Month: January 2021

Travel: Pre-departure coronavirus testing to be introduced

Passengers travelling to Scotland from abroad will be required to have proof of a negative test taken a maximum of 72 hours before travel.

The new public health requirement, to be introduced as soon as practically possible, aims to strengthen current safeguards against imported cases and in particular protect against new strains of coronavirus such as those identified in Denmark and South Africa.

People arriving into Scotland will have to take the pre-departure test (PDT) up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in. Those coming from countries not on the quarantine exemption list will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival.

Non-essential travel to or from Scotland is currently illegal and will not immediately change with the introduction of pre-departure testing.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Travel into or out of Scotland is currently illegal and that will remain the case while we work to suppress the new strain of COVID-19.

“The Scottish Government has been consistently clear about the risks associated with international travel and the importance of public health measures in helping to stop the spread of coronavirus. That is why we have been in regular dialogue with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations about what further measures can be put in place, including the introduction of pre-departure testing (PDT).

“The requirement for pre-departure testing will add to our suite of public health measures as we seek to help drive down transmission of the virus to safeguard health, protect the NHS and save lives. 

“It is important to emphasise that this additional measure does not remove the requirement for all passengers arriving from countries not on the quarantine exemption list to self-isolate for ten days, even with a negative test.  

“Likewise, all passengers will continue to have to complete a Passenger Locator Form and, of course, they will be subject to national lockdown restrictions, which currently bar people from leaving their home or other fixed address without a reasonable excuse for doing so.

“As the UK Government has made clear, there are still some outstanding issues to address and it is important that we consider the implications, but we are keen to implement this as soon as it is possible.”

Edinburgh Airport Chief Executive Gordon Dewar is less than pleased:

International arrivals required to prove negative COVID-19 test result before departure for England

  • all international arrivals to England, including UK nationals, required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 72 hours prior to departure
  • passengers will be subject to an immediate fine of £500 if they fail to comply with the new regulations on pre-departure testing
  • all passengers arriving from countries not on the government’s travel corridor list will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of test result
  • passengers will still be required to fill in a passenger locator form and be subject to national lockdown restrictions

Passengers arriving from all international destinations will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result before departing for England to help protect against new strains of coronavirus circulating internationally.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced that from next week inbound passengers arriving by boat, plane or train will have to take a test up to than 72 hours before departing the country they are in, to help protect against the new strains of coronavirus such as those seen in Denmark and South Africa.

Today’s (8 January 2021) decisive action is in response to the changes seen in the transmission of the virus both domestically and across the globe. Pre-departure testing will protect travel and will provide an additional layer of safety from imported cases of coronavirus on top of the mandatory 10 day self-isolation for arrivals, helping identify people who may currently be infectious and preventing them from travelling to England.

A negative pre-departure test reduces the risk of someone travelling whilst infectious, acting as another safeguard to prevent imported infections. Passengers arriving from countries not on the government’s travel corridor list must self-isolate for 10 days regardless of their pre-departure test result to provide further robust protection from those travelling from high-risk countries.

Prior to departure passengers will need to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result to carriers, as well as their passenger locator form. The UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrival into England to ensure that passengers are fully compliant.

The move further bolsters existing protective measures which helped to safely enable international travel last year, with self-isolation for new arrivals and travel corridors remaining critical in reducing the risk of imported cases from high-risk countries.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said: “We already have significant measures in place to prevent imported cases of COVID-19, but with new strains of the virus developing internationally we must take further precautions.

“Taken together with the existing mandatory self-isolation period for passengers returning from high-risk countries, pre-departure tests will provide a further line of defence – helping us control the virus as we roll out the vaccine at pace over the coming weeks.”

National lockdown restrictions which came into force on 6 January 2021 remain in place meaning everyone must stay at home unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons, including for work.

Permitted travellers will need to take their test up to 72 hours before departure, and this will apply irrespective of whether a country is on the travel corridor list. The government will set out the standards that these tests will need to meet and what proof passengers will need to present.

Passengers arriving into England who have successfully demonstrated a negative result prior to departure from a country not on the travel corridor list will still have the option to reduce the self-isolation period from 10 to as little as 5 days by paying for a test through the Test to Release scheme. The scheme requires a test to be taken on or after the fifth full day since leaving a country not on the travel corridor list.

Passengers will be required to show their negative test result before boarding, and transport operators will deny boarding if necessary. On arrival back into the UK, Border Force will check passengers test results through the current spot check regime, to ensure that individuals are compliant with the new rules, and passengers will be subject to an immediate fine of £500.

