A letter signed by over 200 scientists from around the world has urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to recognise Covid-19 can be spread by ‘aerosol’ or ‘airborne’ transmission and called on the UN body to revise its guidance.
On 7 July, WHO acknowledged there could be a problem and said it plans to review its advice.
From early in the coronavirus crisis, global unions have urged WHO to act on worrying evidence of airborne/aerosol transmission, and argued a precautionary approach was necessary (Risks 951).
Now the letter backed by 239 scientists, published on 6 July in the in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, reinforces the union concerns and says the evidence is “beyond any reasonable doubt”.
It notes: “There is significant potential for inhalation exposure to viruses in microscopic respiratory droplets (microdroplets) at short to medium distances (up to several meters, or room scale), and we are advocating for the use of preventive measures to mitigate this route of airborne transmission.”
The paper adds: “Studies by the signatories and other scientists have demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses are released during exhalation, talking, and coughing in microdroplets small enough to remain aloft in air and pose a risk of exposure at distances beyond 1 to 2 metres (yards) from an infected individual.”
UK prime minister Boris Johnson relaxed physical distancing rules in England from 4 July, noting people should remain 2 metres apart where possible but “one metre plus” was the new minimum.
Police are appealing for information after thieves broke into Edinburgh College Forthside building on West Shore Road, sometime between Wednesday 1 July and Wednesday 8 July.
Hand and desktop power tools valued between £30,000 and £40,000 were stolen from the College’s Construction Centre for Excellence.
Detective Inspector Kevin Tait said : ‘The building is a training facility for students to train in the professions of bricklaying roofing and joinery.
“Enquiries are currently ongoing into the break-in and we would ask anyone with anyone information to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting 962 of Wednesday 8 July’.
Scotland will officially move to Phase 3 of the route map out of lockdown this weekend, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
From today (Friday 10 July), up to three households will be able to meet indoors for the first time – up to a maximum of eight people. Meanwhile, up to five different households to a maximum of 15 people will from tomorrow be able to meet outdoors.
A household can meet up to four other households per day in total. Two metre distancing between households should continue, with heightened hygiene measures to avoid creating bridges which allow the virus to spread.
Mandatory face coverings will be required in shops. Physical distancing of two metres remains the law, however on public transport and in retail settings exceptions will be allowed once appropriate mitigations are in place.
From Monday (13 July), organised outdoor play and contact sports can resume for children and young people under 18 (subject to guidance), non-essential shops inside shopping centres can re-open, and dental practices can see registered patients for ‘non-aerosol’ procedures.
From Wednesday (15 July), indoor restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to re-open. Hospitality venues can be granted an exception to the 2 metre distancing requirement, however this requires mitigating measures in place such as clear information for customers, revised seating plans, and all hospitality venues are required to record contact details of customers to support Test and Protect.
All holiday accommodation can re-open from Wednesday, as well as the childcare sector, hairdressers and barbers. Museums, galleries, cinemas and libraries can also open from Wednesday, with strict physical distancing and for many of these facilities advanced ticketing will be required.
Places of worship can re-open from Wednesday for communal prayer, congregational service and contemplation with limited attendance numbers and physical distancing. Specific guidance is being finalised with faith communities.
Restrictions on attendance at services and ceremonies for funerals, weddings and civil partnerships will be eased, although full-scale gatherings are still not permitted and some mitigation measures will remain.
During a statement to parliament, the First Minister said: ““Scotland has made major progress in tackling COVID-19 – prevalence of the virus in Scotland is now several times lower than it is across the UK as a whole. And it is because of that action we can move into Phase 3.
“Today marks the most significant milestone yet in Scotland’s emergence from lockdown. Measures announced today are, of course, dependent on us keeping the virus under control and we will not hesitate to re-impose restrictions if we consider it necessary to halt the spread of the virus and save lives.
“During Phase 3 we will start to resume and re-open many activities and settings such as opening indoor pubs and restaurants, allowing more indoor meetings between households, and re-opening places of worship.
“Eliminating the virus as far as possible now – ahead of the almost inevitable challenges we will face come winter – remains our objective.
“The five principles behind our facts campaign – face coverings; avoiding crowded spaces; cleaning hands and surfaces; two metre distancing; and self-isolation if you have symptoms – are more important than they have ever been.”
