Nightclubs will close from 27 December to tackle the transmission of Omicron which continues to spread rapidly.
The measure follows feedback from nightclubs on the impact of incoming restrictions needed to slow the spread of Omicron. It will affect around 150 clubs and will be reviewed after three weeks.
Nightclub premises will have the option of opening to operate with table service and physical distancing, in line with the requirements for other hospitality businesses.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Having engaged with the sector, we have concluded nightclubs should close.
“While it would be open to them to operate with physical distancing and table service – and that option will remain – we believe closure in regulations, combined with financial support, could reduce losses and help nightclubs weather what we hope will be a short period until they are able to operate normally again.
“The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the financial implications for many businesses. We will work with the nightclub industry to develop targeted financial support for businesses that will now be required to close.
“We are providing additional support of £375 million, including £100 million announced last week, to support businesses directly impacted by Omicron and will publish a full breakdown and allocation of funding as soon as possible.”
The regulations come into effect at 05:00 on 27 December.
Cabinet meets to discuss Omicron crisis – but agrees to DO NOTHINGuntil more data is available
Scotland will urge caution and encourage vaccination – but will NOT enforce tougher guidelinesbefore Christmas
The UK Government met yesterday to discuss the gathering Omicron crisis – but decided to DO NOTHING following their two-hour meeting.
PM Boris Johnson said the situation will be monitored ‘hour by hour’.
91,743 Covid cases were reported across the UK yesterday – the second highest daily total on record – and this figure is expected to rise steeply over the coming days as Omicron becomes the dominant variant.
The UK public has already voted with it’s feet, with many choosing to stay away from busy venues. This has created a new crisis for the beleaguered hospitality industry …
Weekend hospitality sales plummet by 40%
New figures, from industry body UKHospitality, show December set to be a disaster for a sector which had much riding on this key period and hopes for a better 2022 already lie in tatters.
Over half (54%) of venues were down more than 40% in revenue last weekend, with one in five businesses reporting a crushing sales drop of more than 60%. On top of these bleak trading figures, 88% of operators say they feel negative about the potential of New Year’s Eve trading and four in five operators have already experienced cancellations for bookings in what was already set to be a quiet Q1 next year.
A separate survey, for the Tourism Alliance, showed that a third of pubs, bars and restaurants have no cash reserves and 10% of pubs and 14% of restaurants are therefore very likely to fail, with consequent job losses.
Without any form of Government support a further 40% are at risk of failure. Accommodation businesses are only slightly more resilient with 22% reporting no cash reserves – 47% with less than 2 months’ worth – with 26% at risk of failure in the next year without further support.
UKHospitality Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, said:“Hospitality operators desperately want to keep their doors open and trade their way to recovery, particularly during the Christmas period, which is not only key for balance sheets but for the communities and people our businesses serve.
“However, these catastrophic figures clearly show that trading levels are now so low that without Government support many businesses will not survive into the New Year and jobs will be lost. Cancellations have annihilated cash reserves.
“The industry urgently needs grants for short-term business survival and an extension to business rates relief and the lower VAT rate to secure longer term survival and planning.
“It is also crucial that the Government lets the industry know as soon as possible if measures are to be imposed and what they might be, to allow for as much damage limitation as possible.”
Scottish Licensed Trade Association managing director Colin Wilkinson said: “Of course, we all want to do what we can to stop the spread of the virus and the licensed hospitality sector has gone to enormous effort and invested millions of pounds in mitigation measures and will continue to do so for as long as it can.
“The shutdown of the licensed hospitality industry, effectively by stealth, puts most businesses in an even worse scenario than last Christmas when there was some finance available via Government grants and the furlough scheme was in place.
“Whilst the restrictions that we feared have not yet been imposed, there still remains a great deal of uncertainty for our industry which was beginning to recover, albeit slowly, and looking forward to reasonably good prospects during the key festive trading period.
“We have not been ordered to close our doors yet but many have no choice when so many bookings have been cancelled.
“Last week’s call from Public Health Scotland not to have festive parties – endorsed the next day by the First Minister – killed Christmas and, I fear, will kill some businesses who will not survive without financial support. Our industry desperately needs additional aid to save it – and it needs it now.
“Our industry desperately needs additional aid to save it – and needs it NOW.
