun day on Thursday, October 22, will have 15 online sessions, including story time, children’s yoga, a scavenger hunt and advice for one-parent families, which are being put on by organisations from across the city.
Some sessions will be hosted on Facebook, while people will need to sign up for others in advance.
All of Us was launched by NSPCC Scotland and Edinburgh Child Protection Committee earlier this year to help people find out where to get support and advice with parenting or other worries about family life and where to turn if they had concerns about a child.
At the start of the year a number of community events were held across the city but further ones were cancelled because of Covid-19, and all activities were moved online, including the family fun-day.
In April, the partnership brought together information on its web page about organisations and contacts where families could go for help and support during lockdown. This resource has continued to be regularly updated.
Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland local campaigns manager, said: “Because of the pandemic, this year has been extremely difficult for so many families, who have faced financial pressures, relationship strains, isolation and ill-health.
“But we want people to know that support is still out there and if they or someone they know is struggling then it is important they feel that they can seek and get help.
“Our family fun-day, as well as providing some enjoyable activities for children and parents during the school holiday, will be an opportunity for adults to get some advice, such as how to help keep kids safe online.
“There are still spaces left, so please look on our website and find out about the different sessions we are running.”
Jackie Irvine, Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said: “Protecting young people and supporting families remains a priority for us, and we want everyone across the city to be aware of where to turn for help if they or someone they know is struggling.
“And we really hope people will join us for our fun-day, which has a wide range of activities for children and some advice for parents. We are really pleased to see so many local organisations taking part.”
The campaign is also raising awareness among communities and professionals about the early signs of child neglect and how to help families who are struggling. Two new webinars have been produced about the role that everyone can play in preventing neglect and helping to raise happy healthy children in Edinburgh.
One of the webinars is designed for parents and wider community members and describes what neglect is, its causes and signs and what people can do if they are worried about someone else’s child or need some support themselves. The other is for professionals and gives some insight into working with families in Edinburgh.
The 20-minute long webinars, which are free and can be watched until 28 February, 2021, can be accessed here.
To find out more about our fun-day programme visit www.edinburgh.gov.uk/allofus. People will need to sign up for some events in advance and the session organiser will then contact them with details of how to take part on the day.
For parenting advice and support visit NSPCC helpline or call 0808 800 5000, weekdays 8am to 10pm and weekends 9am to 6pm. People can also contact Social Care Direct on 0131 200 2324.
THE Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is changing how it recruits wholetime firefighters to further enhance the safety of communities.
The Service will move away from national intakes which traditionally took place over a four-week period, resulting in up to 6,000 applications from across Scotland.
Recruitment will now be open year-round with shifting regional focuses through the East, North and West of the country aimed at meeting local workforce needs.
The change will also ensure more regular intakes of new firefighters who are not only trained to protect their communities but work to prevent risk from occurring.
This comes as the Service prepares to open recruitment for wholetime firefighters, with a focus on the North and East of Scotland, later this month.
Liz Barnes is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Director of People and Organisational Development. She said: “We are putting firefighter recruitment back into the communities we protect, with localised recruitment efforts based entirely on local needs.
“Rather than recruiting nationally and selecting candidates from a larger pool of applicants, we will now be targeting our recruitment at where it is needed most.
“This means that our firefighters will be recruited from the area, train in the area, and work in the area they applied for – and by moving to open-recruitment, we can ensure a steady influx of trainees into the Service who will go on to protect their communities.”
While recruitment will remain open year-round, applicants will prioritised for the region that is currently recruiting – applicants should not apply if they are not prepared to work in the recruiting area.
Anyone who wishes to apply for the role will be able to see which area the Service is currently recruiting for online, through the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website or social media, or on the national recruitment platform MyJobScotland.
Director Barnes (above) continued: “It is absolutely vital that anyone who wishes to apply does so at the right time. For example, if we are currently recruiting in the North of Scotland, you should not apply if you are living in Glasgow and unwilling to work in the North of the country.
“Instead, take the time to work on your application, and make sure that it is the best it can be ahead of recruitment opening for the area in which you wish to work.”