The Scottish Government is required by law to review lockdown restrictions at least every three weeks. The latest review falls due today, so I will set out our decisions and the next steps in our careful and cautious exit from lockdown. However, I will first give an update on today’s Covid-19 statistics and a report on our progress in tackling the virus.
Since yesterday, an additional six cases of Covid have been confirmed, which takes the total number of cases to 18,315. A total of 646 patients are currently in hospital with suspected or confirmed Covid, which is an overall decrease of 121 since yesterday. That includes a decrease of 16 in the number of confirmed cases. As of last night, nine people were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid, which is a decrease of two on the number that was reported yesterday.
I am pleased to report that, in the past 24 hours, no deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed as having the virus. The total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement therefore remains 2,490. However, we must never lose sight of the fact that every death is a tragedy, and I send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness. I also know that statistical trends do not console those who are grieving.
However, the statistical trends are clear. In Scotland, Covid has now been suppressed to a low level. Indeed, even in the three weeks since I last updated Parliament, there has been significant progress. At that time, we were reporting approximately 20 new cases of Covid a day. The daily average now is around seven cases a day. Three weeks ago, there were more than 540 people in hospital with confirmed Covid, and the figure today is 342. Further, there are now just three patients with confirmed Covid in our intensive care units.
The number of people dying has also fallen week on week, as is shown in our daily statistics and in the weekly reports from National Records of Scotland. In addition, our latest modelling suggests that the R number remains below 1. It has been between 0.6 and 0.8 for most of the past month.
The number of people in Scotland with the virus also continues to fall. Three weeks ago, we estimated that around 2,900 people were infectious. Our estimate for last week was that around 1,000 people in Scotland were infectious. That confirms, as I explained yesterday when setting out our decision on air bridges, that the prevalence of the virus is now several times lower in Scotland than it is in the United Kingdom as a whole.
In determining whether we can move from phase 2 to phase 3 of our exit from lockdown, we have assessed our progress in tackling Covid against the six criteria for this stage that are set out by the World Health Organization, and we have concluded that we meet each of them.
However, I must advise Parliament that the fifth of those criteria, which relates to managing the risk of importing cases from outside Scotland, gave us some pause for thought. The balanced decision on air bridges that we announced yesterday was essential for us to conclude that we are managing that risk in an effective and proportionate manner at this stage. It is essential that we keep the risk under close review. To be clear, that must cover the possibility of importation from other parts of the UK, as well as from overseas.
Taking all the various factors into account, I confirm that it is the judgment of the Government that we can now move from phase 2 to phase 3 of the route map.
I also confirm that, in a limited number of sectors, we will allow an exception to be made to the requirement for 2m physical distancing. However, that will be subject to strict conditions that are tailored to the circumstances of each sector. Let me stress the term “exception”, because the general rule remains 2m.
For public transport and the retail sector, that exception will be permissible from tomorrow. However, it is essential that the required mitigations are in place and that appropriate discussions have taken place with trade unions before it becomes operational in any particular setting. Given some of what I will cover later, it is worth being clear at this point that the retail sector includes personal services such as hairdressing.
I also remind everyone that face coverings, which are already mandatory on public transport, will from tomorrow be mandatory in shops as well. There will be some exemptions: for young children under the age of five, for people with certain health conditions, and for staff in some circumstances. For the vast majority of us, however, it will be the law that we wear face coverings in shops. For the foreseeable future, wearing a face covering on a bus or a train or in a shop should become as automatic as putting on a seat belt in a car.
Although it should not need to be enforced, the police can issue fines for anyone who does not comply. However, I ask everyone to comply not from fear of enforcement but because it is the right thing to do—it helps us protect each other from the virus. That leads me to a general point that is important to stress before I outline the further restrictions that we intend to lift. The virus has not gone away. It is still out there, and it is just as infectious and just as dangerous as it ever was. Lockdown has suppressed it but, as lockdown eases, there is a very real risk that it will start to spread again. That is not conjecture; it is already happening in many parts of the world.
