Police Scotland is working with the The City of Edinburgh Council and Maritime and Coastguard Agency to help make Portobello Beach safer for all.
This week, the Council will install new numbered signs on the top of the existing groyne beach defences at Portobello Beach.
In an emergency, direct experience tells us roads signs cannot be easily seen from the beach so the new signs will be much more visible, improving safety.
They measure approx. 600mm high and 450mm wide.
Numbered 1 to 6, the emergency services can use these numbered signs to plot your location in an emergency (see map).
Marker 1 – Pipe Lane Marker 2 – Bath Street Marker 3 – Bellfield Street Marker 4 – John Street Marker 5 – Bedford Terrace Marker 6 – End of promenade at Joppa Road
Police will continue working with our partners as the year continues at Portobello.
In a coastal emergency, please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Eligible Edinburgh businesses who have seen a minimum 20% shortfall in their income as a result of Covid-19 restrictions since the start of the pandemic can now apply for a one-off £4,000 grants.
This fund is aimed at reaching businesses who have otherwise ‘slipped through the cracks’ in terms of funding initiatives, meaning those who have not already been eligible for other financial support from central government since October (other than the furlough scheme, the self-employed income support scheme or the newly self-employed hardship fund).
To apply for a £4,000 grant, businesses must submit a self-declaration of their business’s income in January and February 2020 as well as January and February 2021. A 20% decrease in the average income over the two time periods will be required in order to be eligible.
In addition, businesses with employees that have successfully applied for Discretionary Grant funding, either in this or the earlier tranche in February, will have access to extra funding specifically to help them retain their staff. This will be applied through a tiered approach, depending on the number of people they employ, and for those businesses with employees on PAYE (not owners, directors or partners).
Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said:“This year has been incredibly difficult for businesses in our city, and we know how hard people have had to work to keep going. We now have £10 million available to help businesses in Edinburgh and we just want to get the funds out to them as quickly as possible.
“We want to make sure nobody’s missing their chance at accessing financial support so I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t already applied to visit the application page on our website, check the eligibility criteria, and apply today.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener said: “We know businesses have been hit desperately hard in this pandemic and it’s crucial that we’re able to get this funding into the accounts of everyone who’s eligible and who hasn’t been able to access previous schemes due to not meeting the criteria. Please apply today and let us give you the money you’re entitled to.“
Yesterday’s launch of online applications marks the second phase of Discretionary Fund awards in 2021.
On 3 February, the Council invited applications for grants from the first tranche of Discretionary Funding allocated to the city, totalling just under £2.8m.
At that stage, grants were for £2,000 and aimed at businesses that could show a significant drop in income due to Covid restrictions introduced since October. Any businesses who successfully applied for this amount earlier in the year will now have this sum topped up to £4,000 to bring them in line with recipients in this second round of funding. They do not need to reapply.
During the first tranche the criteria was initially set at a 30% income loss, however this was later revised to 20% following ongoing dialogue with businesses. It is hoped more businesses will apply and enable themselves to benefit from funding in this second round in light of the revised income reduction threshold.
Applications will be open for a period of four weeks, or until all the funding has been allocated, and will be processed in the order they are received.
Corstorphine and Wester Hailes stores set to close
Health and household goods retailer Semichem is consulting on the closure of up to 22 stores across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North East of England.EdinburghSemichem stores at Corstorphine and Wester Hailes are among those earmarked for closure.
Stores in Musselburgh and Dalkeith also face closure.
The closures have been prompted by ongoing challenges to high street trading, which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The business, which is owned by community retailer Scotmid Co-operative, is in talks with landlords in several locations and will make a final decision on a small number of the 22 stores in the coming months.
A total of 140 Semichem staff have now entered a formal consultation process. Management at Scotmid are exploring opportunities to redeploy as many as possible within its wider business.
Karen Scott, Head of Semichem, said: “The high street was already struggling to adapt to the pace of change in shopping habits, including out-of-town developments and the rise of internet shopping.
“That change has undoubtedly been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, we have reached the point where it is no longer viable to keep some of our stores open.
“We are grateful for both Scotmid and subsequent government support, which has undoubtedly prolonged the life of many stores.
“Our priority now is to support affected colleagues at this difficult time. We are already looking for redeployment opportunities within the Scotmid group and will help all our staff both personally and professionally.”