“I cannot stress how serious the situation is – many of our members are in dire straits. There will be no happy Christmas for those who are worried about the future and face the prospect of making staff redundant or, worse, pulling down the shutters.
“It is not only operators who are affected by Government interventions – staff and those in the supply chain are also being dragged into the horrendous situation we are still in without any other restrictions looming on the horizon.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already confirmed that no further restrictions will be introduced in Scotland before Christmas.
The Scottish Cabinet will meet this morning and any further changes to post-Christmas Covid restrictions will be announced to Parliament this afternoon.
Adults over the age of 18 are being urged, where possible, to book their booster vaccination appointment in advance using the online portal to help avoid queues and keep everyone safe.
When you book an appointment, you can select the venue that you wish to attend. Confirmation of your booking, including the time and location will be sent to the email address linked to your portal registration.
DROP- IN CLINICS FOR BOOSTER VACCINE
Drop-in clinics for booster vaccinations for people over the age of 40 have been rolled out in some vaccination clinics across Lothian. However, it must be stressed that if you choose to use a drop-in clinic, instead of booking an appointment in advance, you may have to wait in queues to be seen.
If you choose to drop-in, please help keep everyone safe by wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, even if you have to queue outside. If you have already booked an appointment and choose to drop-in beforehand, please cancel your slot to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.
There are lists of vaccination clinics running across Lothian which offer pre-booked appointment slots, but only some in East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian will offer dedicated drop-in clinics for people aged 40 and over.
Available Drop-in clinics
Edinburgh:
Allermuir Health Centre, 165 Colinton Mains Drive, Edinburgh EH13 9AF
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Craigmillar Medical Centre, 106 Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh EH16 4DT
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Tollcross Health Centre, Ponton Street, Edinburgh EH3 9PX
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Gracemount Health Centre, 24 Gracemount Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6RN
Saturday and Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Leith Community Treatment Centre, 12 Junction Place, Edinburgh EH6 5JQ
7 days
9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -6pm (last drop in 3.30pm Saturday and Sunday)
Pennywell All Care Centre, 1 Macmillan Crescent, Edinburgh EH4 4WL
7 days
9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm
Sighthill Health Centre, 380 Calder Road, Edinburgh EH11 4AU
7 days
9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm
Lowland Hall, Royal Vaccination Centre, Ingleston, Newbridge EH28 8NB
7 days
9.30am – 6.30pm
Ocean Terminal (first floor)
7 days
12 – 6.30pm
Conan Doyle Medical Centre, 4 Nether Liberton Loan, Edinburgh EH16 5TY
Saturday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Mountcastle Health Centre, 132 Mountcastle Drive South, Edinburgh EH15 3LL
Saturday
9.30am – 3.30pm
South Queensferry Medical Practice, 41 The Loan, South Queensferry EH30 9HA
Saturday
9.30am – 3.30pm
Pentlands Medical Centre, 44 Pentland View, Currie EH14 5QB
Sunday
9.30am – 3.30pm
You can find out more about all the vaccination clinics running across Lothian and stay up to date with the latest news via the websites of the Health and Social Care Partnerships:
We are still encouraging those who have yet to receive their first dose or who are now due their second dose of the COVID vaccine to come forward.
Please note, as per the latest Scottish Government guidance, we are currently not offering second doses for those aged 12-15.
AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are available at all the below locations. If you are using public transport to get to your appointment, see details below. You might find it useful to plan your journey either on Traveline Scotland’s website or Lothian Buses.
Pyramids Business Park, Easter Inch Steadings, Bathgate EH48 2EH. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
You can get directions for driving here, and Lothian Buses’ travel advice is here.
Lowland Hall, Royal Highland Vaccination Centre, Ingliston. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
You can use Lothian Buses to attend the mass vaccination centre at Lowland Hall; see this document for more information.
Gorebridge Vaccination Centre, Hunterfield Road, Gorebridge, EH23 4TX. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
If you’re travelling to Gorebridge Vaccination Centre by bus, you can plan your journey using Borders Buses or Traveline Scotland (as mentioned above).
Haddington: East Lothian Community Hospital, Alderston Road, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 3PF. Open for appointments only, between 8.20am and 4.30pm, seven days a week. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca all available.