With every restriction that we lift, the risk increases, especially as we start to permit more indoor activity. All of us must therefore do everything that we can to mitigate it. Wearing face coverings is part of that, but so, too, are the other measures that are summarised in our FACTS campaign: face coverings; avoiding crowded spaces; cleaning hands and surfaces; 2m distancing; and self-isolation and booking a test if you have symptoms. I simply cannot stress enough that, as we move out of lockdown, those basic measures become much more important, not less—please, follow them to the letter.
Let me now confirm the key steps in phase 3 for which we are now able to set specific dates. You will find more detail on the Scottish Government website later today. As will be obvious from what I am about to say, we intend to take the same staggered approach to phase 3 that we did to phase 2. Not all changes will happen immediately or at the same time, which means that we do not bear all of the risk at once. However, the first changes, relating to the ability of different households to meet up together, will take effect from tomorrow.
Yesterday, the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport announced important changes for people who are shielding. For example, from tomorrow, you will no longer be asked to physically distance from people you live with, and you will be able to form an extended household if you live on your own or with children under the age of 18. Today’s route map includes a link to the additional changes that we hope to make to the shielding advice up to the end of July.
The other changes that I am about to announce unfortunately do not apply to people who are shielding but do apply to everyone else. Before I set out what those are, let me make a general point. Last week, we said that children under the age 12 no longer had to physically distance when outdoors; from tomorrow, that will also apply indoors. However, for adults and, for the time being, older children, the advice to keep a 2m physical distance from people in other households will remain.
However, from tomorrow, the general rules on household gatherings will be as follows. A maximum of 15 people from up to five different households may meet together outdoors. The advice is to remain 2m distant from people in households other than your own. From tomorrow, limited indoor gatherings will also be permitted. A maximum of eight people from up to three different households may meet indoors. To be clear, that is the household whose house the gathering is in and people from up to two additional households. As long as physical distancing between different households is maintained, that can include overnight stays.
I must stress, however, that that is one of the highest risk changes—if not the highest risk change—that we have made so far. We know that the risk of transmitting the virus indoors is significantly higher than it is outdoors. It is therefore essential that we all take the utmost care and strictly follow all the public health advice. That means keeping 2m distant from people in other households, being very careful to clean surfaces after you touch them, and washing your hands regularly, especially when you first enter someone’s house. At all times, try to avoid creating bridges that allow the virus to spread from one household to another. We are also advising that, between indoor and outdoor activity, adults do not meet with people from any more than four different household in any single day.
Finally, from tomorrow, we will change the guidance so that, regardless of their living arrangements, people who are part of a non-cohabiting couple no longer need to stay physically distant from each other, indoors or outdoors.
The next set of changes will take effect from next Monday 13 July. From Monday, organised outdoor contact sports and physical activity can resume for children and young people, subject to guidance being followed. So, too, can other forms of organised outdoor play.
Non-essential shops inside shopping centres can reopen, provided, of course, that they follow all relevant health and safety guidance. That will mean that, from Monday, the vast majority of retail will be open.
There will also, from Monday, be a further resumption of important public services. Community optometry practices will further increase their services, especially for emergency and essential eye care. Dental practices will be able to see registered patients for non-aerosol procedures. Let me explain that a bit more: aerosol procedures are those that create a fine mist, for example through use of a high-speed drill; we cannot yet allow those. Unfortunately, that means that many forms of dental care will still not be possible. However, procedures such as check-ups and the fitting of dentures and dental braces can resume.
From Monday, a woman can have a designated person accompany them to ante and postnatal appointments and can designate, in addition to their birth partner, one other person to attend the birth and make ante and postnatal ward visits.
Further important changes will then come into force from Wednesday next week, that is, 15 July. From that date, indoor restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to reopen. However, just as with indoor household meetings, opening up indoor hospitality poses significantly increased risks of transmission, so it is essential that the guidance on health and safety is followed rigorously by businesses, staff and customers. That includes guidance on physical distancing and taking customer contact details, for use, if necessary, by test and protect.
Like public transport and retail, outdoor and indoor hospitality venues will be granted an exemption from the 2m rule from 15 July. However, that is dependent on the implementation of all relevant mitigating measures and appropriate discussions taking place with trade unions. Mitigating measures in this sector include clear information for customers that they are entering a 1m zone, revised seating plans and improved ventilation.
The tourism sector can also reopen from 15 July. That means that all holiday accommodation, including hotels, can reopen, as long as the appropriate guidance is followed.