Selected applicants will undergo a series of online psychometric tests designed to test their suitability for the role of a firefighter.
Candidates will then attend regional practical selection and selection centres.
More details on the opening of wholetime recruitment will be announced this week.
Director Barnes added: “This is an incredible opportunity for people to work in and protect the communities that they know and love.”
Two Edinburgh businesses have come together to offer visitors an authentic tour of the capital from guides who truly know the stories of the city.
Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel is exclusively partnering with social enterprise Invisible Cities to offer guests a bespoke tour of Edinburgh from one of their specially trained guides, all of who have experienced homelessness in the city.
The team behind Invisible Cities has created specially crafted tours for hotel guests, starting at Charlotte Square and making their way through the iconic sights of Edinburgh. Along the way guides will share some lesser known stories, about how the city was built and why the names were chosen for some of the city’s most historical streets.
Tours are conducted with physical distancing in mind and in line with the latest local guidelines meaning that same household, support bubbles or small groups travelling together in a bubble will be able to join.
Invisible Cities is a social enterprise that is dedicated to training people affected by homelessness to become walking tour guides in the city where they live. Through the unique training that Invisible Cities provides, the guides are empowered to create their own tours highlighting famous landmarks but more importantly sharing their own inspiring stories and experiences.
Kimpton has always been committed to caring for our community, caring for guests, and caring for the environment. We believe that the communities and neighbourhoods we inhabit are the fabric of who we are.
Kieran Quinn, General Manager at Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, said:“In the last few months the tourism industry has gone through an incredibly difficult time but it has been heart-warming to see our community in Edinburgh come together in support of one another.
“The partnership with Invisible Cities feels like the perfect way to support an extremely important enterprise and also welcome guests back to Edinburgh in a meaningful way.”
Kieran Quinn added: “Kimpton has always been committed to caring for our community, caring for guests and caring for the environment. We believe that our communities and neighbourhoods are the fabric of who we are.
“Now more than ever, people are looking for deeper connections when travelling Invisible Cities has created tours specifically for our guests that are not only a true insider’s guide to Auld Reekie but are also a chance to support an innovative business who are striving to change people’s lives for the better.”
Zakia Moulaoui, Founder of Invisible Cities, said: “We are lucky enough to be able to offer visitors a truly special walking tour of the city from unique voices who have experienced the best and worst of the streets where they live.
“At the moment it feels important to regain a sense of community after everything that the tourism industry has gone through during the pandemic. Working with Kimpton Charlotte Square is an incredible opportunity for two celebrated businesses to come together and champion each other as well as the inspirational tour guides we have the pleasure to work alongside.”
Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel is one of four Kimpton Hotels in the UK, including Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel, Kimpton Fitzroy London and Kimpton Clocktower Hotel in Manchester. Kimpton was recently named the fifth best company to work for on the 2019 FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list, the company’s 10th year on the highly coveted list.
Double rooms at Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel start from £180.
Edinburgh Cycle Hire has reported growth of 119% between September 2019 and 2020. Over 221,000 trips were made during that time, eclipsing growth reported by other UK cycle schemes and the record set by the company last year.
The scheme has seen exponential growth with average trips per day up by 46%. This is due in part to the 75 new hire stations installed at sites across the city including Montgomery Street and Belford Road next to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (Modern One) and Dean Gallery.
Other sites included West Crosscauseway, Corstorphine Road and Craigleith Road. These are areas previously not served by a cycle scheme and is part of a strategy to create a cycling network for the city as an alternative to short car journeys.
New users to Edinburgh Cycle Hire have totalled more than 34,000 bringing the overall to 57,000 customers cycling in and around the city. Earlier in 2020 the popular scheme was extended into South Queensferry with start/end journeys totally nearly 4,500 in the first six months and 1,500 new customers joining the scheme. Proving that cycle hire can function as a public transport service, as well as improving inner city connectivity.
George Lowder, Chief Executive, Transport for Edinburgh said: “What makes this performance truly outstanding is that this growth encompasses a period when the country was in lockdown, with homeworking, no Festivals and few visitors in The City.