There will be a limited number of exemptions, including for hauliers, children under 11, crews and for those who travelling from countries without the infrastructure available to deliver the tests. Further exemptions will be set out on GOV.UK.

This follows the recent decision to temporarily suspend direct travel from South Africa to England after new evidence emerged from health authorities reporting an outbreak of a variant strain of coronavirus spreading to some local communities.

Those who travel indirectly from South Africa must self-isolate for 10 days.

All travellers will still be required to complete a passenger locator form before arrival into England. This is critical in being able to track the virus in case of any local outbreaks, and those who fail to complete a passenger locator form will be subject to an increased fine of £500.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “The decision to introduce mandatory testing for people travelling to the UK is a positive step for protecting public health and building confidence that travel is safe, but further detail is needed for how this will work.

“Travellers and airlines urgently need clear information from the government on what type of tests are required and how to access them. There will be a lack of testing capacity in some locations, leaving people at risk of not being able to access a test in time for their flight. This may mean they’re unable to board their flight and have to pay hundreds of pounds for a new one or worse, are left stranded, as most airlines are currently shutting down or reducing flight schedules.”

National Express: Full Suspension of Services

National Express will fully suspend its national network of scheduled coach services with effect from 23:59 on Sunday 10 January 2021.

Chris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach: “We have been providing an important service for essential travel needs. However, with tighter restrictions and passenger numbers falling, it is no longer appropriate to do this.”

All journeys before Monday 11 January will be completed to ensure any passengers making essential journeys are not stranded. All customers whose travel has been cancelled will be contacted and offered a free amendment or full refund.

Chris Hardy adds: “As the vaccination programme is rolled out and Government guidance changes, we will regularly review when we can restart services. We plan to be back on the road as soon as the time is right and have put a provisional restart date of Monday 1 March in place (subject to change).

“The whole team at National Express worked incredibly hard throughout 2020 and I want to thank them for their efforts as we pause our services. We will now make sure we are ready to get back behind the wheel as soon as the nation needs us again.”  

Regular updates will be provided through the National Express website, social media channels and customer emails.

www.nationalexpress.com

Edinburgh Crisis Centre supports people in crisis 24/7 despite lockdown

Leading mental health charity, Penumbra, whose team manage the Edinburgh Crisis Centre are continuing to support people experiencing a mental health crisis despite lockdown.

The charity is doubling up on efforts to make sure people across Edinburgh know there is a 24/7 crisis service available to them during the pandemic.

The Edinburgh Crisis Centre is managed by Penumbra on a daily basis and by a representative group involving Centre user representatives (supported by Advocard), NHS Lothian, City of Edinburgh Council, and the Edinburgh Carers’ Council as part of an ongoing Public Social Partnership.

The Penumbra team at the Crisis Centre supports around 2000 people each year.

People aged 16 and over living in Edinburgh can contact the Centre for support by email or freephone: crisis@edinburghcrisiscentre.org.uk  – 0808 801 0414. The team also have a facebook page.

Penumbra is one of Scotland’s largest mental health charities supporting 1800 adults and young people each week across Scotland. In addition to grassroots support services, the charity also campaigns nationally to promote positive messages around mental health and works with government to improve mental health policies. 

The charity is a member of the National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group and is a partner in #UnitedToPreventSuicide.

Edinburgh Crisis Centre Manager, Barrie Hunter, commented: “Our team here at the Edinburgh Crisis Centre provides short term emotional and mental health support to people in the city who are in distress or who are at risk of suicide and self-harm, and we provide a safe and non-judgemental environment where people can talk in confidence.

“There’s constant demand for support from the Crisis Centre, and it’s not unusual that many of the calls that come in are from people who are extremely distressed and need support immediately.

“The pandemic has been daunting for everyone, but there’s a real risk that people already living with mental ill health could find themselves in real distress. The added pressures of dealing with the isolation, financial worries, and other impacts of lockdown are potentially creating a perfect storm for people reaching crisis.

“At any given time, 1 in 20 of us is experiencing thoughts of suicide. It remains a subject that we find difficult to talk about, but as a leading cause of death among young people and with men in their middle years particularly vulnerable, it’s vital that we open up. The one thing we can all do is talk openly about suicide and encourage conversations around mental wellbeing. 

“It’s important for people to know that even during lockdown they can still contact us for support 24/7.”

HELPLINE: 0808 801 0414

Pay: The Great Divide

The High Pay Centre’s ‘High Pay Day’ research, published this week, is evidence that the government must rebalance the economy after Covid-19 to make it fair, says the TUC.

High Pay Day is the day in 2021 on which the typical FTSE 100 chief executive has already earned the same as the average wage for a whole year. 