Museums, galleries, other visitor attractions, libraries and cinemas, including drive-ins and other venues screening films, can also reopen on 15 July, although physical distancing and other safety measures will be required and for many if not most of those facilities, tickets must be secured in advance.
The childcare sector can also fully reopen from next Wednesday—I know that that is important to families across Scotland.
I can also confirm that, from 15 July, hairdressers can reopen, subject to enhanced hygiene measures being in place. The finalised guidance for hairdressers will be published this week.
Finally, I am pleased that we are able to bring forward two changes that we were previously keeping under review for later in phase 3 but now judge can be undertaken safely next week, provided that necessary mitigations are in place.
After careful consideration, we have decided that, from 15 July, places of worship can reopen for communal prayer, congregational services and contemplation. However, numbers will be strictly limited, 2m physical distancing will be required, and there will be a requirement to collect the contact details and time of attendance of those who enter a place of worship. Unfortunately, given what we know of transmission risks, singing and chanting will be restricted.
Detailed guidance is being finalised in consultation with our faith communities, but I hope that today’s announcement will be welcomed by all those for whom faith and worship is important and a source of comfort.
In addition, and linked to that change, we will ease restrictions on attendance at services and ceremonies for funerals, weddings and civil partnerships. However, numbers will be even more limited than for worship generally and physical distancing will be required. I stress that that change applies only to services. Associated gatherings, such as wakes or receptions, must continue to follow the limits on household gatherings and hospitality.
I am acutely aware that the restrictions that we have had to place on attendance at funerals in these past few months have been particularly hard to bear and I am very grateful to everyone who has complied, in what I know will have been heartbreaking circumstances. Although the changes that come into effect next week will not allow full-scale gatherings, I hope that they will allow more people to find solace at a time of grief, as well as allowing more people to celebrate happier occasions, such as weddings and civil partnerships.
The next set of changes will take effect from 22 July. At that time, personal retail services that have not yet been able to reopen—for example, beauticians and nail salons—will be able to reopen with enhanced hygiene measures in place.
Universities and colleges can implement a phased return to on-campus learning as part of a blended model with remote teaching. Motorcycle instruction and theory and hazard tests can also resume from that date. However, driving lessons and tests in cars will, unfortunately, have to wait a bit longer.
Unfortunately, there are other activities that are included in phase 3 of the route map that we are not yet able to attach a firm and specific date to. However, although we will keep these under review and, as we have done with communal worship, will bring dates forward wherever possible, it should be assumed at this stage that those further activities will not restart before 31 July. Those activities include the reopening of non-essential offices and call centres, the resumption of outdoor live events and the reopening of indoor entertainment venues such as theatres, music venues and bingo halls. They also include the opening of indoor gyms and the resumption of non-professional adult outdoor contact sports.
We will continue to work closely with relevant sectors on the reopening of all those activities as soon as possible. For example, we will work with the outdoor events sector to review the range of events that could take place, as we recognise that a one-size-fits-all approach might not be appropriate. However, I hope that it will be appreciated—as difficult as it is—that a number of those activities present particular challenges. Although I know that it is difficult, it will take a bit more time to work through how those can be safely addressed.
I also want to indicate that our current expectation is that phase 3 may well last longer than three weeks. Given the scale of the changes that we are making in phase 3, it might be wise not to rush them or go into phase 4 too quickly. However, we will keep that under close review.
Let me reiterate that it is our ambition and intention that schools will return full time in August. That is dependent on the virus continuing to be suppressed to very low levels, and it is therefore one of the reasons that we are being so careful and cautious in everything else that we do right now.
There is no doubt that today’s statement marks the most significant milestone yet in Scotland’s emergence from lockdown, and I hope that the measures that we have announced or confirmed today are welcome. All of them depend on us keeping the virus under control. Eliminating it as far as we possibly can now, ahead of what I am afraid to say are the almost inevitable challenges that we will face come winter, remains our objective. We will not hesitate to reimpose restrictions if we consider it necessary to halt the spread of the virus and save lives. I will make a further statement to the Parliament on 30 July, and will deliver regular updates through the regular media briefings between now and then.