“The people of Edinburgh have embraced cycling and we will continue to strive to grow the scheme to meet with this increasing demand.”
Alex Macdonald, General Manager Serco said: “We’d like to thank our customers to the moon and back for making the positive choice to cycle.
“Coincidently the one million kilometres our customers have ridden would take them from the moon, to earth and back again.”
Cllr Lesley Mcinnes, Transport and Environment Convenor, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Edinburgh Cycle Hire has proved itself to be an accessible and easy alternative to travelling by car and is a vital part of the city’s sustainable transport network, providing another useful choice of how to get around in Edinburgh.“
The scheme has not been without its challenges: theft and vandalism has been an issue with bikes stolen and dumped in public places and damage to hire points.
Further investment has been made to the cycle hire’s infrastructure to deter this type of anti-social behaviour and maintain the scheme’s sustainability. However, this impacts on delivering services across the city, especially in areas where cycling could become a more accessible mode of transport for many communities.
A partnership has been created with Police Scotland to support efforts to recover stolen bikes and prosecute those who choose to damage the scheme’s infrastructure.
Chief Inspector Neil Wilson, Police Scotland said: “Police Scotland, Edinburgh City Division has been working in close partnership with the Edinburgh Cycle Hire Scheme (ECHS) to address theft of their fleet and vandalism to their infrastructure.
“We have undertaken crime prevention surveys of hire stations throughout the city and we will support ECHS in the implementation of enhanced security measures. Our officers have been briefed on how to spot a stolen bike and regularly undertake targeted patrolling, which has resulted in numerous apprehensions and prosecutions.
“We will continue to develop our approach in partnership with ECHS and would encourage the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity involving the cycle hire network to police.”
The programme is grant-funded by Transport Scotland. The cycle scheme will implement an outreach programme to help people make the choice to walk or cycle for short local journeys, and to encourage groups who were reluctant to cycle feel confident getting on a bike.
In March Edinburgh Cycle Hire took ownership of an additional 68 ebikes through eBike Grant Fund, delivered by Energy Saving Trust and funded by Transport Scotland. These have been a popular choice with nearly 21,000 trips made. Feedback has shown a broader demographic of uptake for ebikes, especially amongst older users, proving that you never really forget how to ride a bike.
During the summer Edinburgh Cycle Hire, in partnership with Sustrans and funding from Transport Scotland responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by providing free passes to NHS Workers to support them with their essential work.
With increasing demand for the scheme, Edinburgh Cycle Hire’s future looks set to continue in a positive direction as the city continues to seek out ways to improve its connectivity in a sustainable way.
Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace has urged members of the UK Armed Forces to support The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal despite changes to the National Service of Remembrance.
The open letter to the armed forces, signed by the Defence Secretary, recognises the huge role the armed forces play in selling poppies and collecting donations for the appeal every year.
Although large public gatherings and fundraising events can’t take place this year, armed forces personnel and members of the public can still show their support by displaying a poppy and joining the 2 minute silence on Remembrance Sunday.
Secretary of State State for Defence, Ben Wallace visited the Poppy Factory in Richmond, London to see how this years poppies are being made by veterans and volunteers.
The open letter:
2020 has been a challenging year but despite these hurdles, we won’t neglect our duty to remember.
Remembrance season traditionally begins with the launch of The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, scheduled this year for the 22 October. Every year, members of the armed forces wear the poppy with pride and help to collect donations from the public – at railway stations, supermarkets, or in our places of work. This year we face unique challenges, but ones that we can work together to overcome and demonstrate our Remembrance with pride.
It is the same can-do spirit that you, alongside our NHS workers, carers and countless volunteers, showed time and again this year as you took part in the nation’s fight back against the virus. Overcoming huge logistical challenges, setting up Nightingales and providing hands-on medical care to those in need.
We faced the same challenge as we marked the 75th anniversaries of VE and VJ Day, but found poignant ways to pay tribute to all those who gave their lives for this country.