Semichem was founded in 1980 and became part of Scotmid Co-operative in 1995. It currently operates 86 stores in shopping centres and on high streets across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the North East of England. Over the last three years, Semichem has invested £2.2 million in refitting stores and trialling a range of new retail concepts.
Karen Scott added: “The remaining stores in our Semichem portfolio are trading satisfactorily given the current circumstances.
“Like many other retailers, we are hopeful that, as restrictions ease, footfall will return to our high streets. I am also pleased to say that our investment programme will resume in the summer.”
Renew Scotland has launched its campaign for the Scottish Parliament election in May 2021 and unveiled its initial set of candidates who will stand on the regional lists.
“Renew Scotland aims to give the people of Scotland the choice of a different path, one that will lead to political reform, consequences for politicians who break the rules, elected officials that put the needs of their constituents first and a raft of policies that put Scotland’s people and their needs at the heart of government,” said Renew Scotland’s Joint Leader, Heather Astbury.
“Scotland has been governed by the SNP since 2007, 14 years, and in that time, they have failed to improve the lives of Scots in the crucial devolved issues that they have been responsible for.
“As a reminder, the issues that are devolved to the Scottish Parliament are the economy, education, health, justice, rural affairs, housing, environment, equal opportunities, consumer advocacy and advice, transport and taxation. The power to set a Scottish rate of income tax has also been added recently.
“The latest statistics show that Scots now have the lowest life expectancy of any country in Western Europe and lower than many in Eastern Europe, with the causes being linked to poverty and deprivation.”
Renew was set up in 2017 by a group of people disillusioned by the current state of British politics. The party has fielded candidates in some local council elections, the EU Parliament election in 2019, the 2019 General Election in 2019 and several by-elections. Renew now has elected Councillors and a growing grassroots support base.
Not funded by large corporations, overseas donors, trades unions or lobby groups, but by its membership, Renew Scotland believes it can genuinely represent the people.
Bruce Henderson, Joint Leader of Renew Scotland, explained: “We have no party whip system, and we are not funded by any group with an agenda to push, so we can propose the policies we believe will benefit our constituents and fight for what is best for them and for Scotland.
“We believe strongly in the need for a criminal code that politicians and elected officials are subject to. The ongoing destruction of the moral code of people in public office is becoming normalised and we must put an end to it.
“People in positions of responsibility, such as elected officials, must be held to a higher standard than the rest of society, not use their power and influence to break or bend the rules for their own personal gain.
“The rise of poverty in Scotland has also become normalised and this is a disgrace. We seem to accept that older people will die in winter because they can’t afford to heat their homes properly; that children will go to school hungry because their families can’t afford to feed them.
“This needs to stop. We are a relatively rich country and yet we have levels of poverty that should be a national embarrassment. Renew Scotland will work to end poverty in Scotland; not just child poverty or fuel poverty but all poverty.”
Renew Scotland supports the right of the Scottish people to decide their future and would support calls for a second referendum on Independence if that was the will of the people.
BruceHenderson added: “Much has changed since the 2014 referendum, especially Brexit, and what the people voted for then, to remain in the UK and the EU, is no longer an option. However, we don’t believe it should be just a binary yes or no, in or out Brexit-style question.
“If Independence is chosen as the path the people of Scotland want to go down, then we need to spend time working out what that path would lead to. We need an agreement from the rest of the UK about our continued relationship and we need to reach an agreement with the EU.
“We need a blueprint for how our finances and currency would work and we need to have a realistic view on what impact becoming independent would have on the people of Scotland. Once all of that is clear, then it needs to go back to the people of Scotland for a confirmatory vote before any final decision is taken.
“Without that we are voting based on assumptions and potentially misleading information from people or groups with vested interests. The future of Scotland and its people is too important to be used as a political football.”
Renew Scotland is working with Volt Scotland in this election and is fielding candidates on the regional lists as follows:
Glasgow
Ben Meechan
Andrea Kozlowski, Volt Scotland, standing for Renew Scotland
West of Scotland
Peter Morton
North East Scotland
Colin McFadyen
Mid Scotland & Fife
Bruce Henderson
Stefan Diesing, Volt Scotland, standing for Renew Scotland
AS NHS 24 prepares for the busy Easter holiday, people across Scotland are being encouraged to take small steps to make a big difference to their health.
