Tag: coronavirus

Regular care home testing essential, say Scottish Greens

Scottish Greens Lothian MSP Alison Johnstone has called on the Scottish Government to urgently introduce regular testing for staff in care homes in a bid to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

The party published proposals (see below) calling for the regular testing of frontline care workers and NHS staff in April, in a bid to ease the anxiety of staff and reduce the spread of the virus, yet the Scottish Government has resisted repeated requests to do so.

This refusal comes despite the proposal receiving the backing of influential organisations like the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Emergency Medicine.

Alison Johnstone MSP said: “It’s beyond doubt that regular testing is needed both to protect frontline staff and to get control of this virus.

“A growing list of experts and organisations have backed Scottish Green proposals for regular testing, so it is difficult to understand why the Scottish Government hasn’t made this a priority.

“Staff may be unknowingly spreading the virus in care homes, so it’s vital that the government uses the significant spare testing capacity it has available and introduces regular testing at once.”

https://greens.scot/sites/default/files/COVID-19%20Testing%20

 

Boris Johnson: “a vaccine might not come to fruition”

Prime Minister’s article in the Mail on Sunday this morning (17 May): 

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is truly that the worst of times bring out the best in humanity.

Every day brings heart-breaking news as more lives are lost before their time to this vicious coronavirus. Every victim leaves behind family, friends and loved ones who mourn their loss. They remain constantly in my thoughts; each death a spur to redouble our efforts to defeat this virus.

We can only defeat it by acting together. In recent weeks we have seen phenomenal bravery, compassion and selflessness as people go above and beyond to protect the lives of others.

The staff in our care homes and NHS doing all they can to bring the sick back to health. Teachers helping critical workers go to work by looking after their children, while still teaching those at home.

Police and prison officers keeping order on our streets and in our prisons.

Those producing, processing, distributing and selling food.

Engineers keeping the lights on and our broadband connected.

Our armed forces rising to every logistical challenge with awesome professionalism.

Civil servants working round the clock to implement every policy decision – all these people are putting others first.

They are the best of us, punctuating each day with a million acts of love and kindness. And their efforts have not been in vain for a simple reason – because the British people as a whole have risen so magnificently to the challenge we set: to stay at home.

I don’t underestimate how difficult it has been for everyone to be cut off from friends and parents, children and grandchildren, brothers and sisters. Unable to visit places of worship or even just spend time with others. We thrive off social contact and having those we love around us – it’s human nature. Yet those vital human connections have been cruelly denied to all of us by this insidious disease.

These enormous sacrifices have paid off. We have seen the number of positive cases plateau and fall, even as testing capacity has increased tenfold. The number of people admitted to hospital with Covid has steadily fallen. Despite predictions that critical care capacity would struggle to cope, the NHS was emphatically not overwhelmed.

I made clear from the outset that we can only make changes to the lockdown when it is safe to do so, guided by science. We set five tests, of which three have been met and progress is being made on the remaining two.

We are setting up a system of COVID-19 Alert levels, which will be overseen by a new UK Joint Biosecurity Centre designed to assess the spread of the virus and inform decisions over how we lift the lockdown.

It is the British public’s fortitude, their perseverance, their good common sense and their desire to return to the freedoms they hold dear that has allowed us to inch forwards.

We have announced new rules on what people can and cannot do in England.

You can now spend as much time as you like outdoors, for example sitting and enjoying the fresh air, picnicking, or sunbathing. You can meet one other person from a different household outdoors, provided you maintain social distancing. You can exercise outdoors as often as you wish and play sport.

Even with these changes, it’s vital that people stay alert, keep their distance from others and carry on washing their hands regularly.

These changes are possible because the evidence shows that the risk of transmission is significantly lower outdoors. Being able to see a friend or family member at a safe distance, in a park or at the end of the road, provides significant benefits to our physical and mental wellbeing – but crucially, it does not risk reversing the gains we have so far won in the fight against the virus. I am confident that the balance of risk, taking everything into account, means we can safely make this change.

Now that we have driven the rate of infection down, and there are fewer infections, some people can also start returning to work. We have held extensive talks with employers, trade unions and the devolved administrations about how to make workplaces safe. The COVID-19 Secure guidelines we developed together mean we can encourage people who can’t work from home to go to their place of work in a safe way.