Musselburgh: Musselburgh Primary Care Centre, Inveresk Rd, East Lothian, Musselburgh EH21 7BP. Open for appointments only seven days a week between 8.20am and 4.30pm.
Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason Leitch is becoming a vaccinator and is encouraging more people to enrol to help accelerate the national booster jab programme.
Since 19 November, the equivalent of 300 full-time additional staff (more than 1000 individuals) have joined the national vaccination effort and health boards are actively recruiting to create extra capacity.
Following the most recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) everyone aged 18 and over who is eligible will be offered a slot for the booster jab by the end of January. Currently those aged 40-49 are invited to make an appointment through the online portal or the national helpline, from 12 weeks after their second dose. The national programme is also delivering second doses to 16 and 17 years olds.
Professor Leitch said: “I am pleased to join the fantastic team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and look forward to helping administer booster jabs to adults and second doses to 16 and 17 years olds as we continue to protect Scotland’s population as quickly as possible.
“To be a small part of this national mission is a real privilege. It also gives me the opportunity to thank the clinical teams and volunteers who have got us this far.
“This has been the biggest immunisation programme in the history of the NHS and the hard work and commitment shown by health boards and vaccination teams across Scotland means we have the highest vaccination rate for people aged 12 and over of all UK nations for first, second and boosters/third doses and the winter vaccination programme has already delivered more than 2 million booster and third doses to the most vulnerable groups, covering 45% of the adult population (aged 18+).
However, we would warmly welcome any former NHS employees and of course, they will receive full training before giving any vaccines. I’ll be helping when I can alongside my main role.
“Even a shift a week will help, so if you’re a dentist, a nurse, an optometrist or a doctor and you can help us then please contact your local health board. Every vaccine dose given is another step out of the pandemic. If you don’t have a clinical background, it’s not a problem, you can still assist the programme in another capacity through the British Red Cross.
“We have accepted the JCVI’s updated recommendations and aim to offer the booster vaccine to everyone aged 18 or older who is eligible by the end of January, and we would love some more vaccinators to join our incredibly national programme to assist us through this particularly busy period.”
Vaccination Programme Director at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Anne Harkness said: “In the last year, our vaccination team at NHSGGC have administered more than 2.1 million jags, working with the public to protect our communities.
“We are continuing to build our pool of vaccinators and we are delighted to welcome Jason to the vaccination team and wish him – and all the new recruits – well.”
People who wish to apply to become a vaccinator can find more information at NHS Scotland
Volunteers who are not currently involved in COVID response, or other critical work, who would be interested in assisting the COVID response generally and the vaccine programme in particular, can find out more by emailing:
Frontline health and social care workers and those aged 70+ are currently being invited forward for the COVID-19 Vaccine Booster to provide longer protection against coronavirus.
Others who are eligible for the vaccine will be invited forward soon.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has joined with the First Minister of Wales and the First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to demand Prime Minister Boris Johnson “do the right thing” by reversing the decision to withdraw the £20-a-week uplift to Universal Credit.
In a rare joint intervention, the leaders of the devolved nations have warned in a letter that the UK Government “is withdrawing this lifeline just as the country is facing a significant cost-of-living crisis.”
They have urged the Prime Minister to “consider the moral, social and economic harms” of the of this cut, and “do the right thing” and reverse his government’s decision to withdraw this funding which will harm around 6 million people across the UK.
The First Minister, along with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and Northern Ireland First Minister and deputy First Minister Paul Givan and Michelle O’Neill say the move, which comes into effect this Wednesday, 6 October, is short sighted at a time of increases in the cost of food and fuel, rising inflation, the end of the furlough scheme, and imminent rise in National Insurance contributions.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I do not think there has been anything quite so morally indefensible in UK policy in recent times as the proposed cut to Universal Credit.
“At a time when we are facing the impact of the pandemic, Brexit and soaring costs, removing £20 per week from the lowest-income households simply cannot be defended in any way, shape or form.
“The planned cut represents the biggest overnight reduction to the basic rate of social security in more than 70 years and would sever a crucial lifeline for countless households across the UK at a time when budgets are already facing an unprecedented squeeze.
“It is an immoral, ill-thought out and ultimately counterproductive policy which simply must be stopped.