NHS services are often busy during public holidays and local services may be operating slightly differently so it’s a good idea to plan ahead for common illnesses and minor accidents which can be managed at home.
NHS 24’s 111 service is usually busy during the long weekend, with a lot of calls about medicines and common ailments.
NHS 24’s Medical Director, Dr Laura Ryan said: “It’s always good to be able to manage common illnesses, and it’s especially important this year. Having pain killers at home such as paracetamol and ibuprofen means you can quickly and easily manage symptoms.
“If you’re got wee ones at home a first aid kit is handy and our first aid pages on NHS Inform can advise what to do if anyone is unlucky enough to have an injury- they cover everything from burns and scalds to bumps and scrapes.
“Our 111 service gets a lot of calls about medicines so it’s worth remembering that your local pharmacist can help with much more than prescriptions, they can offer advice, treatment or further referral if required.
“COVID-19 guidelines are still in place, and all up to date information- including how to book a test, guidance on isolation, and info on the vaccination process, is available at www.nhsinform.scot/coronavirus.
“We’re all crossing our fingers for a sunny Easter, and some simple steps mean you can relax and enjoy the holiday.”
General advice and information on how to stay healthy this Easter can be found at www.nhsinform.scot/easter.
GMB workplace representatives in NHS Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service will recommend its members vote to reject the Scottish Government’s pay offer when a consultative ballot is launched next month.
The recommendation to reject comes ahead of a public demonstration by NHS nurses and staff later today at George Square, Glasgow, against the Scottish Government’s pay offer for 2021-22.
GMB Scotland will launch a consultative ballot of its entire NHS Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service membership from Monday 12 April, which will run until 12.00 hours on Wednesday 5 May.
GMB Scotland Organiser Karen Leonard said:“The offer doesn’t value our members properly, it doesn’t restore the pay they’ve lost after a decade of cuts, and it doesn’t secure their future. That’s why are recommending its rejection.
“We see this pay offer for what it is: a pre-election punt by an outgoing Health Secretary that looks better than it really is when put up against the insulting 1 per cent increase for our NHS colleagues in England.
“It’s been a wretched year for our NHS workers and the COVID-19 pandemic has not only pushed them beyond their limits, but it’s also exposed the many underlying problems in our NHS because of its managed political decline over the last ten years.
“After all the applause, we strongly believe the Scottish Government can and should go further on our members’ pay, and it’s the least Ministers can do after everything our NHS staff have done for all of us.”
Changes to some parking restrictions will come into force in Edinburgh from Sunday, 11 April.
The city council is introducing Sunday afternoon parking restrictions in the city centre, as well as rolling out shared use parking bays across the city, meaning either permit holders or pay and display customers can use the same spaces.
Sunday parking charges recognise the fact that, under normal circumstances, Edinburgh is now a seven-day city, with many shops, restaurants and visitor attractions open throughout the week.
New controls, in place from 12.30pm to 6.30pm every Sunday, will help us manage the way people park, which can restrict traffic movement, impact on the ability to service shops and businesses and, most importantly, pose a safety risk to other road users. The changes will bring us in line with many other UK cities which already charge for Sunday parking, including Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.
Shared use parking, which is being introduced in Controlled Parking Zones one to eight, increases accessibility to parking spaces for both residents and visitors, allowing for more flexibility. This has also allowed us to introduce visitor parking permits to these zones, making it easier for people to visit residents.
Councillor Karen Doran, Transport and Environment Vice Convener, said: “These updated controls are about improving conditions in the city centre, creating a safer environment and tackling inconsiderate parking, as well as providing greater flexibility for residents to park nearer their homes.
“Under normal circumstances, there is no doubt Edinburgh is a seven-day city, and we simply must address this as restrictions begin to be lifted and people return to the centre for shopping and socialising.
“We want to support businesses to recover from the COVID pandemic and greater parking controls on a Sunday will encourage customer turnover, allow more access for servicing and create a more pleasant atmosphere for everyone.
“The Parking Action Plan was developed with the city’s residents in mind, and measures like shared use parking will provide greater flexibility and the opportunity to park closer to home for many permit-holders.
“Along with Sunday parking controls, these changes are central to our broader ambitions to manage demand and rethink the way people move around Edinburgh.”