The message is: work from home if you can but travel to work if you can’t. And avoid public transport if you can, but use it if you can’t.

(NB: This advice is for ENGLAND ONLY. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own guidelines in place – Ed.)

No earlier than June, we hope to move to step two, opening schools to more children and re-opening some shops. And no earlier than July, we can move to step three, opening parts of the leisure and hospitality sectors.

Over time we can gradually get closer to a kind of normality – but only if the evidence shows these adjustments are compatible with our five tests. And if at any stage we need to tighten the restrictions, we will not hesitate to act. Nothing is more important than saving lives.

I understand that people will feel frustrated with some of the new rules. We are trying to do something that has never had to be done before – moving the country out of a full lockdown, in a way which is safe and does not risk sacrificing all of your hard work.

I recognise what we are now asking is more complex than simply staying at home – but this is a complex problem and we need to trust in the good sense of the British people.

If we all stick at it, then we’ll be able, gradually, to get rid of the complexities and the restrictions and make it easier and simpler for families to meet again. But we must move slowly, and at the right time.

I want to thank you personally for sticking with us and – most of all – for being so patient. And I want to reassure you that there is a route out of this.

In the darkness of March, I said that with hard work, we could turn the tide within three months. We have now passed through the peak.

I said that, if we could get an antibody test showing whether you have had the disease, it would be a huge step forward. This week Public Health England have approved an antibody test which is 100% accurate.

I said we would throw everything we could at finding a vaccine. There remains a very long way to go, and I must be frank that a vaccine might not come to fruition. But we are leading the global effort.

Some of the most promising research into vaccines is happening right here in the UK – and this weekend we are announcing a £93 million investment to open the new Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre a full 12 months ahead of schedule.

We are also supporting research into drug treatments for the virus which can bring as many people who have caught the virus back to full health as possible.

Despite these efforts, we have to acknowledge we may need to live with this virus for some time to come. We need to find new ways to control the virus. We will do that through testing and tracing – testing individuals who have symptoms to see if they have the virus and tracing contacts who may have been infected.

The NHS app and an army of contact tracers will help us alert anyone who may have caught the virus. By asking them to self isolate, we will help them protect their friends, family and loved ones, while stopping the spread of the virus in the wider community.

By screening arrivals at ports and airports and introducing quarantine measures, we will be able to keep the number of infections at low levels, and we can give everyone else more freedom to lead their lives as normally as possible.

We have achieved a lot together so far. Let’s not throw it all away now. In return for the small freedoms we are now allowing ourselves, we must stay alert. We must do so in the knowledge that our self-discipline will, eventually, lead to the return of our much-missed normality.

I know this will not be easy – the first baby steps never are. But I hope that, when we look back, the changes we have made this week will be seen as an important moment on the road to our nation’s recovery.

UK international aid boost for charities fighting coronavirus

International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has announced which charities and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations) have received UK aid funding to help fight coronavirus in the developing world.

  • 40 charities and NGOs are now receiving new UK aid funding to tackle coronavirus.
  • Among other projects, the funding will support healthcare systems in developing countries so they can cope with the effects of coronavirus, helping to stop the global spread and keep us all safer.
  • Next week, small-to-medium sized British charities tackling coronavirus can apply for new grants of up to £4 million each.

A total of 40 charities and NGOs will receive funding from the Department for International Development’s (DFID) £20 million humanitarian support package, announced last month, or the £100 million global hygiene partnership with Unilever, unveiled in March.

From 18 May 2020, up to £30 million of new grants will also be made available to small and medium-sized UK charities through the next round of the UK Aid Direct programme. Each charity will be able to bid for a grant up to £4 million for programmes that focus on tackling the coronavirus crisis.

The Small Charities Challenge Fund (SCCF) is also open for grants of up to £50,000 for the very best small British development charities tackling coronavirus.

Health experts have identified the weakness of developing countries’ healthcare systems as one of the biggest risks to the global spread of the virus. They have also warned that if coronavirus is left to spread in developing countries, this could lead to the virus re-emerging in the UK and put further pressure on our NHS.

DFID is therefore rapidly reprioritising its programmes around the world to better tackle the pandemic. Many of these in-country programmes are currently run directly by civil society organisations, including charities and NGOs.