I end by stressing the point that I made at the outset, which is, perhaps, the most important one of all. This is undoubtedly a time for cautious hope and optimism. There is no doubt that Scotland, through our collective efforts, has made great progress in tackling Covid. We should all savour our first indoor meetings and meals with friends, our first pint in a pub or catch-up over coffee. I know that many of us are looking forward to our first non-amateur haircut in many months. There will be other milestones and reunions that we will enjoy during the next few weeks. They have all been hard earned by each and every one of us. However, I have a duty to be crystal clear with the country that this is also a time of real danger. Next week represents the most substantial easing of lockdown so far, and we know that meeting people indoors poses far greater risks than going to a park or to someone’s garden.
We see signs of resurgence in many countries across the world and we must all be aware of that in everything that we do. We must remember that Covid, although at very low levels in Scotland, is still out there. Everything that we learn about this still new virus—its infectiousness, ability to kill and potential to do long-term damage to health—should warn us that we mess with it at our peril. Therefore, perhaps more than ever, now is a time for great caution. Remember that life should still not feel entirely normal and that at all times, especially when we are meeting indoors with people in other households, we must constantly be alert to the steps that we need to take to deny the virus the chance to spread.
That is why the most important things that everyone must remember and abide by are the FACTS. They are as follows.
Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as on public transport, in shops and anywhere else that physical distancing is more difficult.
Avoid, literally like the plague, crowded places indoors or outdoors.
Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly and clean hard surfaces after touching them.
Two-metre distancing remains the clear and important advice.
Self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have symptoms of Covid.
The symptoms to be aware of are a new cough, a fever, or a loss of or change in the senses of taste or smell. People can book a test at nhsinform.scot or by phoning 0800 028 2816. I ask them, please, to act immediately and to err on the side of caution. If they have any reason at all to worry that they might have Covid symptoms, they should get tested straight away.
It is only because of our collective action—our love for and solidarity with each other—that we have made so much progress. Now is not the time to drop our guard. Let us all keep doing the right things to keep ourselves safe, protect others and save lives.
The team at Coulters Property have looked into the housing landscape for first-time buyers to discover how much you would need to be able to afford a 10% deposit around the country, how much this is as a percentage of average annual income, and how this has changed over the last 20 years.
You can clearly see that in Scotland, house prices have risen by 205.40% but earnings have only risen by 77.37%. The deposit as % of earnings has increased by 21.20%.
How Has Housing Affordability Changed in the UK?
In 1999, the average house price in the UK was just £77,961. Fast forward twenty years and that figure has almost trebled, to £230,735.
At the same time, the average income has also increased, but only from £17,803 a year to £30,353, an increase of 70%.
In 1999, a 10% deposit would have worked out at about 43.8% of your annual salary, these days, that figure has risen by about three quarters to 76%.
As lockdown starts to lift, Scottish Water and a leading tea maker have teamed up to encourage the nation to make time for a perfect cuppa with family and friends.
Edinburgh-based independent whole leaf tea company eteaket has created a new blend designed to be enhanced by the qualities of the country’s soft tap water.
The company has joined the wave in supporting Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign, to celebrate our natural resource by reconnecting over a cuppa.
The collaboration has launched #CuppaTeaWithMe encouraging the country’s tea-drinkers to think about the person they’d most like to share a cuppa with as lockdown restrictions ease, share and tag them through social media. Although a virtual chat and a cuppa at the moment, hopefully we will reunite with wider friends and family in the near future.
People in Scotland drink more tea than elsewhere in the UK, which has increased to and average five cups per day from three during lockdown.*. Having a cuppa is synonymous with taking a breather, stepping back from the day and having a mindful moment of calm.
The unique loose-leaf tea has been inspired by combining our nation’s water with ancient traditional ingredients which can maximise the benefits of a soothing brew.
eteaket’s blend – named “Keep the Heid” – is a new take on a traditional black tea with Assam and Darjeeling carefully blended with floral heather and delicate Scottish meadowsweet to create a rich flavour which comes alive in the softness of Scotland’s tap water.
Brian Lironi, Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water, said: “Whenever there is a crisis or the need to take comfort, you always think of making a cup of tea.
“Throughout the lockdown our priority has been to keep our customers water supplies running and to ensure they have water at their taps to use throughout the day.