The new controls are being introduced as part of the Parking Action Plan, which was approved by Transport and Environment Committee in 2016. The plan is key to realising our ambition to become carbon neutral by 2030 and supports the City Mobility Plan, a ten-year strategy to rethink the way people and goods move in and around the city, reducing the dominance of traffic and creating streets and spaces for people.
Parking initiatives will help reduce car use and congestion, improve safety and air quality and encourage walking, cycling and public transport use.
Controls will help people with mobility impairments, both those who rely on public transport (which is often impeded by poor parking) and blue badge holders, who can be impacted by unrestricted parking leading to fewer available spaces. We also want to provide better flexibility and deliver best value for residents.
Sunday parking restrictions will cover Controlled Parking Zones one to four, incorporating city centre streets like George Street, Castle Terrace and Chambers Street. Shared use parking will also be implemented here, as well as zones five to eight, which includes areas of the city such as Stockbridge, New Town, Newington and Bruntsfield.
Public bodies and housing associations are being urged to use their purchasing power to tackle inequality within local communities in a new guide published today Monday, March 29th 2021 by the BetterForUs campaign 2020-4.
‘Procurement for Community Public Good’ provides a route map to how commissioners and communities can collaborate to deliver change across the UK through the adoption of fair procurement principles.
The Guide highlights how authorities can make use of existing laws to tackle disadvantage. It also pinpoints the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals in developing coherence and consistency in delivering public value commissioning across the UK.
The Guide is published in advance of BetterForUs research which shows that commissioners are not effectively making use of existing powers within current procurement law.
Regulation 20 of the Public Contracts Regulation 2015 and Regulation 21 of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations provide that commissioning bodies can reserve contracts for positive action programmes and organisations that tackle disadvantage.
Between 2015 – 2020 only eight organisations chose to make use of such provision, with Scotland and Wales leading the way and England and Northern Ireland falling behind.
The UK government is currently reviewing procurement law which is a devolved matter in the UK and the BetterForUs Campaign is urging it to retain positive action programmes as an integral part of levelling up.
Katharine Sutton, Director of BetterForUs said today: “Lack of investment in the everyday economy is leading to neglected communities and widening inequalities within the community.
“Public commissioners can help shape local markets and connect them to the needs of people thereby strengthening public services and building community resilience.
“If only one percent of the procurement spend in the UK was reserved for positive action employment programmes this would generate £2.9 billion for local communities.
“Now is the time for public authorities and housing associations to maximise their public spend by providing sustainable employment with fair pay and conditions where people are treated with respect.”
Leading off-grid energy supplier, Calor, has launched a nationwide search for the very best rural community projects, with £85,000 in grants up for grabs.
The Warwickshire-based firm is also launching an exciting new award, the Rural Hero of The Year, which will celebrate those who have gone the extra mile for others during the pandemic.
Designed to provide a helping hand and much-needed funding across the UK to rural community groups who aren’t connected to the mains gas grid, the 2021 Calor Rural Community Fund launched on Wednesday 10th March and entries are open until Wednesday 21st April.
This past year, communities have had to support each other from a distance like never before and in recognition of this, Calor has also launched its Rural Hero of the Year Award so that special individuals could be recognised for the great community work they’ve done.
The award is a separate category within the Rural Community Fund, where people can nominate themselves or someone in their local community who went above and beyond to help others during 2020.
That could be a neighbour who provided Zoom story-telling classes for children in the local village, someone who did the food shopping for the elderly neighbours in their area, or any other deserving initiatives throughout the pandemic that shows how an individual helped their local community out in some way. Entries are open from Wednesday 10th March until Wednesday 23rd June.
The winner of the Rural Hero of the Year award will be presented with a commemorative trophy and special prize from Calor recognising their outstanding contribution to community spirit in 2020.
Andy Parker, Head of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at Calor, said: “We’re passionate about engaging with and helping rural communities across the UK. Through the Rural Community Fund we are incredibly proud to have been able to support 214 projects with over £460,000 generated through donations and Calor contributions over the last four years.
“This funding is absolutely vital to these projects and it’s been incredible to see these grants bring to life everything from local football teams’ new facilities to outdoor learning centres for primary schools.
“We understand that this past year has been particularly hard which is why we wanted to recognise those individuals who have put their heart and soul into helping others.
