Young Writers have launched Write to Unite, a creative writing campaign to help raise the nation’s spirits.
Life as we know it has been turned upside-down, and to help take our minds away from being stuck inside, children and adults of all ages are invited to help spread positivity by writing a poem, a story, or giving a thoughtful message to love ones or keyworkers.
First established in 1991, Young Writers works with schools and parents, encouraging young people to engage in creative writing. Morgan Walton, Director, says, “This is an extremely difficult time for everyone across the country. Writing can be a great way to express how you feel, and for children and adults alike it’s important to come together to express a positive message”.
Write to Unite is free to take part in, and the aim of the campaign is to bring people together regardless of background or age. This is the public’s chance to celebrate community spirit and appreciate the elderly, the vulnerable or those who are working behind the scenes every day to keep our world moving during this challenging period.
To take part in Write to Unite, all you have to do is get writing!
Poems, stories, letters – are all welcome. Visit www.writetounite.co.uk for a selection of free resources and templates to inspire creativity. View the trailer at: https://youtu.be/m_lenUHvJC4.
Participants are encouraged to share this great opportunity with friends and family on social media. Use the #writetounite hashtag, and nominate three friends to get involved.
This is a perfect time to get the whole family creating positive memories. Let’s work together to spread some joy and happiness. Let’s write to unite!
For further information please email: info@writetounite.co.uk
or visit www.writetounite.co.uk.
The government increases efforts to bring home travellers stranded abroad by coronavirus (COVID-19) with extra flights and 10 more airlines joining its scheme.
The government is ‘ramping up’ efforts to bring home thousands of travellers stranded overseas by coronavirus with a new package of extra flights and 10 additional airlines joining its scheme to keep commercial routes open and get British people back to the UK.
From next week the government will start to bring stranded British travellers back from India with flights from Delhi, Goa and Mumbai. Passengers interested in these flights from India are advised to check the travel advice for India which we will be updating when booking for these flights opens.
The number of airlines signed up to the Government’s scheme to get Britons home now stands at 14 after 10 new airlines, including British Airways, Norwegian, TUI and Ryanair, joined Virgin Atlantic, Titan, easyJet, and Jet2 who signed up earlier this week.
Since Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced on Monday (30 March) that the government had reached an agreement with airlines, more than 1,450 British travellers have flown home on specially chartered flights.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Travellers are facing an unprecedented challenge on a global scale, and I know people are understandably desperate to get back to their homes and loved ones.
“We are committed to supporting Britons getting home either through commercial routes we have helped keep open or through specially chartered flights. With more airlines signing up it should mean more flights available but also a fairer deal for travellers by providing more flexibility over tickets and costs.
Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps said: “We continue to work with airlines round the clock to reunite British citizens with their families and loved ones.
“With more airlines pledging support, this huge operation becomes a little easier, speeding up the process and helping ensure a greater number of people return home quickly and safely.”
Where it is possible to get back to the UK on commercial routes by any carrier, the FCO continues to encourage all British nationals to take such opportunities.
The Department for Transport is working closely with airlines to bring those with pre-booked tickets home, either with the airline they booked with or on alternative routes where available.
This includes airlines allowing passengers to change tickets between carriers, where permissible, and offering them the latest information and advice as the situation changes.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises all British travellers to return to the UK now. Read our latest coronavirus travel advice.
Social distancing guidance for businesses in Scotland has been updated to help provide clarity on protecting employees in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19).
It provides further information for employers and makes clear that those providing essential services must follow social distancing requirements.
It asks that the owners of businesses and operators of workplaces not required to close by law to consider whether what they do is essential to the efforts in the fight against the virus or benefit the wellbeing of society.
It also asks those employers if they can demonstrate and provide their workforces with reassurance that they are consistently practising safe social distancing and complying with all other standard health and safety requirements.
If the answer to either of these questions is no, workplaces are advised to close.
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “We recognise that this is an extremely difficult time for businesses in Scotland and I must thank the many companies acting responsibly and taking action to protect their workers and the wider public.
“The updated guidance we expect to be published today by the UK Government does not apply in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s established priority is public health and fighting the virus.
“Workplaces that do not follow the Chief Medical Officer’s clear and consistent precautionary advice may be putting their employees, the wider public and our NHS at risk. It is essential that all businesses act responsibly to safeguard the nation’s health, well-being and economic future.