“I’m sure there have been millions of cups of tea made over the time we have been in lockdown – so we’re glad to have played our part in that. We always encourage customers to only boil the water they need – it saves on energy which saves their pockets and of course saves Scotland’s precious natural resource.”
“But now we are starting to see restrictions lift, it seems the perfect time to look to connect with people we have missed seeing and to encourage everyone to embrace a #CuppaTeaWithMe. And what better way to do that than with a tea that has been blended to perfectly complement Scotland’s renowned tap water.”
“And of course, anyone can still support #CuppaTeaWithMe with whatever is their favourite cuppa choice – and be sure of a great brew – thanks as always to our great tasting water.”
Erica Moore, Founder and MD of Edinburgh-based eteaket, said they chose heather flowers and meadowsweet as both herbs are traditionally native to Scotland and don’t overpower the black tea.
She said: “I think it’s important to have a blend that is not too far removed from a ‘normal’ breakfast tea but with a nod to Scotland.
“The softness of Scottish water draws out the balance of subtle flavours in this exceptional blend of Assam and Darjeeling, sprinkled with heather and delicate meadowsweet.
“Heather flowers are reportedly traditionally brewed in an attempt to cleanse toxins from organs and relieve inflammatory pains and meadowsweet was held sacred by Celtic druids and is also reported to possibly have pain relieving properties – although obviously we can’t guarantee this tea will have health benefits.
“We are really pleased that at least 50% of the meadowsweet in this blend comes from a stunning tea garden in Scotland called Windy Hollow.
“We’re really excited at what we have created and love the idea that tea can play a big part in making us feel better as the lockdown restrictions lift.
“At eteaket we’ve always recognised the benefits of tea – and the routine of making tea – to help with our mental health.”
Scotland’s world-famous soft tap water has less than 60mg of calcium per litre and is widely regarded as better for brewing tea than hard water. Scotland water in particular has less calcium and a lower mineral content which makes for a more refined cup of tea, and allows the more subtle and delicate flavours in a blend to come through.
Aromatics also tend to dissolve more easily in soft water, largely because there is less limescale. This allows the delicate Darjeeling notes to shine through, without being overpowered by the deeper Assam taste – further layered by the subtle, floral heather balancing with the almond flavour of meadowsweet.
Fiona McCreadie and Amy McCreadie, Scottish Water tea tasters
The blend has had an exclusive first tea tasting with a group of 12 of Scottish Water’s ‘Tea Tasters’, who have all given the blend a thumbs up.
The ‘Keep the Heid’ Limited Edition tea will be available to buy online at www.eteaket.co.uk/shop/keep-the-heid/ from 01 July 2020, at £7.95 for 100g.
Scottish Water’s Your Water Your Life campaign aims to encourage people to top up from the tap to benefit the planet, their health and their pocket. To celebrate our precious, natural resource.
Last year, the ‘Your Water Your Life’ campaign hit a significant milestone as they celebrated Scottish tap water becoming the first in the world to gain international approval for keeping teeth healthy.
Clear, fresh drinking water is known to help boost concentration levels with Scottish Water delivering more than one billion litres of water a day to customers.
NHS Choices recommend drinking six to eight glasses of water per day while people often mistake hunger for being thirsty, which means drinking water can help weight loss. Tea is often heralded as another healthy way to stay hydrated.
Police have released CCTV images of two men they wish to trace in connection with an incident on King’s Stables Road at around 1.25am on Tuesday, 10 March.
It is believed the men pictured may be able to assist the investigation and the men themselves or anyone who recognises them is asked to come forward.
The first man is described as white, aged 20-30, wearing a green/grey hooded top with a blue body warmer, dark trousers and light coloured trainers.
The second man is described white, aged 20-30, wearing all dark clothing with a hood up and dark trainers with a white sole.
Detective Constable William Doughty, of Gayfield CID, said: “We are appealing for anyone who can help us identify these men to get in touch with us.
“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident number 0248 of 10 March or make an anonymous report through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
More people could die as a result of hunger linked to COVID-19 than could die from the disease, Oxfam warns in a new report published today.
The report, The Hunger Virus, reveals how an estimated 122 million more people could be pushed to the brink of starvation this year as a result of the social and economic fallout from the pandemic including through mass unemployment, disruption to food production and supplies, and declining aid.