The research finds that top bosses earn around 120 times the annual pay of the average worker. 

High Pay Centre’s research suggests that the median FTSE 100 CEOs earnings for 2021 surpassed the median annual wage for a full-time worker in the UK at around 5:30 pm on Wednesday 6 January.

The calculations are based on our previous analysis of CEO pay disclosures in companies annual reports, combined with government statistics showing pay levels across the UK economy.

HPC estimate that with CEO pay levels remaining essentially flat in their analysis, while pay for UK workers had increased slightly, it means that CEOs have to work 34 hours of the year to surpass median earnings, rather than just 33 hours in 2020.

However, the most recent figures on CEO pay and UK full time workers’ annual earnings is still too dated to fully account for the impact of the coronavirus – therefore it remains to be seen how this has affected pay gaps across the UK, both over the duration of the pandemic and in the longer term.

Pay for top CEOs today is about 120 times that of the typical UK worker. Estimates suggest it was around 50 times at the turn of the millennium or 20 times in the early 1980s.

Factors such as the increasing role played by the finance industry in the economy, the outsourcing of low-paid work and the decline of trade union membership have widened the gaps between those at the top and everybody else over recent decades.

These figures will raise concern about the governance of big businesses and whether major employers are distributing pay in a way that rewards the contribution of different workers fairly. They should also prompt debate about the effects that high levels of inequality can have on social cohesion, crime, and public health and wellbeing.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “This tells you everything you need to know about how unfair our economy is. 

“Our army of minimum wage workers – carers, shop assistants and delivery drivers – have kept the country going through the pandemic. Not these CEO’s at the top raking in far more than their share. 

“We must make the economy fair. If the government is serious about levelling up Britain, it needs to start by levelling up pay and conditions for those we most rely on, and stop the threat to freeze key workers’ pay. 

“Ministers must bring forward the long-awaited employment bill to end expoitative working practices like zero hours contracts, and boost rights and pay.”

Swanston Golf Club fire: witness appeal

Police are appealing for information after a fire at an Edinburgh golf club.

The fire was initially reported to emergency services around 11.45pm on Wednesday, 30 December at Swanston Golf Club in the city and is believed to have started a short time earlier.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the fire. No-one was injured but significant damage was caused to the driving range facilities at the club along with a mobile maintenance workshop.

The fire is believed to have been started deliberately and officers are appealing for information, particularly in relation to three male youths seen in the area around the time of the fire.

They are described as being between 14-18-years-old and all wearing puffer style jackets.

One of them was described as being around 5ft 6in to 5ft 10in tall and of slim build with short dark hair. He was wearing a waist length ribbed puffer jacket with a hooded top underneath with the hood pulled up, light coloured tracksuit trousers and dark trainers.

Detective Constable Ewan Bates of Corstorphine CID said: “This fire has caused considerable damage to the facilities at the golf club and will mean disruption to the services they can provide for some time.

“We would urge anyone who may have seen anyone in the area of the golf club between around 10pm to midnight on Thursday, 30 December to let us know as soon as possible.

“We would urge anyone who may have dashcam footage or private CCTV to review this and pass on anything which may be of use to us.

“You can pass information to Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident 0078 of 31 December, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Eviction Ban Extended

The temporary ban on eviction orders will be extended until the end of March, the Scottish Government announced yesterday.

Regulations will be laid in the Scottish Parliament on 14 January to extend the current ban, which is in place at present until 22 January. The extended ban – will apply to all evictions in areas subject to level 3 or 4 restrictions, except cases of serious anti-social behaviour, including domestic abuse. Subject to review every three weeks to ensure it remains necessary to protect against the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), it will remain in force until 31 March.

This will provide renters with safe homes during the pandemic. It will reduce the burden on local authorities, who have a duty to rehouse people made homeless through evictions, and will also make it easier for people to follow the guidelines during the current lockdown.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Extending the temporary ban on the enforcement of eviction orders in the private and social rented sectors in areas subject to level 3 and 4 restrictions will support tenants, and offer people protection from transmission of the virus by being able to stay safe in their homes.

“It will also prevent additional burdens being placed on health and housing services during a time where they are already working hard due to the impact of the pandemic. This is a proportionate response to an extremely challenging set of circumstances.

“In the case of serious anti-social or criminal behaviour – including domestic abuse – eviction orders can still be enforced.

“We have been clear that no landlord should evict a tenant because they have suffered financial hardship due to the pandemic. Tenants in difficulty should engage with their landlord and seek advice on the options open to them.”

These apply to all eviction notices issued on, or after, 7 April 2020. The original end date was 30 September 2020. 