“It’s one of the many reasons we launched our Rural Hero of the Year category which will celebrate those who have gone above and beyond to help their community throughout the pandemic. We’re incredibly excited to see all of the entries for this and the Rural Community Fund, over the coming months.”
The Calor Rural Community Fund gives applicants the chance to win funding of £1,000, £2,500 or £5,000 for anything from vital renovations and upgrades to public facilities, through to new equipment for children’s groups in often remote areas of the country.
Applicants for the fund will be listed on the Calor Rural Community Fund website and then encouraged to share their project through social media to gain points. Those projects with the highest number of points in each funding category will become shortlisted finalists, and will be reviewed by a Calor Committee before being announced as Finalists.
To find out more about the Calor Rural Community Fund and the Rural Hero of The Year award, as well as more detail on how to enter and get involved, head to communityfund.calor.co.uk.
First Minister’s Coronavirus media briefing: Tuesday 30th March
Thanks for joining us again.
I am not able to give these Covid briefings just now as often as I have been doing because we are now in a pre-election period.
However I think that it’s important to give an update today, in advance of the changes that are due to take place over the weekend.
As things stand just now, I intend to give further updates at this time next Tuesday and on 20 April.
I am joined today by the Chief Medical Officer, Gregor Smith, and the National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch, who will help me answer questions.
However, I will start as usual with the latest statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 411.
That represents 2.8% of the total number of tests, and takes the total number of confirmed cases in Scotland to 217,890.
109 of those new cases were in Lothian, 94 in Greater Glasgow and Clyde and 76 in Lanarkshire.
The remaining cases were spread across 7 other health board areas.
250 people are currently in hospital – that is 9 fewer than yesterday.
23 people are in intensive care, which is an increase of 1 since yesterday.
And 12 deaths were reported yesterday, of patients who first tested positive over the previous 28 days. That takes the total number of deaths registered, under that definition, to 7,596.
That reminds us of the heartbreak that this virus continues to cause. Once again, I want to send my condolences to all those who have lost a loved one.
I can also provide an update on our latest vaccination figures.
As of 7.30 this morning, 2,436,398 people in Scotland have received their first dose of the vaccine.
That is an increase of 26,572 since yesterday.
In addition, 12,180 people received their second dose yesterday, which brings the total number of second doses to 338,443
Virtually all over 65 year olds have now received a first dose of the vaccine.
So have:
98% of 60-64 year olds;
81% of 55 to 59 year olds;
and 57% of 50 to 54 year olds.
We remain on course to offer a first dose of the vaccine by the middle of April to all over 50 year olds; all unpaid carers; and all adults with particular underlying health conditions.
Those figures confirm the progress we have made in the last three months.
We are now averaging 539 new cases per day.
That is a decline of more than 3/4 since early January.
The number of deaths from Covid has fallen even more sharply. They are down by more than 80% in the last 2 months.
And, as you can see from the figures I have reported, the number of people in hospital and intensive care is also reducing.
However there are still no grounds for complacency. Indeed, we must continue to be hyper vigilant. For example the data suggests that the numbers of new cases in Scotland – having fallen throughout January and February – are now plateauing, rather than continuing to decline significantly.
Numbers fell very slightly last week – but they have risen in some other weeks recently.
As a result, hundreds of people in Scotland every day, are still getting the virus which remains very infectious and highly dangerous.
So we still face significant risks – and it is vital that we all continue to bear that in mind and act cautiously and carefully.
However, there is no doubt that we have made progress – both in suppressing the virus and in vaccination – and that is directly relevant to the decisions I am confirming today.
I am able to confirm today, that taking all of the recent data into account, the changes which I previously indicated that we hoped to make on 2 and 5 April can go ahead.
The first change will take effect from Friday, 2 April.
From that day, our current stay at home rule will be lifted. That rule currently applies across all of Scotland, except for some of island communities.
However the stay at home rule is being replaced by a requirement to stay local.
This means that the current travel restrictions – which prevent non-essential travel outside your local authority area – will remain in place for another 3 weeks.
I understand how frustrating those restrictions are.
I share that frustration – my family live in a different local authority to me.
And like anyone with loved ones in a different part of the country, I desperately want to see them in person.
But the requirement to stay local is there, for the moment, for a good reason.