The UK is also working with the United Nations to ensure the significant UK aid support, pledged in recent weeks, is passed on to its partner charities and NGOs as quickly as possible. Plan International is also receiving support through UNICEF’s Education Cannot Wait fund which has provided £5m of UK aid to support over 11.5 million children in some of the poorest and most disadvantaged areas of the globe. The UK also pledged £50 million as part of last month’s announcement to the International Committee of the Red Cross and British Red Cross.

International Development Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said: “This pandemic is having a devastating impact on people all over the world and I am very grateful to charities and NGOs for their vital work to keep people safe.

“These organisations are often best placed to help those most at risk and are crucial to slowing the pandemic’s spread in the developing world. This in turn helps reduce the risk of future waves of infection globally, which could otherwise come to the UK.”

British charities, such as Humanity & Inclusion, Action Against Hunger, CARE and Christian Aid, have received funding from DFID’s £20 million humanitarian package, which will provide healthcare, water and sanitation, food and shelter to meet the basic needs of some of the world’s most vulnerable people in Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia and Africa’s Sahel region.

More than £24 million has also been allocated from DFID’s £100 million partnership with Unilever, one of the largest producers of soap in the world, to Action Aid, PSI, WaterAid, International Rescue Committee, World Vision, the African Medical and Research Foundation and Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor.

Ms Trevelyan recently wrote to suppliers, including British charities and NGOs, to set out the DFID support available to them amid fears over the pandemic’s impact on their operations. This included bringing forward payments and help with the ongoing costs of delivering life-saving programmes.

Helen Thompson, CARE International UK’s Head of Humanitarian Programme, said: “With DFID’s support, CARE will work with communities in conflict-affected regions of Niger, Mali and Chad to prevent the spread of coronavirus and deal with the knock-on impacts of lockdown, particularly on women and girls.

“From responses such as the West Africa and DRC Ebola crises, we know that strong community engagement and risk messaging is essential to stop the spread of disease. DFID’s support will help us rapidly scale up work at community level with trusted messengers.”

Hancock urges England to ‘stick with the rules’

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock gave the 15 May 2020 daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged people to stick to the newly relaxed lockdown rules, but with a weekend of sunshine forecast beauty spots and seaside resorts are braced for high numbers of visitors – and all the challenges and dangers that will bring.

NOTE: England’s guidance now differs from that of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Good afternoon and welcome to Downing Street for the daily coronavirus briefing. I’m joined by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries and by NHS England’s Medical Director for Primary Care Dr Nikki Kanani.

I want to take this chance to update you on the latest coronavirus data. 2,353,078 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 133,784 tests yesterday.

236,711 people have tested positive for the virus, an increase of 3,560 since yesterday. 10,024 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus. This is a 13% fall from the same time last week.

And very sadly of those who tested positive, across all settings, 33,998 people have now died. That’s an increase of 384 since yesterday. And we mourn each one. The number of deaths is falling each day, in all settings thankfully, and we are past the peak of this virus.

I want to take a moment to remind everyone about our plans for this second phase. We have set up the new COVID Alert Level System. That’s the five levels of threat – based on the R value and the number of new cases.

The alert level in turn guides the social distancing rules, which are vital in our efforts to control the virus.

A higher alert level means stricter rules. Throughout the lockdown, we have been at Level 4 which means that Covid-19 is in general circulation and transmission is high or rising exponentially.

But, thanks to your shared sacrifice, we’ve brought R down. Cautiously, carefully and responsibly, we are now in a position to start moving to Level 3.

We’ve set out the first of the three steps that we’ll take to carefully to modify the social distancing rules and start to restore freedom to this country all the while avoiding a disastrous second peak that could overwhelm the NHS.

At each step, we will closely monitor the impact on R, on the number of new infections, and on of course all available data. And we’ll only move to the next step when we judge it is safe to do so.

In the first step, as of this week if you work but can’t work from home, you should speak to your employer about going back in. People can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like and you can meet one other person from outside your household in an outdoor, public place. But please keep 2 metres apart.

This weekend, with the good weather and the new rules, I hope people can enjoy being outside but please stick with the rules, keep an eye on your family and don’t take risks.