A number of actions have been taken to support tenants through the pandemic, including increasing the Discretionary Housing Fund from £11 million to £19 million to provide additional housing support and the introduction of the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund.

Read further information on tenants’ rights during the pandemic.

Concern over conditions in capital care home

Lothians MSP Miles Briggs has expressed concern over a failure to improve conditions at Braid Hills Nursing Centre.

The latest Care Inspectorate report reads:

Braid Hills Nursing Centre is registered to provide care to 95 older people and 24 adults with a physical disability. The provider is BUPA Care Homes (ANS) Limited.

We carried out an initial inspection of the service on 29 September and 1 October, with NHS Lothian. The findings were outlined in the report laid before Parliament on 14 October.

We completed a further visit on 12 November with NHS Lothian to follow up on the improvements required in relation to cleanliness, infection prevention and control, waste management, the use of PPE and staff knowledge. The findings were outlined in the report laid before Parliament on 25 November.

We determined that further progress was still required.

We visited the service again on 29 December. Improvements were not sufficient in respect of the standard of cleanliness, waste management, the use of PPE, staff practice and knowledge. Overall, the management oversight and quality assurance systems were ineffective.

We issued a letter of serious concern to the provider on 29 December which detailed immediate action the home must take.

We returned to the service on 2 January 2021. Although the service had made plans to address our concerns, progress was not sufficient to reassure us that people were being supported safely during the pandemic. We issued the service with an improvement notice on 4 January 2021.

We have informed Edinburgh health and social care partnership of our findings.

We will undertake a further visit to monitor the improvement notice.

This was a follow-up inspection. We did not change the service evaluations.

Lothians MSP Miles Briggs said: “This is extremely concerning that Braid Hills Nursing Centre has failed to make the necessary changes to make the care home safe.

“The care home has repeatedly been told to follow the necessary measures in respect to the standard of cleanliness, waste management, the use of PPE, staff practice and knowledge, but have refused to do so.

“Increased levels of Covid-19 in the community puts elderly care home residents at even greater risk and Braid Hills Nursing Centre’s license must be reviewed if they will not meet the necessary standards to keep residents safe.”

CICV Forum campaign urges workers to use face masks properly during lockdown

With essential construction work set to continue during the latest lockdown, the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum is urging operatives to make a safe start to 2021 with a colourful new face mask campaign.

The unique collective has launched an animation and downloadable infographic to remind workers that it’s vitally important to help protect everyone by following the rules and using the right face covering in the right way.

It has also reinforced its ongoing reminders to workers about travelling and working in domestic projects safely and staying COVID aware in their social lives, as well as a reminder to the public to allow construction operatives to carry out their work unhindered.

The latest initiative – headlined Mask for Task: Cover for Covid – follows the news at the start of the New Year that the construction industry in Scotland is to continue in operation despite restrictions in other areas.

It emphasises in its easy-to-follow infographic that workers should wear the appropriate respirator or mask that the task demands and that a face covering of suitable material should be worn when moving around site.

It also gives specific instructions on how to – and how not to – wear face coverings as well as instructions for taking care of personal protective equipment, such as storing masks in a sealable bag when not in use.

As the industry picks up tools again after the festive break, the Forum is also reiterating the collective’s latest guidance on practical measures that contractors and workers can follow to protect themselves, their colleagues, and customers, friends and family.

Driving home the message that we are In This Together, the Forum’s suite of guidance has outlined safety during domestic projects, guidance on returning to work safely, the importance of physical distancing outside work and giving contractors space to carry out essential work.

Rebecca Crosland, Health and Safety Adviser at the Building Engineering Services Association and Chair of the Forum’s Health and Safety sub-group, said: “With essential construction work being allowed to continue during lockdown, it is incumbent on everyone working in the sector to ensure that they are operating safely, whatever their capacity.

“One of the most direct ways of doing this is to ensure correct mask use, which our latest infographic and animation promotes. The information is easy to follow and will help operatives protect themselves and their colleagues, customers, friends and family.

“We are also repeating our other range of health and safety messaging about travel, social distancing and domestic work to ensure everyone is clear on exactly what behaviours are required at all times.”

Iain Mason, Director of Membership and Communications at SELECT and Chair of the Forum’s Communications sub-group, added: “Since the CICV Forum was established, our animations and infographics have proved effective tools and helped us deliver essential messaging to an extremely wide audience.

“The new animation is designed to be shared on social media and the poster can be downloaded free of charge from our website. Both reinforce the responsibility that everyone in construction shares to make sure that they use the correct face covering for the correct situation, worn in the correct manner.”

