January 2022 – Page 24 – The NEN

Humzah Yousaf: “We believe Omicron has not yet peaked”

‘Vaccination is vital’: Scots urged to get boosted as soon as possible

Anyone who has not yet received their booster or third dose is being urged to come forward now, to give the best possible protection against the Omicron variant.

That includes anyone who was unable to attend a vaccination clinic before the Hogmanay bells because of a COVID-19 infection, or if they were self-isolating.

People who are aged 18 and over can receive a booster 28 days after they tested positive or if it has been at least 12 weeks since their second dose.

Young people aged 12-17 can also attend for their second dose of the vaccine – many will have received an appointment but this group can also attend a drop-in clinic at a time and place convenient for them as long as 12 weeks have passed since their first jab.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The recent acceleration of activity in response to the emerging threat of the Omicron variant has been a remarkable national endeavour and I can’t stress enough how grateful we are to all those involved.

“More than three million people have now received a booster or third dose, offering strengthened protection from the virus and reducing the risk of hospitalisation from the virus.

“However, we believe Omicron has not yet peaked, and the pressure being felt by the health and social care system is extremely high. So, to protect ourselves and the NHS at this critical time it is vital people complete the vaccination course for which they are eligible. It remains vital that everyone gets their booster vaccine when they are eligible.

“We know many people have been unable to attend appointments because of the virus, or due to self-isolation, so I urge anyone who has been unable to attend to rearrange it or go to a drop-in clinic.

“It is never too late to receive your booster – or a first or second dose – so please come forward as soon as possible, as there is plenty of capacity available.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nicola Steedman said: “Data shows you are significantly more likely to be admitted to hospital if you are unvaccinated.

“We now know that boosters provide the best possible protection against this variant of the virus. My clinical colleagues and I know the difference this will make – we see it in our hospitals and communities every day. Please get vaccinated.”

Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccination at NHS Inform

Missing Woman: Alice Byrne’s family appeals for information

One week on from when she was last seen in Portobello, the family of 28-year-old Alice Byrne yesterday issued an appeal urging anyone with information on her whereabouts to come forward.

Alice’s family said: “Alice has been missing for one week now and we are shocked and distressed by her disappearance. She always keeps in contact with us so we are extremely worried because we have not heard from her. We are desperate to know where she is.

“If Alice sees this, we want her to know how much we miss her. We just want her home safe and well.

“We urge anyone who has seen Alice, or who has any information at all that might help police find her to phone officers and pass on any information you have.

“We are very grateful for the support we have received during this upsetting time. We would like to thank everyone who has shared appeals to find her, the police for their professionalism and especially the local community for all the support they’ve given.”

Alice was last seen leaving a friend’s flat in Marlborough Street between 8am and 10am on Saturday, 1 January and from enquiries to date, officers believe that she potentially headed in the direction of the promenade and beach.

She is described as white, around 5ft 6ins in height and of medium build with short black hair. When she was last seen she was wearing a black top, black jeans ripped at the knees and white trainers.

Chief Inspector Kieran Dougal said yesterday: “It has now been one week since Alice was last seen and since then she has not made any contact with family or friends. As time passes we have become increasingly concerned for her wellbeing and safety.

“Since Alice was reported missing, extensive searches and enquiries have been carried out throughout primarily the Portobello area. These searches are ongoing and we continue to be assisted by specialist police resources including air support, police dogs, search officers and our Marine Unit.

“We continue to appeal to anyone who was in the Portobello area at that time who may have dash cam footage to check devices and call if you have any sightings of Alice. We are aware that the beach and Promenade area was busy on New Year’s morning so appeal to anyone to review photos and call if they have any information that may assist in tracing Alice. Officers have been speaking to local people and visiting local businesses in the area in case anyone remembers seeing Alice in the area.

“Naturally Alice’s friends and family are extremely concerned and we just want to trace her as soon as possible to ensure she is safe. Again, I would urge anyone who has seen Alice since Saturday, 1 January, or who has any information that may be relevant to our investigation to contact us as soon as possible.

“If Alice reads this appeal, please phone your family, friends or the police.”

Any information can be passed to police through 101 with reference 0647 of 2 January.

Green Flag: Top tips to protect your car this winter

The UK Met Office has issued a weather warning as frequent sleet, hail and snow showers are expected to cause some disruptions. The information service is advising residents to expect travel delays, power cuts, and icy patches on roads, pavements, and cycle paths.

For cars frozen windscreens are most prevalent during these times, and drivers are reminded that it is extremely important to properly clear the ice or frost from your car before starting their journeys.