This year’s commemorations for Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day will indeed feel different. However, Remembrance will take place in communities large and small across the country and we have now published advice for Local Authorities so that communities can find appropriate ways to pay their respects.
And, as it does every year, The Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal will go ahead, the importance of fundraising to sustain a commitment to the people they support remains as vital as ever. So, maintain those links with local Legion groups and ensure you’re aware of the local guidelines. There are many ways to get involved, and The Legion’s website is packed full of information about this year’s Appeal.
With imagination and determination, you can play your part alongside The Royal British Legion in helping the UK mark this milestone that remains at the heart of our national calendar.
This November we will demonstrate our undiminished respect for those who have gone before, and our firm commitment to the continued safety of the British people.
The Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defence
A Council community hub in Westerhailes has opened as Edinburgh’s newest Covid-19 testing centre as part of the UK Government’s drive to make testing more accessible to local people.
Providing an additional and safe spot for anyone showing symptoms, nearby residents can now pre-book a test at the Gate 55 centre by visiting www.nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or by calling 0800 028 2816.
Anyone attending an appointment will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the centre safely, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.
Adam McVey, Council Leader, said: “Keeping Edinburgh’s residents safe remains our top priority and the best way to do that is by encouraging people to follow the latest guidance and get tested if they have any Covid-19 symptoms.
“We’re already playing our part by providing the Government with staff support and access to the Usher Hall for testing, which has been going really well. It’s helping hundreds of people every week to get tested so I’m pleased that we’re now building on this by opening up our community hub at Gate 55.
” Well-known and well-placed for all West Edinburgh residents, it’s an ideal site to offer easy access to testing. It will prove particularly useful for those in our community who don’t have private transport and for nearby students, if they’re feeling unwell.
Cammy Day, Depute Leader, said: “The Usher Hall site has been fantastic and many students and local people are finding it easy to walk or cycle in to get checked. It isn’t handy for everyone though – particularly those in the West of the city.
“The new option of visiting Gate 55 will provide more choice and a familiar and accessible place for people in Sighthill and Westerhailes. I urge anyone with symptoms to follow the guidance and make sure they get checked out.”
The Gate 55 testing site is open now between 8:00am and 8:00pm and can be found at 55 Sighthill Road, Edinburgh.
Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including while travelling to and from the testing centre.
Anyone who tests positive will be contacted by contact tracers to help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with and protect others from further transmission.
Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from contact tracers, asking them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book at test if they develop symptoms.
Statement given by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Monday 19 October):
Good afternoon, thanks for joining us again today. I will give you the usual report on the COVID statistics first of all. I can report that the total number of positive cases yesterday was 993.
That represents 17.1% of people who were newly tested and 6.4% of the total number of tests that we carried out and I am going to come on later to say a little bit more about these different measurements.
The total number of cases now stands at 47,708. 362 of today’s cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 294 in Lanarkshire, 122 in Lothian and 57 in Ayrshire and Arran.
The remaining cases are spread across the other seven mainland health board areas.
754 people are currently in hospital which is an increase of 40 from yesterday and 61 people are intensive care, that’s two fewer than yesterday.
Now for the eagle-eyed amongst you who follow these figures very closely day-to-day and might have spotted that yesterday’s hospital and ICU figures and today’s don’t exactly tally,
I can tell you there has been a small revision made to the figures reported by Ayrshire and Arran yesterday and that will be shown in the publication that will appear on the website later.
I also regret to say that in the last 24 hours 1 additional death has been registered of a patient who had tested positive over the previous 28 days.
We also reported 15 deaths on Saturday. So since I last stood here to give the daily update on Friday, 16 additional deaths have been registered. And the total number of deaths, under the daily measurement is now 2,610.
That figure is a reminder of the heartbreak that this virus is capable of causing and once again I want to pass on my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
Now I have got a few things I want to briefly update on today. I am going to highlight two points about the daily figures that I have just reported and at the end of my remarks I will look forward to the week ahead and some of the decisions that lie ahead of us.
But briefly first of all, let me just look back. It seems clear from anecdotal reports that people overwhelmingly stuck to the rules over this weekend, including the rules on household gatherings.
