-Insurance giant urges motorists to think twice before getting behind the wheel-
Clare Egan, Head of Motor Product at Admiral, said: “As beer gardens re-open across Scotland, we risk seeing a rise in the number of people tempted to get behind the wheel after a drink, putting other road users, pedestrians, and themselves in danger.
“It’s vital to understand the implications of taking this risk and we’d urge all motorists to think twice before getting in their car to drive after having an alcoholic drink.
“Being caught over the limit can see a driver face up to 6 months in prison, an unlimited fine and a driving ban of at least one year, not to mention the potential life-changing impact it can have if it leads to a crash.
“Those convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol could find their insurance premiums increasing by more than 250% – that’s if they can get insurance at all. But the financial penalties don’t stop there, if you do have an accident while drink-driving many insurers will refuse to cover the cost of damages, meaning drivers could be left with hefty sums to pay including the cost of third-party claims.
“There are many different factors that could impact your ability to drive safely. Weight, age and metabolism all play a part in alcohol tolerance, meaning it is virtually impossible to know if you are safe to drive. Even the smallest amount of alcohol will affect how you drive, so the only way to be really safe is to avoid drinking altogether when you know you are taking the car.
“As the UK slowly eases out of this lockdown, many people will be looking to enjoy the relaxing of some of these restrictions. Make sure you consider another way to get to and from the pub safely, and whatever you do, don’t be tempted to drive.”
Consumer group CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, is urging pub goers and beer drinkers to get back down their locals wherever possible to socialise safely at pubs, social clubs and brewery taprooms.
The Campaign is urging people to support their local pub, whether it has outside space that is opening from today or by supporting take-home beer and cider sales from those that cannot open for another few weeks yet.
CAMRA has also teamed up with other industry organisations, including the Society of Independent Breweries (SIBA), Cask Marque and the British Institute of Innkeeping, to urge people to opt for a pint of fresh cask beer from a local, independent brewery as part of the ‘Cask is BACK, so back CASK’ campaign, championing our national drink which can only be bought and enjoyed down the pub.
For those unable to reopen from today, CAMRA’s Pulling Together campaign at www.camra.org.uk/pullingtogether allows people to find and support local businesses by listing local pubs and breweries offering take-home beer and cider for collection or home delivery.
CAMRA Chairman Nik Antona said: “Pubs matter and are a vital part of our communities. We are all looking forward to enjoying the social and wellbeing benefits of being back at the local – and enjoying a pint of delicious local cask beer.
“It is vital that our pubs and clubs get as much support as possible over the coming weeks and months during this partial reopening. With outside-only alcohol sales and the onerous curfew, many pubs will struggle to make ends meet after an exceptionally difficult 13 months.
“For those going back to the pub today as well as considering BYOB – ‘bring your own blanket’ – we’d like to ask pub goers to be patient and courteous with pub staff who are doing their jobs in difficult circumstances and with a few extra rules than we are used to when we visit our local.
“For those pubs that can’t reopen yet, please do consider supporting them with take-home beer, cider and food until they can open their doors inside in a few weeks.”
Lockdown restrictions that ease today [Monday 26 April] must not inadvertently create new barriers for blind and partially sighted people and those with other disabilities, says the national sight loss charity RNIB Scotland.
RNIB Scotland director James Adams said: “With lockdown restrictions easing further today, we’re all looking forward to getting outside to see loved ones and enjoy the warmer weather.
“But we are hearing from many blind and partially sighted people who have lost confidence in going outside after a year of covid restrictions and are anxious about public spaces becoming busier and more cluttered with café and bar tables and chairs.
“Social distancing often relies on being able to see things such as signs, queuing systems or barriers. When you can’t see these changes, they can create new obstacles to navigate and further erode confidence.
“So we’re asking the public to be aware of the challenges people with sight loss might face, and help them to safely social distance as the restrictions change. We’re also reminding local authorities and businesses that the measures in place to protect us must be inclusive to everyone, not just to those who can see them.
“This is the ‘new normal’ we should aim to return to in Scotland.”
* RNIB’s website (www.rnib.org.uk) and helpline (tel 0303 123 9999) has more information on this.