“Our updated guidance asks non-essential businesses to consider whether their employees can work from home and, where not possible, they should close on a precautionary basis until such time it is clear to all staff and unions that they can operate in a way that is safe and fully compliant with social distancing as reducing our social interactions will reduce the spread of coronavirus.
“We need essential businesses and their supply chains to continue in their work and show that they are complying with social distancing guidance. We will work with business and trades union leaders so that we can all be clear on how activity can be undertaken safely and in a way that is fully compliant with social distancing. Unless and until such guidance is in place, non-essential workplaces, including construction sites, should close.”
There’s been a great response from the people of Edinburgh to help the city get through the current coronavirus pandemic.
We’d like to thank everyone who has been in touch with the voluntary and public sector to offer their skills and time. We know that many of you are keen to also ‘do your bit’ to contribute to this effort and we would like to thank those of you who are trying to find ways to help your communities.
Your kindness and generosity in these difficult times are a reflection of all that is best about the city we share and the people who call it home.
We need everyone to look out for each other now more than ever and being a good neighbour and taking care of those who need help in your building, street or immediate community is going to help get us through – Volunteer Edinburgh has advice and information on how you can help.
If you are part of an existing or newly formed community group please contact EVOC who have developed a directory and are connecting the amazing community responses across the city. EVOC is working hard to connect supply and demand of food at a very local and community level.
EVOC is asking people to complete this basic form or email info@evoc.org.uk for more information.
Council Leader, Adam McVey, said: “The voluntary sector is doing an amazing job pulling everyone together and making sure people can help out appropriately following government guidelines. If you are able to help others then please ‘Think Local and Act Local’.
“Where you can, offer support to your wider family, your friends and your neighbours to help ensure that they can receive the essential supplies and medicine that they may need.
“Volunteer Edinburgh has a range of information and guidance on how to be a good neighbour safely. At the moment the best thing that most people can do is still to stay at home, limit social contact and follow NHS guidelines. This really is the most important contribution that can be made to the safety and resilience of the city.”
Depute Leader, Cammy Day, said: “To keep essential services running and support those who are vulnerable, we’re constantly monitoring how we deploy our own staff as well. We’re working to identify where our services need help and at the moment we’re relying on our own internal capacity to meet those needs.
“We’ll be monitoring this over the weeks ahead and will work with Volunteer Edinburgh if we think we need the wider community to help us. In the meantime staying safe at home is the best thing people can do. If you can offer more then it really is a matter of thinking local and acting local.
“I want to make sure the local community organisations have a key contact to make sure we have a joined up approach and would urge people to make connect via the EVOC.”
Ella Simpson, Chief Officer of EVOC, said: “I am incredibly proud to be part of the voluntary sector in Edinburgh. They know their communities so well and have been absolutely amazing in their responses to Covid-19.
“As we continue to respond it is vital that we all work together – volunteers, voluntary sector and statutory agencies – to support the most vulnerable people in our communities.”
Paul Wilson, Chief Officer of Volunteer Edinburgh, said: “People’s response to the pandemic has been overwhelming. In every street in Edinburgh people are helping each other, looking out for their neighbours and supporting the vulnerable and those in self isolation.
“Never before has it been more important to give your time, if you are able to, be a good neighbour and look out for each other. More than any other city in Scotland Edinburgh has always been a city of volunteers, of people who helped and I am very proud to live here.
“Please everyone be safe, think and act locally, continue to support your community in the weeks to come and most of all be kind.”
North Edinburgh’s voluntary sector has rallied to the cause with community organisations pulling out all the stops to ensure the area’s most vulnerable residents get food and essential supplies.
Now three weeks into operation there’s a co-ordinated effort to pool community resources and expertise to get supplies to people in Muirhouse,Drylaw Telford, West Pilton, Granton and Royston Wardieburn.
Do you, or someone you know, need food, supplies or other support during this hugely difficult time?
An information sheet with key telephone contact numbers is currently being produced and should be available over the next day or two, but in the meatime please email me at northedinburghnews@gmail.com and I will pass on your details to the relevant area organisers.
Remember the key advice: STAY HOME UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY
A new Coronavirus Status Checker that will help the NHS coordinate its response and build up additional data on the COVID-19 outbreak has been launched today by Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock.
