Tag: civic duty

More than 70% of eligible Scots have had booster or third dose

TESTING WILL CONTINUE EVERY DAY THROUGHOUT THE HOLIDAY PERIOD

More than seven in 10 eligible adults across Scotland have now had their COVID-19 booster or third dose.

Figures published yesterday show that 72.1% of over 18s who are eligible by 31 December have come forward so far, and more than 70,000 booster or third doses have been given a day over the last two days.

Anyone who has not yet had their booster is still being urged to get ‘boosted by the bells’, as the best way to combat the Omicron variant and protect the NHS.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “Today’s figures reflect the enormous national effort which is going on right around the country to accelerate our vaccination programme in response to the Omicron variant.

“I want to thank absolutely everyone who has been involved in the programme, and all the people who have stepped up and come in for their booster.

“There will be vaccination centres open on Christmas Eve, so we want to see as many people as possible getting their booster right up until Christmas. If that isn’t possible for you, centres will be re-opening from Monday 27th, so please book an appointment today, or look out for drop-ins, so you can join the thousands of people who have been boosted by the bells.

“Getting vaccinated is your civic duty, you not only protect yourself, but your loved ones, those you interact with and the country as whole, so please get your booster as soon as you can.”

Testing will continue through the holiday period

Sites to remain open every day

COVID-19 testing services will remain open in Scotland every day throughout the holiday period.

Test sites  will  continue to operate, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day, and tests will continue to be processed through the lab network. Test and Protect will also continue to operate every day during the holiday period.

Access to LFD tests will remain available through local pharmacies and test sites (subject to festive opening hours) and LFD and PCR tests can still be ordered online for home delivery over the holiday period.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “I would like to thank all our testing and contact tracing staff for their commitment and dedication at this challenging time which means this vital service can remain open throughout the holiday period as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

“Testing has been at the heart of our response to this pandemic and anyone who has symptoms or is notified as a close contact by Test and Protect should isolate immediately and book a PCR test.

“The emergence of the Omicron variant  means it is more vital than ever that we use every tool at our disposal to identify COVID-19 cases quickly and break off chains of transmission.

“We are urging everyone to stay at home as much as possible over the coming weeks and reduce their mixing with other households. People should take an LFD test beforehand if they are visiting friends and family, and before situations where there is a higher risk of catching or passing on the virus.”

Opening hours for testing sites (including local and drive through testing sites):

Date                                                       Opening hours

24 December (Christmas Eve)            8am to 6pm

25 December (Christmas Day)           10am to 2pm

26 December (Boxing Day)                 10am to 2pm

27 December                                        8am to 6pm

28 December                                        8am to 6pm

29 December                                        8am to 6pm

30 December                                        8am to 6pm

31 December (New Year’s Eve)          8am to 6pm

1 January (New Year’s Day)                10am to 2pm

Community togetherness won’t last, says study

The UK public feel that any sense of ‘community togetherness’ that has been built during the coronavirus crisis will disperse as soon as it is over says a new study commissioned by the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham .

A poll undertaken by Populus of 2,088 adults in the UK found that older generations and women have felt a stronger sense of community togetherness recently, compared with younger generations and men, who have not felt this to the same degree.

Conversely, there was the opposite generational gap identified in terms of those who agreed that community togetherness would disappear after the crisis is over, with those aged 45-64 being most negative (61%), compared with less than half of those aged 18-24 (46%).

This suggests that there has been a marked generational divide in how people have responded to the crisis. This is highlighted further in responses from 18-24 year olds to the valuing of health of older generations today over longer-term economic prosperity. Younger people disagreed with this statement in larger numbers (13%) than those aged over 45 (9%).

The importance of character in times of crisis was highlighted, as 68% of the British public valued ‘being compassionate/caring’ in their top 3 most valued character strengths seen in those around them – an identical figure to a preliminary poll conducted in April 2020; they also valued it the most in terms of personal well-being (25%). Yet, concerns over the lack of community spirit were further emphasised.

Findings showed that less than a quarter of the British public have given their time to benefit others during the crisis. Of those who have, 18-24 year olds and those aged 55-64 have volunteered the most, with women volunteering more than men, and the East Midlands and South East being the areas of the country where people have volunteered the most.

There was a decline in the value placed on the civic character strengths of ‘being of service’ and ‘having community awareness’ in the people around us, compared to the April 2020 poll. Instead, the British public placed greater value on ‘being resilient’; this is suggestive that the public mood has moved to one of self-preservation over community togetherness.

Commenting on the findings, Aidan Thompson, Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Jubilee Centre, said; ‘Strengths of character have helped everyone to negotiate a path through these uncertain and unprecedented times.

“This poll reflects the continued importance of character in how we treat those around us and those we look up to. Good character development benefits both the individual and the community, so whilst notions of ‘community togetherness’ may seem as though they are dwindling, continuing to provide opportunities to serve the public good are essential to cultivate a character-full society.’

Other notable findings include: 

  • Good judgement is valued more by older generations than younger ones as important to one’s wellbeing;
  • Older people have felt a stronger notion of community togetherness during the crisis than younger people, but were more likely to agree that it would disappear once the crisis is over;
  • The public value having ‘good judgement’ (71%) and ‘being wise’ (40%) in senior leaders and politicians in greater numbers than in the first poll;
  • A large majority (71%) of the public support following government lockdown guidelines as an expression of civic duty, though only 56% of 18-24 year olds agreed, compared with 87% of those over 65 years.