Ventilators and oxygen concentrator devices due to leave UK today
The support follows a request from India and PM pledge for the UK to do all it can
First package due to arrive in Delhi on Tuesday, with further shipments later this week
More than 600 pieces of vital medical equipment will be sent to India to support the country in its fight against Covid-19, the UK Government has announced.
The assistance package, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, includes ventilators and oxygen concentrators from surplus stocks. It will be used by the Government of India to provide vital medical treatment to those suffering from Covid-19 in India.
The Department of Health and Social Care have worked closely with the NHS, as well as suppliers and manufacturers in the UK to identify reserve life-saving equipment that can be sent to India.
India has this week reported its highest numbers of new daily cases and deaths since the pandemic began and is facing severe shortages of oxygen.
Following discussions with the Government of India, the first shipment of equipment will leave the UK today, arriving in New Delhi in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Further shipments are due to follow later this week.
In total, nine airline container loads of supplies, including 495 oxygen concentrators, 120 non-invasive ventilators and 20 manual ventilators, will be sent to the country this week.
This equipment will be crucial in helping to save the lives of the most vulnerable in India. The oxygen concentrators, for example, can extract oxygen from the air in the atmosphere so that it can be provided to patients, taking the strain off hospital oxygen systems and allowing oxygen to be provided in situations where hospital oxygen supplies have run out.
The UK is working closely with the Government of India to identify further assistance it can provide in the coming days.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: We stand side by side with India as a friend and partner during what is a deeply concerning time in the fight against COVID-19.
“Vital medical equipment, including hundreds of oxygen concentrators and ventilators, is now on its way from the UK to India to support efforts to prevent the tragic loss of life from this terrible virus.
“We will continue to work closely with the Indian government during this difficult time and I’m determined to make sure that the UK does everything it can to support the international community in the global fight against the pandemic.”
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “We are supporting our Indian friends with vital medical equipment at a difficult time for them in this pandemic.
“We have all got to work together to tackle Covid-19. India is a very important partner to us, so we’re providing oxygen concentrators and ventilators to help save the lives of the most vulnerable. We will be following up on this first delivery with further support, based on our ongoing discussions with the Indian Government.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: The heart-breaking scenes in India show once again how awful this terrible disease is. We are determined to support the people of India through this very difficult time, and I am hugely grateful to those who have worked hard to make this initial delivery happen.
“This first delivery of life saving equipment will provide much needed assistance and we stand ready to do more. The global pandemic has challenged health systems all across the world and the best way to overcome adversity is to unite and defeat this dreadful disease together.
“This is the just the latest example of UK-India collaboration throughout this pandemic, to the benefit of both countries and the world.”
A new digital service to support businesses in collecting contact details for contact tracing purposes, Check in Scotland, is now available in participating venues.
More than 6,400 venues have so far signed up to use this voluntary service for businesses in Scotland, supporting them to effectively collect the contact details of their visitors and customers.
The Check in Scotland service will enable people to quickly and securely provide their contact details by scanning the official Test & Protect Check in Scotland QR code poster via their smartphone camera or by downloading the Check in Scotland app.
Any contact details collected will be held in a secure, encrypted data store unique to each venue for 21 days. Unless information is requested by public health officials as part of their contact tracing efforts, visitor data is automatically deleted on day 22. Venue and visitor details will not be used for any other purpose.
Businesses that can use Check in Scotland include:
pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes
tourism and leisure businesses, such as theme parks, museums and cinemas
close contact services, including hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, tattooists, sports and massage therapists
services run by local councils, such as libraries, leisure centres and registration offices
cremation authorities, burial authorities, places of worship or funeral director service rooms offering funeral services
places of worship
Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said: “As travel, retail and hospitality restrictions begin to ease and venues start to re-open, it’s vital that any close contacts of new positive cases can be quickly contacted and given advice to self-isolate.
“Check in Scotland is designed to give businesses an easy way to collect contact details from customers for contact tracing purposes. It is entirely voluntary and up to individual venues to decide what method they prefer to use to collect the required contact details.