People with potential coronavirus symptoms are now being asked to complete the status checker and answer a short series of questions which will tell the NHS about their experience.
It is open to anyone in the UK to use on the NHS website and in its initial phase the NHS is particularly keen for anyone who thinks they may be displaying potential coronavirus symptoms, no matter how mild, to complete it.
Status Checker users are clearly told at the beginning and the end of the survey that it is not a triage or clinical advice tool, and that they should visit 111 online for medical advice about their symptoms.
The information gathered will help the NHS to plan its response to the outbreak, indicating when and where more resources like oxygen, ventilators and additional staff might be needed and will provide valuable insight into the development and progression of the virus across the country.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Technology and data is playing a vital role in battling coronavirus and supporting our heroic NHS frontline workers to save lives, protect the vulnerable, and relive pressure on the NHS.
“We must learn as much as possible about this virus, and we are asking the whole nation to join this effort.
“If anyone has experienced symptoms of COVID-19 I would urge you to use our new status checker app to help us to collect essential information on the virus and allow us to better allocate NHS resources where they are needed most.”
The service is hosted on the NHS website and is available to access openly, with links directly from the NHS 111 online coronavirus service and NHS coronavirus pages.
The initiative is a collaboration between NHS England, NHSX, NHS Digital and Public Health England at the request of the Health and Social Care Secretary.
The creators of a number of independent apps and websites which have already launched to collect similar data have agreed to work openly with the NHS and align their products and data as part of this central, national effort.
Information collected by the NHS Coronavirus Status Checker will form part of a core national COVID-19 dataset held by NHS England.
The tool is live now and people can complete the survey either for themselves or on behalf of someone else with their permission.
It asks them:
The Coronavirus Status Checker, which is the latest example of the NHS harnessing the power of technology and data to help it tackle the epidemic, is part of the NHS coronavirus service. It complements the NHS 111 online coronavirus tool launched earlier this month, which gives the public digital access to health advice, isolation notes and a daily text messaging service for those self-isolating with symptoms.
The Status Checker will not identify users from the information they provide, although it will cross-reference data from other sources to ensure it avoids counting people twice.
The answers given by the public will only be used by the NHS and trusted organisations working directly with the NHS in response to coronavirus. The information will not be retained any longer than is strictly necessary post COVID-19.
Prof Keith Willett, Strategic Incident Director NHS England, said: “We know large volumes of people are visiting NHS 111 online each day, reporting potential coronavirus symptoms and being advised to self-isolate, and it will be hugely valuable for the NHS if we can learn more about these people and their experiences.
“By taking a few moments to answer these questions, you can play your part in helping the NHS put its resources in the right places, at the right time, to save lives.”
The survey can be accessed on the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus-status-checker
Emerging evidence from China shows smokers with COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe respiratory disease.
If you smoke, you are not only putting yourself at greater risk of developing severe disease from the COVID-19 virus, but those around you exposed to second hand smoke, including children, are also put at increased risk.
Smoking tobacco is known to damage the lungs and airways causing a range of severe respiratory problems. The evidence clearly shows COVID-19 virus attacks the respiratory system, which explains why smokers are at greater risk. A small but highly impactful survey from China finds that smokers with COVID-19 are 14 times more likely to develop severe disease.
In addition, the repetitive hand to mouth movement provides an easy route of entry for the virus, putting smokers at greater risk of contracting COVID-19.
Professor John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at Public Health England said: “In light of this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a more important time to stop smoking. Not only for your own health but to protect those around you.
“It will also help alleviate the huge pressures on the NHS.
“It is never too late to quit, no matter your age.”
Once smokefree, there are very real health benefits with the body continuing to repair the longer you stay smokefree.
The more immediate benefits include:
To help reduce your risk of contracting the virus and developing severe disease from coronavirus, you can use the smokefree app to access advice and support on how you can best stop smoking. Search ‘Smokefree’.
Follow the Smokefree Action Coalition #quitforcovid campaign on Twitter.
Feeding the nation is an essential part of us getting through the current crisis, so the trade union Usdaw and trade association Scottish Bakers have combined to acknowledge and welcome the crucial work bakers are doing to literally put our daily bread, savoury snacks and sweet treats on the table in extremely difficult circumstances.