And that’s really important – stopping households meeting up indoors is, as you know, crucial to slowing the spread of Covid.
But I am aware that it is also really tough, and it gets tougher with every week that passes.
I just wanted to take the opportunity today to say thank you to everyone who has played a part by following the rules and guidelines. You are making a difference and please be assured of that.
Let me now cover a couple of issues relating to the daily statistics. We reported only 316 new cases yesterday and as you can see that’s far lower than the numbers we have been reporting on previous days.
Now, we are still exploring this with the UK Government but we think this might be because from Friday onwards, quite a large number of tests were diverted from the Lighthouse laboratory in Glasgow, to be processed in other laboratories in the Lighthouse network.
Our understanding – although we do not control this process – is that this was to ensure that the Lighthouse lab in Glasgow didn’t handle more tests, from across the UK, than it had the capacity to deal with promptly.
We also understand that the tests diverted included those of people with symptoms, who had gone to drive-through or walk-in testing centres.
And it stands to reason these people are more likely to test positive than asymptomatic people who are being tested as part of routine care home testing, for example. And that might help to explain why yesterday’s number of positive cases was probably artificially low.
The rerouting of cases was due to stop yesterday and my expectation is that any new cases which we would have expected to see yesterday, will be included in the figures for today and tomorrow, although we continue, as I said earlier, to explore whether there might be any other issues at play here.
Of course this is one reason why – when we consider the number of positive cases – we always look at the trends over a number of days, rather at any single day at a time.
And of course our Test and Protect teams will be working to identify contacts of positive cases as soon as the information about them comes into our case management system.
And I would remind anyone who may be waiting for a test result, that you should of course be continuing to self-isolate while you wait for that. That is a really important part of our collective effort to control the virus.
Now, the other point about our statistics that I want to cover, relates to the percentage of people who test positive for Covid.
And I’m afraid that – as occasionally happens – I’m going to discuss an issue now which is quite technical, but which is important, so please bear with me as I always like to try and give you an understanding of what lies behind our statistics and the reasons for any change in how we are calculating any aspect of them.
For some time now, as you know, I have reported here a daily figure for the proportion of people who test positive for Covid – that’s an important metric that allows us, amongst other metrics, to determine whether the virus is spreading more rapidly or going into decline.
To arrive at that figure what we have done so far is measure the number of people
testing positive, as a percentage of the total number of people being tested, who had never been tested before. That’s why you hear me say every day that it is a percentage of people newly tested.
That ensures that we don’t count people who are tested twice in a very short period of time – for example if a test result needs checked, or perhaps some days tested both on admission to hospital and then a few days later.
Now the current measure has been helpful so far in assessing how the virus is spreading.
All of you will have seen in recent weeks in the percentage of positive cases that we have reported the rise in that has been consistent with the rise in case numbers, in hospital admissions and increasingly, unfortunately, in people dying.
However the way in which we currently calculate this becomes less reliable over time as more and more people in the population have been tested.
We are now more than 7 months into the pandemic and already more than 1/7 of the population of Scotland has already been tested for Covid. Under our existing measure, none of those people will ever count again as a newly tested person – someone who has not been tested before although if they test positive their positive result will be counted.
Let me illustrate that with an example – if you had a fever in August, if you got a test then and you didn’t have Covid – and then you have a cough now, you get tested again, and it turns out you do have Covid – your positive test will be counted, but you will not count as a “newly tested person”, when we work out the percentage.
So, as you can see, over time as more and more people who have already been tested go for further tests – and remember almost 40,000 care home workers are tested every single week – what happens is that the percentage of positive test that we report is artificially high and gets more and more artificially high as time goes on.
So we have been discussing this issue in some detail with the UK’s Office for Statistics Regulation. We have taken their advice into account in deciding a new measure, and will continue to engage with them on future improvements.
Instead of relying only on people who have been newly tested, we will now calculate the percentage of positive tests, based on the total number of test results which have come in on that day.
Now that measure is simple to calculate. And it does come closer to matching the methodologies used by the World Health Organisation, for determining whether the virus is out of control.