“Those on low incomes are going to find it difficult to feed their children, heat their homes, and pay their rent if the cut goes ahead. We have therefore united as the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to say to the Prime Minister: ‘Do not do this.’”
The full text of the letter is included below:
Dear Prime Minister
We are writing to call on you, with the utmost urgency, to reverse your Government’s short-sighted decision to withdraw the £20-per-week uplift to Universal Credit.
Your Government is withdrawing this lifeline just as the country is facing a significant cost-of-living crisis. This winter millions of people are facing an untenable combination of increases to the cost of food and energy, rising inflation, the end of the furlough scheme, and an imminent hike to National Insurance contributions.
There is no rationale for cutting such crucial support at a point when people across the UK are facing an unprecedented squeeze on their household budgets.
Within the last month, an overwhelming majority of elected members in Holyrood, the Senedd, Stormont and Westminster have voiced their opposition to this cut to Universal Credit, as have the four social security committees of each parliament. The four Children’s Commissioners of each nation, numerous charities and faith groups have also expressed their grave concerns as have millions of people who face additional and unnecessary hardship because of this cut to Universal Credit against the backdrop of a winter of hardship.
We note your Government’s announcement of a Household Support Fund – an acknowledgment that too many people will be unable to make ends meet this winter. Unfortunately, a £500 million fund handed out on a discretionary basis is wholly inadequate to making up the £6 billion shortfall in social security expenditure that will result from the cut to Universal Credit.
Your Government has repeatedly refused to conduct any impact analysis on the biggest overnight reduction to the basic rate of social security for more than 70 years.
As such, it is important that we draw your attention to the growing body of evidence and analysis about the harm this cut will inflict. Research by the Resolution Foundation and the Trussell Trust has highlighted the significant and devastating impact the cliff-edge withdrawal of the £20-a-week uplift to Universal Credit will have on family incomes, with an associated rise in food insecurity.
The Legatum Institute has produced sobering analysis highlighting that the £20-per-week uplift has kept 840,000 people, including 290,000 children, out of poverty in Q2 of 2021. It makes no sense at all to knowingly pursue a policy that will result in this immense and needless rise in child poverty and we ask you to consider the lasting harm and costs of this cut accordingly.
It is important to note that this will increase poverty and hardship without delivering any tangible social or economic benefits. The UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights said – when calling upon you to reverse this cut – that for a healthy and well-qualified workforce to emerge, your Government must provide adequate levels of social protection. Years of a freeze on benefits means Universal Credit has not kept pace with rising living costs. Further to this, rising inflation means that a basic rate of Universal Credit after this cut will hold less purchasing power than it did in March 2020.
To support a meaningful recovery from this pandemic we must first ensure the needs of our most vulnerable are met. This cut threatens to undermine the recovery by diminishing the capacity of six million people to make ends meet.
It is not too late for you to reverse the decision to take money out of the pockets of the poorest in society at a time when they are facing a serious cost of living crisis.
We, with the full support of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Scottish and Welsh Governments, urge you to consider the moral, social and economic harms of this cut, and do the right thing and reverse your decision to withdraw this lifeline.
A copy of this letter is being sent to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and relevant Secretary of States for the devolved nations.
The Covid-19 vaccination programme has made excellent progress in vaccinating a large majority of the adult population in Scotland, according to a new report published today (30 September) by Audit Scotland.
By 17 September, more than 90 per cent of people aged 18 or over had received at least one Covid-19 vaccine. Levels of vaccine wastage have been low, and the programme has helped reduce the number of people getting severely ill and dying.
However, uptake has been lower amongst young people, those in the most deprived areas and those from some ethnic minority backgrounds.
The vaccine rollout has also relied on a temporary staff drawn from across the NHS. This is an expensive model and the Scottish Government recognises that it needs a longer-term solution.
NHS boards and health and social care partnerships currently expect vaccine delivery costs to be around £223 million in 2021/22. But the final cost for this year will depend on clinical advice issued by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, so it could differ substantially from the current estimate.
Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “The delivery of the vaccination programme has been a success so far, with good collaboration and new digital tools developed to help the process.
“Early scenario planning by the Scottish Government and NHS boards has allowed them to continue to react quickly to formal UK clinical advice.