Green Flag has provided some helpful dos and don’ts to prepare drivers for the icy temperatures this winter.

Mark Newberry, Commercial Director at Green Flag, said: “Hazards can come at us from all angles when we’re on the road, so it is even more important that we can see all around us in icy and challenging, wintery weather conditions.

“It takes less than ten minutes to clear the entire windscreen from ice, not forgetting your side windows and mirrors. It’s crucial that you can also be seen by other drivers – so remember to clear your lights from ice too, before you embark on your journey.

“Remember, never be tempted to leave your car running unattended to warm up the vehicle, as not only can you face a fine, but thieves thrive on cold weather and motorists leaving their cars unattended.

“Clearing your car of ice is not only an important safety check but it is also a legal requirement – that could make the difference between a safe journey and a crash – so please follow these simple steps.”

Green Flag’s Do’s and Don’ts for de-icing your car through winter:

Do use a scraper. The most effective way of de-icing car windows is still with a scraper. It’s always best to use one that’s designed for the job.
Do try a de-icer spray. If you don’t fancy using a scraper, you can also use de-icer sprays, which are a quick and easy way of getting the job done.
Do de-ice all of your windows. Never drive looking through a porthole scraped in the ice on your windscreen. Hazards come at us from all angles when we’re on the road. It’s important that we can see all around us, so make sure you clear the ice from the side windows as well as the entire windscreen.
Don’t pour boiling water over your windscreen. It will certainly be very effective at melting the ice, but it’s also a very effective way of causing your windscreen to crack. If you’ve got a small chip or some damage that you may not have noticed, the boiling water will get into it and the sudden expansion will turn that tiny chip into a rapidly spreading crack.

For further information, see Green Flag’s expert advice for tackling a frozen windscreen here:

https://www.greenflag.com/winter-driving/what-to-do-if-your-windscreen-is-frozen

Keep Scotland Beautiful welcomes marine litter consultation

KEEP Scotland Beautiful has welcomed the opening of a public consultation on an updated Marine Litter Strategy which will run until 22 March 2022.

KSB CEO Barry Fisher said: “We know that 80% of marine litter comes from land and that we need to tackle this problem upstream. Our stats also highlight that 88% of people believe that litter is a problem nationally, while 70% believe it is an issue in their local area – this is unacceptable.

“For over 30 years we have taken action to reduce marine and coastal litter and played an important role in the development of Scotland’s first Marine Litter Strategy which was published in 2014.

“The two consultations running from now until the Spring of 2022 give everyone a chance to have our say on litter – on land and at sea. The next three months provide those frustrated by litter with a huge opportunity to have their voices heard.”

Through KSB’s award-winning Upstream Battle campaign on the Clyde and now active on the Tay the organisation has supported community Anchor Groups to collect data which helped them publish their first citizen science report in June 2020. You can ‘meet’ KSB’s Anchor Groups, and find out more about what they are doing to tackle litter from source to sea on KSB’s campaign pages.

Keep Scotland Beautiful is committed, alongside partners such as the Marine Conservation Society, Fidra, Scottish Water, Nature Scot and Crown Estate Scotland, to improve the quality of our marine environments.

Since 2014 KSB has also:

Driven action through the Treasure Your River campaign on the Forth, and the My Beach Your Beach campaign at key bathing waters in Scotland;
Supported communities and businesses to Clean Up their local beaches and coastlines by providing free Clean Up Kits;
Audited sites across Scotland using our Local Environmental Audit and Management System in line with the Environment Protection Act and associated Code of Practice for Litter and Refuse;
Recognised beach managers and communities through Scotland’s Beach Award programme; and
Assisted the Scottish Government with the development and delivery of the updated Marine Litter Strategy.

The Scottish Government is concurrently seeking views on a range of measures to prevent litter and flytipping, optimise services, improve data and strengthen enforcement as part of a separate consultation on a new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy which runs until 31 March 2022.

Keep Scotland Beautiful looks forward to playing their part by supporting people across Scotland to have their voices heard and to make responses to the consultations over the coming months. Find out more here.

Plant expert shares ultimate green guide for creating a home jungle

GREEN FINGERED homeowners and tenants can now access the ultimate guide on how to bring the outdoors into their home thanks to an Edinburgh based plant expert.

In celebration of International Houseplant Appreciation Day on January 10^th, homebuilder CALA Homes (East) has partnered with plant expert, Andrew Forbes of GREEN.MEADOWS Edinburgh, to create a carefully curated series of videos and blogs to help newbies and plant pros alike elevate their spaces with greenery.