At the moment, different parts of the country, have different levels of infection.
For example some parts of the central belt have far more new cases each day, than areas such as Highland, the Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway. And there are also different rates of infection within the central belt itself.
So while Covid levels remain high in some areas – and while a lot of people remain unvaccinated – we do not want the virus to spread from areas with relatively high prevalence, to areas with low rates of infection.
That’s why sticking to the stay local rule for another 3 weeks is really important.
All of the other immediate changes will take effect from next Monday, 5 April.
From that date, more students – particularly in colleges – will be allowed to return to on-campus learning. That includes many students who are taking qualifications in construction, in engineering, and in subjects such as hairdressing and beauty.
In addition, from Monday onwards, contact sports will resume for 12 to 17-year-olds. And there will be a limited reopening of some retail services.
All shops will be allowed to operate click and collect services from Monday – although you will need an appointment to pick up your goods.
Car showrooms and forecourts will also reopen. Again, you may need an appointment to get into showrooms, so please check that with the retailer before you go.
Homeware stores and garden centres will also be able to reopen – that’s something which I know will be appreciated by those retailers, and also by many customers, as we head towards the summer.
Obviously, we don’t want big crowds at any of these stores – so although they open on the 5th, think about whether you really need to visit them on Monday itself. If you can, wait until later in the week.
Going later in the week – or later in the month – might mean things are a bit quieter.
And of course, follow the advice and the instructions given by store staff. Those staff will be helping to keep you and the other customers safe.
Finally, from next Monday, hairdressers and barbers will also be allowed to reopen. I know that many people are already looking forward to their first professional haircuts of the year. But again, please make an appointment before you go.
These changes will I hope be widely welcomed.
But they are – quite deliberately – fairly cautious steps out of lockdown.
If you look across to Europe at the moment, many countries there are seeing a big rise in cases.
We don’t want the same thing to happen here if we can avoid it.
And in our view the virus is still too widespread, and too dangerous, to allow for a more rapid opening up.
However if the data permits, we do expect to be able to make further changes later in April.
First of all, once the Easter holidays finish, all secondary school children will return to school full time.
After that, we hope to ease restrictions further on 26 April. By that time, we expect to have offered a first dose of the vaccine to all JCVI priority groups – that includes everyone over the age of 50.
That is a significant milestone – since those priority groups are estimated to account for 99% of all deaths from Covid.
We hope that mainland Scotland will move from level 4 to level 3 on 26 April.
That means – for example – that we expect to end all restrictions on travelling within mainland Scotland on that day. We also expect to confirm a full reopening of retail premises, and a partial reopening of the hospitality sector.
We also hope that on the 26th, it will be possible to ease some of the rules on outdoor meetings.
I hope to be able to confirm those changes at a media briefing in three weeks’ time.
In addition, the Scottish Government will publish updated levels tables on our website, in the next few days. They will provide some more information about the changes we hope to make during April and May, and into the summer.
We will also update our guidance on the current restrictions on Friday and Monday, to take account of the changes I have just confirmed.
For now, however, the main point that I want to stress is that it will be more possible to relax more restrictions in the future, if case numbers remain under control.So when things open up slightly this weekend – please continue to stick to the rules.
Until Friday, stay at home – and from Friday onwards, stay local.
Remember that you must stay in your local authority, unless your travel is for an essential purpose.
Continue to work from home if you can. That remains the default position. And employers still have a duty – if they reasonably can – to support people to work from home.
Don’t meet up with other households in their homes. That is really important. We know that the virus spreads much more easily in indoor environments.
When you are outside – the maximum group size for adults is up to four people, from up to two households.
For 12 to 17-year-olds, the maximum group size is still four– but they can be from up to four households.
On any occasion when you do leave the house, remember FACTS.
wear face coverings;
avoid anywhere busy;
clean hands and surfaces;
use two metre distancing
and self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.
And Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t already – and make sure that it is enabled when you are out and about.
These basic precautions are always important – but they perhaps become even more vital, as we start to do slightly more.
By following them – and by sticking to the rules – we can all keep the virus under control, while vaccination continues.
And we can all make it safer, for more restrictions to be eased in the future.
So please, stay at home – for now. Protect the NHS. And save lives.
Thank you, once again, to everyone who is doing that.