“Together with the Protect Scotland app, Check in Scotland will help contact tracers reach people faster if there are coronavirus (COVID-19) cases linked to a venue they have recently visited.
“The faster we can contact people who might have been exposed to COVID-19, the faster we can stop the spread of the virus, and keep moving towards the return of everyday activities.”
Alerts will be sent by SMS, email or letter depending on what details users provide and will be clearly marked as being from NHS Scotland Test and Protect.
The Check In Scotland service is designed to complement the separate Protect Scotland app, which alerts users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
People will only be advised to self-isolate if contact tracers believe they were in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Otherwise they may be advised to watch out for symptoms of COVID-19, and to book a test only if they or someone in their household displays symptoms.
Retail trade union Usdaw is calling on customers to follow the rules and respect shopworkers, as non-essential stores in Scotland reopen.
Stewart Forrest – Usdaw Divisional Officer for Scotland says:“The reopening of non-essential shops offers a lifeline for many retailers. That is good news for helping to safeguard jobs, but the virus is still out there.
“We expect employers to ensure that robust safety measures are in place and that customers are fully aware of the restrictions. Shoppers need to play their part in helping to limit the spread of the virus and avoid further lockdowns by following the rules and respecting staff.
“Regrettably, throughout this appalling pandemic, incidents of abuse towards shopworkers doubled. It should never be just a part of the job and shopworkers must be respected. Retail staff are working with the public every day and are not only facing increased abuse, but also a higher chance of catching Covid-19.”
The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Usdaw have jointly asked Scots to play their part in creating a safe and enjoyable retail environment for other customers and shop staff.
The SRC and Usdaw are encouraging shoppers to:
queue considerately,
maintain physical distancing,
wear face coverings, and
follow instructions and be respectful to shop staff.
Free lateral flow test kits will be available for anyone without symptoms in Scotland
From today (Monday) everyone in Scotland will be able to access rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing, even if they have no symptoms.
Free lateral flow home test kits will be available for pick up without an appointment from many local walk-in or drive-through test sites from 3.30pm each day, or by ordering online or by phone, for people to test themselves twice-weekly.
The expansion is aimed at finding cases that would otherwise go undetected, so anyone testing positive can self-isolate and avoid transmitting the virus to those around them.
It means anyone without COVID-19 symptoms who does not already have access to asymptomatic testing in their workplace or community can test themselves. This includes anyone planning travel to a Scottish island so they can test themselves before their journey.
Each pack contains seven rapid lateral flow device tests that can provide results in around 30 minutes. A positive result means people should self-isolate with their household and order a PCR test to confirm the positive result.
Support for people who need to self-isolate is available, including a £500 self-isolation support grant for low income workers. People who do not have family or community support can also call the National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000, or contact via textphone on 0800 111 4114.
Anyone who receives a negative result should continue to follow the restrictions and guidance currently in place, including FACTS, as a negative result is not a guarantee that someone does not have COVID-19.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said: “This expansion builds on our existing testing strategy, and will help our efforts to ease the country out of lockdown safely. Routine testing is already available for people with no symptoms in a wide-range of settings, including schools, high-risk workplaces, and communities where COVID-19 rates remain stubbornly high.
“Rapid lateral flow testing is already helping us to find cases that might otherwise have been missed, as around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not show symptoms. That’s why it’s vital people can access testing, even if they don’t feel unwell. It will help protect the people around you, and help us avoid another return to lockdown.
“It may be tempting to think as vaccinations increase and cases drop, that testing will become less important. In fact, this will only make it more important to spot and prevent new outbreaks as cases emerge. We know from our experience of last summer just how quickly one outbreak can lead to another.
“This also applies regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not. While the latest evidence suggests vaccines provide a high level of protection against the effects of COVID-19, they don’t yet provide a guarantee that you can’t still get the virus or pass it on to others.
“By making home tests so widely available to everyone who needs them, people have more options to get tested and our strong advice is for people to take up this offer to protect people around them, and the progress we’ve made so far.”
Pre-departure testing covers travel to all Scottish islands. The first test should be taken three days before travel to an island and the second on the day of departure.