Covering a variety of topics, from how to match plants to your home’s individual décor, to the best plants for beginners, to the best balcony plants for microclimates across the UK, the new resource provides informative care tips and stylistic inspiration for both interior and exterior areas of the home.

Andrew said: “Houseplants have really boomed throughout the pandemic and can be an amazing way to upgrade your spaces. However, lots of people don’t really know where to begin, or how to take their greenery to the next level.

“One of my favourite things about my job is helping people find the right plants for them, and I am hoping the range of resources we’ve pulled together will help a wide variety of people plant style their homes and care for their plants in a way that will help them thrive.

“Part of the project is a short video series where I was lucky enough to take a visit down to a state-of-the-art CALA show apartment at Waterfront Plaza in Leith, to style it with my own selection of plants. It was wonderful to see how they really transformed the space.

“I’m hoping this new guide will provide some inspiration and help homeowners get their interior and balcony spaces blooming.”

The guide includes easy to keep plants such as the Zamioculcas zamiifolia Raven (ZZ plant) and Monstera Deliciosa with useful tips on how to avoid overwatering and the best places to keep plants based on light and humidity around the home, with an accompanying video of Andrew plant styling a CALA apartment for to give viewers inspiration.

No need for second booster at this time, say health experts

Boosters continue to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from Omicron in older adults

Latest data from UKHSA shows booster doses are continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease from the Omicron variant among older adults.

Figures show that around 3 months after they received the third jab, protection against hospitalisation among those aged 65 and over remains at about 90%.

With just 2 vaccine doses, protection against severe disease drops to around 70% after 3 months and to 50% after 6 months.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has taken this latest evidence into account in their ongoing review of the booster programme.

The Committee advises that at this present time:

there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, or fourth jab, to the most vulnerable (care home residents and those aged over 80) – the timing and need for further booster doses will continue to be reviewed as the data evolves
priority should continue to be given to rolling out first booster doses to all age groups
unvaccinated individuals should come forward for their first 2 doses as soon as possible

Professor Wei Shen Lim, the JCVI’s chair of COVID-19 immunisation, said: “The current data shows the booster dose is continuing to provide high levels of protection against severe disease, even for the most vulnerable older age groups.

“For this reason, the committee has concluded there is no immediate need to introduce a second booster dose, though this will continue to be reviewed.

“The data is highly encouraging and emphasises the value of a booster jab. With Omicron continuing to spread widely, I encourage everyone to come forward for their booster dose, or if unvaccinated, for their first 2 doses, to increase their protection against serious illness.”

The latest study looked at booster doses in those aged over 65, who were among the first to be eligible when the booster rollout began in mid-September.

Whilst with a booster dose, the duration of protection against severe disease remains high, protection against mild symptomatic infection is more short-lived and drops to around 30% by about 3 months.

Emergency care crisis deepens

The latest Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports 2021-22 for week ending 2 January 2022 show:

There was a total of 562,062 instances of staff absences
249,173 instances of staff absences were covid related, an increase of 41% on the previous week
Nearly half of instances of staff absences were covid related
Since the start of December there has been an increase of 198% in covid-related instances of absence
On average 16,906 patients resided in hospital who no longer fit the criteria and were ready to be discharged, of these, on average, 9,858 remained in hospital
This is equal to almost six in 10 patients who were ready to be discharged remaining in hospital
Nearly one quarter of ambulance arrivals were delayed by 30 minutes or more
Almost one in 10 ambulance arrivals were delayed by at least an hour

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “The scale of the pressures facing the health service is highlighted in these figures. Instances of covid-related absence have tripled since the beginning of December. Now the army has been deployed to assist the health service in London.

“Ambulances continue to be delayed in handing over patients on arrival putting patient safety at risk, while high numbers of patients ready to be discharged remain in hospital due to the ongoing social care crisis.

“Promoting flow through the hospital is vital but rests upon timely discharge of patients back home once their treatment is complete. To ensure this social care must be resourced and supported, this will help reduce admissions and free up beds in hospital.

“It is a perilous situation, and an enormous strain is put upon staff working in hospitals, who continue, as ever, to go above and beyond to ensure care continues to be delivered and patients are kept safe.”

No Alcohol, No Problem: Warner’s 0% spirits mean we can still have a happy new year

New Year’s resolutions have you ready to trade in your gin membership for a gym membership? No need with Warner’s 0% Botanic Garden Spirits!

‘New Year, new you’ doesn’t have to leave you feeling blue if you’ve made a resolution to go dry this January and beyond. Whether looking to cut out alcohol completely or reduce consumption, the good news is you can still have a proper tasty drink AND go to the gym; because let’s face it, you’re better than a pint of squash.