It is worth stressing though that although it is a better measurement for this stage in the pandemic for the reasons I have tried to set out as clearly as possible , it’s still not perfect so we’ll continue to look at further improvements. And the imperfections are these – if you need to be tested more than once in the same day or the same week, all of those samples will now be counted.
And in addition, the new measure – to a much greater extent than the old measure – combines test results from different groups of people.
The majority of our tests are of people who have symptoms of Covid.
But we also test lots of asymptomatic people every week as well, principally people who work in care homes. And those tests are much less likely to be positive than tests of people with symptoms, so in a day-to-day basis that could lead to some fluctuations in the daily percentage.
But on a weekly or monthly basis that the trend in test positivity will be clear.
And our view is that the new measure will give us a better picture of the course of the virus over the weeks and months ahead. The old measure was the most accurate for the early phase of the pandemic, we think this one is more accurate for the next phase.
Now, as you have just gathered, that is quite a technical change, and thanks for bearing with me if you have managed to do so. But we also want to give you a bit of time to see the effects of the change in methodology. So, for that reason, and also to be completely transparent, to avoid any suspicion, what we are trying to do here is change methodology to result in a lower number, every day for at least the rest of this week I will am going to give you both our old and our new measurements when I give you the daily figures. Eventually though, I will start to report the figure under our new measurement only.
So to remind you of what I said earlier on, on the old measurement taking people just newly tested, our test positivity rate today was 17.1%, on our new measurement taking all tests it was 6.4%.
The final point I want to cover is to look to the week ahead as I indicated last week we will publish this week detail of our new strategic approach to tackling the virus. I hope to discuss the outlines of this tomorrow with leaders of the other parties in the Scottish Parliament.
And we will then publish a strategic framework at the end of the week, before debating it in parliament next week.
One of the things the framework will set out are the different tiers or levels of intervention and restrictions which may be applied in future – either locally or nationally across Scotland – depending on how the virus is spreading.
We will also indicate – based on the latest advice from the National Incident Management Team and our clinical advisers – what levels should apply to different parts of the country or potentially all of the country once the current temporary restrictions on hospitality come to an end on 26 October.
The framework will also summarise our work to improve the effectiveness of existing measures to curb Covid – for example how we will work to improve compliance with FACTS advice and all of the other guidelines; the review of our testing strategy and how we will continue to support Test and Protect; and also how we will provide support for businesses and individuals so that they can comply with all that they are being asked to do, either now or in the future.
Publication of the framework is an important step, as we look ahead to the winter and prepare to manage the virus over, what may well be and I would expect to be, a very challenging period.
We hope that the framework can command broad support both politically in parliament and across wider society.
But this is where I will end, it is worth stressing that – although the strategic framework will update our approach to tackling the virus – many of the basic elements of that approach will not change.
In particular, it will continue to be vital that to slow the spread of the virus, all of us as individuals stick to all of the essential rules and guidelines on hygiene, physical distancing and limiting contact with other households.
Let me just briefly remind everyone of what those current general rules and guidelines are.
As I said earlier, except for very specific purposes – such as childcare – none of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now.
When we do meet – outdoors, or indoor public places that are open like cafes – we shouldn’t meet in groups of any more than six people from a maximum of two households.
Only car-share if it is essential to do so
Work from home if you possibly can and again I would appeal to employers to facilitate that for your workers.
Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t done so already.
And finally, remember FACTS.
Wear Face coverings, it is now the law, as of today, to wear them in communal areas in work places, like corridors
Avoid crowded places.
Clean your hands and hard surfaces
keep two metres distance from people in other households.
and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.
These are the basic things, no matter the other rules in place at any given time, these are the basic things that if all of us do all of them all of the time then we give ourselves the best chance of keeping the spread of the virus under control
It’s the best way to look after ourselves, to look after our loved ones and our communities.
And ultimately it is the best way to protect our National Health Service and save lives.
Thank you again for listening today and thank you particularly for bearing with me through quite a long, laborious and technical update on how we will calculate the percentage of people testing positive.