People with no COVID-19 symptoms can already access Community Testing in a number of NHS Board and Local Authority areas. You can find the site closest to you at gov.scot/communitytesting
Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms (high temperature, new continuous cough, loss of taste or smell) should self-isolate and book a PCR test via nhsinform.scot/testandprotect or by calling 0800 028 2816.
People with symptoms in the NHS Highland, Orkney, Shetland, or the Western Isles board areas can book a test via their health board website. NHS Highland residents can also call 01463 706015 to book a test at their local fire station.
Food delivery companies such as Deliveroo should be forced to investigate accidents and address risks facing their Scottish couriers, say campaigners.
The call comes as the Workers’ Observatory – an Edinburgh project supporting fast food couriers – prepares to launch a manifesto in response to rider safety concerns such as traffic hazards.
Developed with the support of the STUC and Edinburgh University, the manifesto calls for riders to have better protections at work, and asks councils to step into gaps left by legislation by monitoring riders’ road accidents.
Riders – who are still considered by many companies to be self-employed despite a ruling by the UK Supreme Court that Uber drivers should be classified as workers – fall outside of UK health and safety laws.
The Workers’ Observatory collective, working with Edinburgh University sociologist Karen Gregory, claims that company policy of pay-per-delivery “incentivises risk taking”.
The group has gathered examples of traffic accidents and “near misses” experienced by Edinburgh food delivery couriers. Riders have told researchers they feel “pressurised” to take jobs in areas that feel unsafe because they worry refusing an order will affect the allocation of jobs.
Karen Gregory, who published a study on related safety issues last December, said: “The structure of paying riders “per drop” incentivises workers to deliver quickly, so that they are ready for the next delivery assignment.
“This can mean pushing it on city streets or racing through the city on a bicycle or scooter to minimise your delivery time.”
Cailean Gallagher, coordinator of the Workers’ Observatory, said: “Just like in other workplaces, when gig workers have accidents or injuries at work, these should be reported and monitored.
“Councils should be able to receive accident reports and then share the information with riders so that they can monitor the risks and hazards of their work and develop appropriate demands.”
Leo Di Caprio blockbuster tops list of people searching to watch the film online
Forrest Gump is second, followed by Best Picture winner in 2017 Moonlight
Globally the most popular film search is Parasite, with Titanic in second and Forrest Gump in third place
The UK’s heart still goes on for Titanic as new research reveals it is the most searched Oscar-winning film that people try to access online.
Ahead of this weekend’s Academy Awards, Search Intelligence investigated which Oscar winner for for Best Picture is the fans’ favourite.
The study found that Titanic is the most searched film in the UK after analysing search terms that people typically use to watch a film online.
Tom Hanks classic Forrest Gump, which won Best Picture in 1995, is Britain’s second most searched film, while 2017 winner Moonlight takes third place.
The UK’s most searched Oscar-winning films – top 10
UK rank
Film
Best Picture-winning year
1
Titanic
1998
2
Forrest Gump
1995
3
Moonlight
2017
4
The Godfather
1973
5
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
1976
6
Braveheart
1996
7
Parasite
2020
8
The Departed
2007
9
The Sound Of Music
1966
10
12 Years A Slave
2014
Globally, the most popular film search is 2020 Oscar-winner Parasite, followed by Titanic, with Forrest Gump in third place.
Overall, global searches showed more more interest in recent winners, with the last four Best Pictures featuring in the top ten – Parasite, Green Book, The Shape of Water and Moonlight.
The World’s most searched Oscar-winning films – top 10
UK rank
Film
Best Picture-winning year
1
Parasite
2020
2
Titanic
1998
3
Forrest Gump
1995
4
Green Book
2019
5
The Godfather
1973
6
The Shape Of Water
2018
7
Moonlight
2017
8
Gladiator
2001
9
Slumdog Millionaire
2009
10
Braveheart
1996
The study used data analytics platform Ahrefs to calculate the average annual search volume for 16 different terms film fans typically use when trying to watch movies online, such as “Titanic full move” or “watch Titanic online free”.
All 92 Best Picture winners were included, from 1928/29 victor Wings, up to last year’s winner Parasite, as well as the eight nominees for the category this year.