Introducing Warner’s 0% Botanic Garden Spirits, a super-premium, farm-born spirit, that is packed full of flavour without any of the alcohol. Handcrafted will all-natural botanicals and using spring water drawn from their Falls Farm distillery, it’s the perfect blend of innovation, hard graft, and real, natural ingredients that Warner’s drinkers know and love.

Warner’s 0% Botanic Garden Spirits is available in two flavours – Juniper Double Dry and Pink Berry. The Juniper Double Dry is crafted using real, natural, farm-grown ingredients: lemon thyme, lemon verbena and water drawn from the spring at Warner’s farm. The spirit has a spicy base, herbal hit, citrus edge and peppery finish, giving it the recognisable kick of a top-shelf tipple.

It took playing around with 53 different natural ingredients before settling on the 0% Pink Berry recipe. The spirit is leading the way as a delicious non-alcoholic alternative to a fruity or pink gin: fragrant & tangy, combining raspberries and blackcurrant sage with a kick from chilli, ginger and Szechuan pepper. Both flavours are 0% ABV and suitable for vegans – or those also conquering Veganuary.

Warner’s founder Tom Warner said: “Going dry in January is a great test of resolve and willpower but let’s be honest, after the last couple of years, it feels like even more of a challenge this January.

“Our 0% Botanic Garden Spirits mean you shouldn’t have to compromise simply because you’re having a non-alcoholic beverage. If you’re going to have a drink, make it a proper drink and drink like a bloomin’ grown up.”

Warner’s 0% Botanic Garden Spirits range can be purchased in 5cl from £3 or 50cl from £18 in major supermarkets including M&S, Ocado, selected Co-Ops and online at www.warnersdistillery.com.

New Covid testing regulations sees bookings surge for Maison Sport

Ski instructor marketplace calls for clearer plans for the travel industry with regards to how future variants are managed

Ski instructor marketplace, Maison Sport has reported a 100% increase in bookings overnight since the latest announcement that rules on testing are to be eased for people travelling to the UK, following numerous pleas from the travel industry, who are amongst those hit hardest amidst the pandemic.

Commenting on the new guidelines, Nick Robinson, Founder and CEO of Maison Sport said: “This is brilliant news for the industry and we expect to see ski lesson availability snapped up for the busy month of February over the coming days.

“This is typically our busiest month of the season so it’s great to see things ramp up again so quickly – this is just the news we have been waiting for. Not only is it brilliant news for those travelling but it will also provide a welcome boost to all of our ski instructors”

Maison Sport has proven to be a game-changer for independent ski and snowboard instructors who can significantly increase their earnings using the platform. The marketplace has surpassed 34,000 hours of lessons taught in 364 ski resorts across Europe.

Nick Robinson comments: “The old rules were perhaps in place for 2 to 3 weeks more than they needed to be based on the fact that they were implemented mainly to slow the spread of Omicron, but Omicron was dominant in the UK from the 17^th of December or earlier so it’s clear that rules were causing more harm than good to certain industries.

“It’s really important that moving forward there is a clearer plan for the travel industry with regards to how we deal with new variants in the future.”

Founded in 2016 by former ski champion brothers Nick and Olly Robinson and fellow ex-British Ski Team member Aaron Tipping, Maison Sport now boasts the third-largest selection of instructors in comparison to any ski school in the world.

With its innovative platform continuing to grow, overcoming the significant challenges facing the global travel industry, the company plans further expansion into Asia and South America over the course of 2022.

For more information visit www.maisonsport.com

Police Scotland reorganises staff to tackle Omicron challenge

Police Scotland is increasing the number of officers deployed in local policing divisions to support communities during the latest phase of the COVID pandemic.

More than 300 officers from specialist functions throughout Scotland will move to support colleagues in local policing divisions temporarily from Monday, 10 January, 2022.

At the same time, 258 probationary constables currently undergoing training at the Scottish Police College will also be deployed to local policing divisions.

The use of probationers and officers from specialist functions was successful both earlier in the pandemic and during the COP26 climate conference.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs said “We are working hard to maximise the availability of officers and staff in frontline duties to ensure that we continue to provide a highly effective policing service to our local communities.

“Omicron is having a significant effect on the country and Police Scotland is included in that. The welfare of our officers and staff is paramount and has been throughout the pandemic.

“As a national service we can quickly flex resources and move people to where they are needed and respond to increased demand and high absence levels.

“By deploying these extra resources we can support local policing and keep people safe during this critical time.”