Made up of trade associations, private companies and professional bodies, the Forum was formed in March 2020, since when it has drawn on the collective expertise of its members to maintain a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector.

Letters: Keep Music Flowing

Dear Editor

As we move into 2021 and parents, teachers and pupils once again find themselves facing additional challenges to deliver and attain a full and rounded education, it is worthwhile remembering the role that music can and should play in improving our lives. 

Firstly, music will help support and sustain our young people through the coming months. For children and adults alike, the creative arts play a vital role in promoting wellbeing and positive mental health, providing both a means of expression during the isolation of “lockdown” and a practical as well as enjoyable pastime.   

Secondly – and just as importantly – playing an instrument is complementary to academic subjects and has been shown emphatically to improve wider educational success. As we consider the often daunting challenge of the return to home schooling, those parents whose children can mix domestic timetables with musical lessons will understand the release and stimulation playing an instrument can deliver.  

Across society music is integral to our identities and is made to be shared. We now have the means to do that successfully and safely with online tools whose use has been well-honed by recent experience. 

So whether you’re at the start of a musical journey, or are well advanced in music -let’s keep singing, keep dancing and keep music lessons flowing, particularly while the restrictions necessitated by the pandemic keep us apart in our own homes.

Dr Kenneth Taylor,

Headteacher, St Mary’s Music School,

Coates Hall, 25 Grosvenor Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 5EL

Pentland Medical Centre first in Lothian to deliver COVID vaccinations

An NHS Lothian GP practice has become one the first in Scotland to begin delivering community COVID vaccinations to the over 80s.

Pentland Medical Centre in Currie today (7 January) welcomed groups of patients, all aged 80 or over, to receive their first dose of the recently approved Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.

Staff at the Medical Centre have been busy making the final preparations to support the vaccine delivery and are incredibly excited to begin this important step.

Pauline Hutton, Practice Manager explained that the whole team feel like they are playing a part in history. She said, “To all of us within the practice, this feels like Christmas. There is a real sense of anticipation, excitement and hope. We are delighted to begin vaccinating our patients and look forward to welcoming all those who are eligible at this stage over the coming weeks.

“We will be in touch directly with our patients, inviting them in for a vaccination appointment and we would encourage everyone who is eligible, to please attend.”

Hot on the heels of Pentland Medical Centre, Armadale Medical Practice will begin its over 80s vaccine roll out from the weekend.

With age being the greatest risk factor for serious illness and death from COVID-19, the first priority group for the vaccine are residents in care homes for older adults and their carers, people aged over 80 and frontline health and social care workers.

Already across NHS Lothian, over 20,000 vaccines have been delivered to front line staff within NHS Lothian, the four Health and Social Care Partnerships and for staff in both private and Council run care homes. This is in addition to the continued roll out of vaccines to care home residents across the region.

David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation and the COVID Vaccination Project Lead at NHS Lothian said, “It is fantastic to see the first GP practices delivering COVID vaccinations to the over 80s. This is the beginning of a nationwide rollout which will commence from Monday 11 January.”

With the vaccine being seen as a critical factor in helping life return to normal, Mr Small recognises that people across the country will be eager to know when they will receive their vaccinations.

He added, “The COVID vaccine offers a beacon of hope, in what has some been truly difficult times. Across Lothian, we are working tirelessly to make sure that we can deliver the vaccine to each of the relevant groups when they are due to receive it.

“This is a huge task and won’t happen overnight, which is why we urge the public to please be patient with this process. The message however is clear: you will receive your vaccination, but this has to be done in a systematic way, to ensure that those who are most vulnerable are prioritised.”

 Lothian MSP Miles Briggs said: “This is excellent news and will bring real hope to people that the end of full lockdown is in sight and will provide elderly people receiving the vaccine with protection in the community.

“GP practices will be central to the rollout of the vaccine, which Pentland Medical Practice and Armadale Medical Practice are showing a great example of leading the way. 

“The whole of Lothian has made a huge effort and sacrifices to minimise the spread of the virus and it is vital we all continue to social distance with a full vaccine rollout to people at risk on the horizon.”

All those aged 80 or over will receive a letter or phone call inviting them forward for their vaccination and advising them where and when they can get it. The vaccine requires two doses to offer the best possible protection, with second dose appointments being scheduled for around twelve weeks after the first dose is administered.  

Delivery of the COVID vaccination across Lothian is aligned to the prioritisation schedule outlined by the JCVI, and communicated by the Scottish Government. Through the adoption of this approach, it will help to ensure that the most vulnerable receive protection first.

Plans for the further wide scale vaccination roll out are in the final stages and as soon as this information is available it will be widely communicated to the public.