This equates to as many as 12,000 people dying every day while the global mortality rate for COVID-19 reached a peak of 10,000 deaths per day in April 2020.
Eight of the largest food and beverage companies in the world have paid out over $18 billion to their shareholders since the start of 2020 – more than 10 times the funding required for food and agriculture assistance to the most vulnerable communities in the UN COVID-19 humanitarian appeal.
Danny Sriskandarajah, Chief Executive of Oxfam GB, said: “The knock-on impacts of COVID-19 are far more widespread than the virus itself, pushing millions of the world’s poorest people deeper into hunger and poverty.
“It is vital governments contain the spread of this deadly disease, but they must also prevent it killing as many – if not more – people from hunger.
“Governments can save lives now by funding the UN COVID-19 appeal and supporting the call for a global ceasefire to end conflict in order to tackle the pandemic. The UK could make a real difference by championing debt cancellation at the G20 finance ministers meeting next week to pay for social protection measures such as cash grants to help people survive.
“For many people COVID-19 comes as a crisis on top of a crisis. To break the cycle of hunger, governments must build fairer and more sustainable food systems that ensure small-scale producers and workers earn a living wage.”
The report reveals the world’s ten worst hunger ‘hotspots’, including Afghanistan, Syria and South Sudan where the food crisis is most severe and getting worse as a result of the pandemic. It also highlights emerging epicentres of hunger – middle income countries such as India, South Africa, and Brazil – where millions of people who were barely managing have been tipped over the edge by the pandemic.
For example:
Yemen: Remittances dropped by 80 percent – or $253 million – in the first four months of 2020 as a result of mass job losses across the Gulf. Borders and supply route closures have led to food shortages and food price spikes in a country that imports 90 percent of its food.
Afghanistan: Border closures have hit food supplies and the economic downturn in neighbouring Iran has caused a drop in remittances. The number of people on the brink of famine has risen sharply from 2.5 million in September 2019 to 3.5 million in May 2020.
India: Travel restrictions left farmers without vital migrant labour at the peak of the harvest season, forcing many to leave their crops in the field to rot. Traders have also been unable to reach tribal communities during the peak harvest season for forest products, depriving up to 100 million people of their main source of income.
Women, and women-headed households, are more likely to go hungry despite the crucial role they play as food producers and workers.
They make up a large proportion of already vulnerable groups, such as informal workers, that have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic and have also borne the brunt of a dramatic increase in unpaid care work as a result of school closures and family illness.
Kadidia Diallo, a female milk producer in Burkina Faso, said: “COVID-19 is causing us a lot of harm. Giving my children something to eat in the morning has become difficult.
“We are totally dependent on the sale of milk, and with the closure of the market we can’t sell the milk anymore. If we don’t sell milk, we don’t eat.”
Since the pandemic began, Oxfam has helped 4.5 million of the world’s most vulnerable people with food aid and clean water, working together with over 344 partners across 62 countries. The international agency aims to reach a total of 14 million people by raising a further $113m.
ELREC promotes a culture of zero tolerance of inequality, hate and all kinds of discrimination, both in society and in schools.
As an equality organization we do a lot of work in schools through our True Colours Project, challenging stereotypes and prejudices young people may have.
However, it is not just young people but staff and teachers in schools needing training and awareness too. Ignorance is not bliss when it affects people in a negative way, especially when young people go through their school lives suffering poor mental health and later carrying the scars into adulthood.
Many children are aware of the racist behaviour of adults and some practice this racism in school. Unfortunately, when teachers and other staff are also the perpetrators, it either goes unreported or if it is reported, then most likely the school ignores it and so the cycle continues.
The history and the harm that are associated with racism must be taught properly, like any other mainstream subject, in our schools. The curriculum must reflect this change in our educational objectives. If there are no consequences to racist behaviour, then it will continue in our schools. Consequences should be outlined clearly for children, teachers, governing bodies and local authorities.
Promoting mutual respect and understanding of diversity is key to countering all forms of intolerances and discrimination. Community organisations can only do so much, the education department must take serious action as they have duty of care to protect these young people during school hours.
As an equality organisation we are happy to help schools achieve this and some of our recommendations are:
• policymakers, teachers and families must all work together to promote equality and non-discrimination both in schools and at home
• policymakers must create, enforce and fund policies to eliminate discrimination.