Dave Gill, Usdaw National Officer, says: “Usdaw members throughout the food supply chain are doing essential work to keep us all fed. From manufacturing to distribution to retail, the country could not continue in these trying times without them.
“Staff are of course deeply concerned about their own personal safety, at a time when everyone who can has been instructed to stay at home. We are working with employers to promote necessary safety standards in essential workplaces, helping to ensure social distancing and hygiene standards are met.
“Usdaw continues support and advise our members through this difficult period and stands ready to resolve any issues of concern with their employer.”
Alasdair Smith – Scottish Bakers Chief Executive says: “Across the country our members are still baking and serving their communities with fresh baked goods. Many of our bakers have strong community links too and are going further with deliveries to vulnerable groups and those in self-isolation and we applaud them for their dedication.
“Throughout the current health crisis Scottish Bakers has worked with members to ensure they fully understand the demands of safe social distancing and so can continue to operate safely keeping their workforce and customers safe and well.”
With 57,000+ people in Edinburgh thought to experience tinnitus, a leading charity has urged anyone experiencing heightened or new symptoms as a result of the stress and anxiety of the coronavirus situation to seek online or virtual support to protect their mental health.
The call comes from the British Tinnitus Association charity (BTA) which, earlier this year, revealed the huge mental health impact that tinnitus can have on some individuals – with one in seven people with the condition having had suicidal thoughts at some point.
Studies have found that stress often makes tinnitus worse and, for many people, loneliness can also be a factor. With mental health charities reporting an increase in anxiety, the UK lockdown causing a natural increase in social isolation and common support services such as GPs less available in locally and across the country, the BTA says that now is a challenging time for people with tinnitus, as it is for many others too.
They are urging individuals who are struggling with tinnitus and people who are experiencing symptoms for the first time to seek support and for health services to signpost appropriately so that people know how to access free support.
While there is no cure for tinnitus – and 110,000 people recently signed a petition calling for more funding to be made available for research to find one – there are several strategies that can be helpful in learning to manage the condition.
David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the British Tinnitus Association, said: “There is naturally a huge amount of news and online discussion about coronavirus right now and we know that this is presenting our society with a significant mental health challenge.
“For people with tinnitus, the increased stress of this can worsen their condition which, in turn, increases anxiety further – creating a vicious cycle.
“With coronavirus also forcing a huge reduction in the level of support available through our community health infrastructure, it’s so important that we work together across the voluntary, independent and professional sector to signpost people to appropriate support.”
To improve support for people with tinnitus at this challenging time, the BTA is introducing new online resources to support those missing out on appointments, available via www.tinnitus.org.uk.
It will also continue to offer its free helpline service on 0800 018 0527, web chat on its website and further support through email at helpline@tinnitus.org.uk.
For more information on managing tinnitus at this difficult time, see the British Tinnitus Association’s article: Covid-19 guidance for people with tinnitus.
Thank you to all our customers and Morrisons Key workers for your patience, consideration and support in the face of the Coronavirus challenge we are all facing right now.
I’d like to share with you some of the initiatives we’ve been working hard to deliver over this last week.
Till Screens
We’ve installed protective screens on all checkouts, in all stores. A huge achievement with great feedback from our customers and Key Workers.
Home Shopping
Our home shopping business is experiencing unprecedented high demand at the moment. We are working extremely hard to create as many delivery slots as we can. We have taken on an extra 3,000 Key Workers and are on track to increase capacity by 60% by the end of April.
And we’ve launched our Morrisons Food Box service which delivers 2 types of food box to the most vulnerable customers during self isolation.
Contactless Limit Increase
The Contactless card limit is being raised from £30 to £45 in all stores by Friday 3rd April. Please use contactless payments whenever you can as this will help reduce the need for physical contact between customers and our Key Workers.
Paying Our Suppliers
We know the increased demand on our smaller suppliers has been significant and to help them get through any difficulties caused by the spread of Coronavirus and ensure we play our part in working together, we have been paying our suppliers immediately since we first announced this in mid-March.
Join us and, together, we can help feed some of the most in need …
We’ve set up local food bank donation areas in all stores to help everybody play their part in Feeding The Nation. We’re running our manufacturing sites for an extra hour on top of the already longer production runs to help us jointly contribute £10 million by July. Supplies in our local food banks have been severely reduced in recent weeks and they need us now more than ever. If you can donate a grocery item, then please do.
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