“There is now an opportunity for the Scottish Government to use what’s it’s learned to manage the challenges of the next part of the vaccine programme, and the wider delivery of NHS services.”
The public are to be asked for their views on the best way to support people who live in adult care homes to maintain connections with family and friends.
A five-week consultation is to be held on introducing Anne’s Law – to ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to be able to have direct contact with people who are important to them in order to support their health and wellbeing.
The Scottish Government is seeking to explore a range of legal and practical considerations in order to make sure any changes brought in are effective. These include how the new legislation will affect the competing rights and needs of others, including other care home residents and staff.
The consultation follows a commitment made by the Scottish Government in the Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22, which was launched on 7 September, to deliver Anne’s Law. It builds on a programme of work to enable people living in adult care homes to maintain family and friendship connections.
This includes strengthening the Health and Social Care Standards and a consultation was launched on 16 September seeking views on ways to do this.
Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Social connections and meaningful activity are important for the wellbeing and quality of life of people living in adult care homes. For many residents, family members or friends also play a vital role in their care, complementing the support provided by care home staff.
“The Scottish Government is committed to bringing in Anne’s Law to ensure people who live in adult care homes have rights to see and spend time with those who are important to them.
“It is important that we hear views and suggestions on the proposals to achieve this so that we do it in the best possible way. We want to hear from as many people as possible to help shape the proposals – including people who live in adult care homes, their families and friends, care home providers and staff and a wide range of other stakeholders.”
Anne’s Law is named after Anne Duke who lives in a care home in South Lanarkshire.
Anne’s daughter Natasha Hamilton, from Care Home Relatives Scotland, said: “We are very pleased to hear that the consultation for Anne’s Law is getting underway.The pandemic has caused great suffering for residents and relatives and has really taken its toll on people’s mental and physical wellbeing.
“We have always believed that even during outbreaks, nominated carers such as husbands, wives, parents , sons and daughters should be enabled to spend time with their loved ones just as staff do.
“We sincerely hope legislation can be enacted that recognises the importance of family life for people in care and the need for personal connection and touch.”
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has confirmed that more than 100 military personnel will be drafted in to help tackle the ambulance crisis. He also told MSPs that additional funding of £20 million will be invested in the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to help improve response times, alleviate pressures and improve staff wellbeing.
In a statement to Parliament, Mr Yousaf announced:
assistance from more than 100 military personnel – 88 drivers and 15 support staff – following final approval by the Ministry of Defence. Personnel are expected to begin deployment from this weekend onwards.
around 100 2nd year paramedic students to help in ambulance control rooms
more Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers at the busiest A&Es, increasing from 11 to 20 – helping ensure timely admission of patients at A&E and reduce ambulance waiting times
additional help from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the form of volunteer drivers, as well as the British Red Cross and private transport companies where clinically appropriate
immediate work to create temporary admission wards in hospitals, meaning patients can be admitted quicker
additional senior clinical input in ambulance control rooms and to assist and speed up decision-making on mental health, addictions, falls, breathing difficulties, high intensity users and trauma
£500,000 to fund staff wellbeing measures
14 additional staff members in Highland to reduce the on-call requirement in Campeltown, and remove it completely in Fort William, Kirkwall and Broadford.
Tuesday’s funding announcement comes in addition to £20 million already announced as part of the NHS Recovery Plan. That investment will deliver a net increase of almost 300 ambulance service staff by April 2022.
Mr Yousaf said: “The global pandemic has created the most challenging crisis in the history of the NHS. Ambulance services around the UK, as well as the wider NHS, are experiencing unprecedented demand – largely because of COVID-19, but also due to a combination of increasingly complex cases, and exceptionally busy emergency departments.
“The Scottish Ambulance Service is the heartbeat of our NHS. It has a unique role in engaging with all parts of the health and social care system across the whole of Scotland – 24 hours of every day. It is vital that we ensure it has the support it needs to perform this crucial role.
“The additional investment I have set out today means that the Scottish Ambulance service’s frontline budget for this year is more than 16% higher than it was last year. The measures we have announced today will begin to address some of these issues, both improving the level of service for the public, and also helping to reduce the pressure on the workforce, who are doing so much to serve the public during these incredibly demanding times.”