• teachers must be trained to work with children from all backgrounds; and pupils’ parents should be included in their school’s decisions to promote equality and non-discrimination in education
• Governments must provide the appropriate financial resources for schools to be able to promote equality and non-discrimination and regularly monitor the situation
By working together, we can create an equal, safer and more tolerant society for the future generations.
Foysol Choudhury MBE
Chairman, Edinburgh and Lothian Regional Equality Council
The Heart of Newhaven Community has been working on using the Community Asset Transfer system to purchase the Victoria Primary School building after its pupils move to new premises.
The group has a vision of making the school building the centre of the community for everyone.
To achieve that, they need as much support as possible from the local community.
Heart of Newhaven are currently looking for volunteers to help deliver leaflets house to house. Could you take some for your area? If so, please go to the website and register your interest.
Visit their website and subscribe to the Newsletter to read more about what is planned and how you can get involved: heartofnewhaven.co.uk
The government needs to ensure that their response to dealing with COVID-19 and future crises takes into account the significant threat of hateful extremism and the dangerous narratives spread by conspiracy theories.
The Commission for Countering Extremism (CCE) has published a report today, looking at the way in which extremists have sought to exploit the current pandemic. Through the use of conspiracy theories and fake news, the Commission has found that hateful extremists have used divisive, xenophobic and racist narratives to sow division and undermine the social fabric of our country.
The CCE warns that investing in counter extremism work and urgently publishing a new strategy is critical as extremists will seek to capitalise on the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 to cause further long-term instability, fear and division in Britain.
Lead Commissioner Sara Khan says: “The pandemic has not discouraged extremists from propagating their hateful ideologies. On the contrary they have, as is always the case in a crisis, fully exploited the lockdown to promote dangerous conspiracy theories and disinformation, most notably online.
“They seek to mainstream extremist narratives in society, for the sole purpose of inciting hatred, violence, public disorder and a breakdown in community cohesion. We have already seen how extremists discussed the 5G conspiracy theory on fringe social media platforms such as Telegram. In April 50 5G masts were targeted for arson and vandalism in the UK.
“In this report we’ve drawn attention to a variety of conspiracy theories that have been spread by groups from the Far Right to the Far Left and Islamists. The impact of extremist propaganda and disinformation to our democracy cannot be overstated.
“These conspiracy theories are harmful, dangerous and are used by extremists to cause division and breed hate. This is why I have called on policy makers to develop a system to classify dangerous conspiracy theories based on the harm they cause. This will help practitioners and social media platforms better challenge harmful conspiracy theories before they escalate.
“The government also have to work closely with local authorities to understand and develop a strategy to deal with local extremist trends. For example, by understanding and countering anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, the government will be better placed to ensure there is sufficient uptake of any future vaccinations.
“We need to be on the front foot to counter the activity of hateful extremists who seek to divide and undermine everything our country stands for; and we must begin work on it now.”
Along with highlighting harmful conspiracy theories, the report shows how extremists were spreading disinformation and fake news about minority groups which has been used by sympathisers to incite hatred and violence.
One study shows that during the pandemic, over 90% of social media posts containing misinformation were not taken down by social media companies, when flagged by volunteers. Another study found hundreds of thousands of Far Right posts around COVID-19 and millions of engagements with known disinformation sites.
In addition to classifying dangerous conspiracy theories, the Commission have also made the following recommendations:
a commitment to ensure hateful extremism falls within the remit of the new online harms regulator and that existing laws on inciting hatred are enforced online
a call for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to drive forward a COVID-19 cohesion strategy to help bring different communities together to prevent extremist narratives from having significant reach and influence
a new counter-extremism strategy must include an assessment of how extremism manifests locally, the harm it causes, the scale of support for extremist narratives and how best to pre-empt extremist activity – this should also include assessing who is most susceptible to extremist narratives, in order to deliver vital interventions to engage and support these people
for the government to work closely with local authorities to understand and develop bespoke support and interventions to pre-empt and deal with extremist activity
for the government to develop plans to work with researchers and practitioners to build a better understanding of ‘what works’ in relation to counter extremism online and offline
This is the first in a series of publications from the Commission looking at extremism in the context of the current pandemic.