We’ve also updated what we’re asking to people to do, which is to Stay Alert, Control the Virus and Save Lives.

For the vast majority of people, staying alert still means staying at home as much as is possible. Working from home when you can, limiting contact with people, keeping your distance if you go out: 2 metres wherever possible. washing your hands regularly. This is still the single most effective thing that you can do to keep yourself safe and of course, self-isolating if you or anyone in your household has coronavirus symptoms.

By staying alert and following the rules, you can play a part in the national effort getting the R down and keeping R down controlling the virus so that we can save lives, rebuild livelihoods and start to recover our freedom.

First Minister: polling support for Scotland’s lockdown

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Friday 15th May:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start – as I always do – with a statistical update on COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can report that there have been 14,260 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 143 since yesterday.

A total of 1,449 patients are in hospital with the virus – 1,066 of them have been confirmed through a test as having COVID-19, and 383 are suspected of having the virus. That overall number represents a decrease of 31 since yesterday.

A total of 71 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – which is no change since the figure I reported to you here yesterday.

I am also able to confirm that since 5 March, a total of 3,290 patients who had tested positive and required hospitalisation for the virus have now been able to leave hospital, which is good news for them and their families.

Unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 46 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,053.

As always, because it is so important every single day that we never see these numbers as statistics, as always I want to stress that point. Behind every single one of these statistics I read out to you here today, is an individual whose loss is being mourned by friends, family and all of their loved ones.

I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus. The thoughts of me, the government and I’m sure everybody across Scotland are very much with you at this time.

I also want to thank – as I always do – again, our health and care workers.  Once again last night, I joined with people across the country, in the applause at 8pm.  That is a small – but I hope powerful – way of demonstrating our deep appreciation, our ongoing appreciation for your incredible efforts at this very, very challenging time.

There are of course many, many other people who, in various different ways, are keeping the country going during this crisis. I can’t list all of them every day, but if you are in any of these categories know my deep appreciation and gratitude is with all of you. From time to time, I want to single out particular groups of workers so that they know that their efforts are not forgotten at this time.

Today I’m going to highlight the role of our telecoms workers and especially telecoms engineers.

The fact that we are being forced to stay physically distant from each other, has made many of us rely more than ever on technology. We’re reliant much more now on technology for access to public services.  Our children are relying on technology for access to education.  Many are working from home and need technology for that. We’re all using technology for staying in touch with family and friends at a time when we cannot physically see them.

So the contribution of those who keep all of these systems working, our phones and our broadband networks going at this time are so important to our everyday lives. That is true at all times but it is particularly true right now so I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you.

I’m going to keep my general update today relatively brief.

As you know, the lock down restrictions here in Scotland remain very much in place. The message to you today, over the weekend and into next week, is still stay at home. The only change we’ve made to the guidance in place, which of course we announced last weekend, is the change on exercise.

That position we have in Scotland, now I want to be very clear, continues to be based on our assessment of the evidence – and on what we judge is right for the protection of people across the country.

However, as I also said on Sunday, we will continue to monitor the evidence very closely on an ongoing basis. And as we hopefully see more evidence of a downward trend in the virus – we will then consider further changes, but we will do so on a very careful and gradual basis.

When we know that lives are at stake and we have learned that everyday over these past seven or eight weeks as I’ve stood up here day in day out and read out numbers of people who have died. We do know that lives are at stake with this virus.

Then for as long as that continues to be the case, I’m going to continue to err on the side of caution, err on the side of saving lives and reducing the number of people who might die unnecessarily.

And I hope I have your continued understanding in doing so.

However, I also want to give you as much visibility and advance notice of future changes as possible.

We can’t live like this forever so we need to get some normality back as we continue to suppress the virus. We’ve tried to set out, as we have done in recent weeks on an ongoing basis, as much of our thinking and consideration as we can. As we can’t yet confirm dates of when things will open up again, at least we will seek to share with you share the order of priority and potential phasing.

So I will give you an indication now that next week, I will share with you more information on the assessments we are making and the range of options that we are looking at and any further minor changes that we might make in the short term.

And, as I have said before, as we make these decisions fairness and quality of life will be really important factors.

We are, of course, keen to get the economy moving again – I am very keen to get the economy moving again – that matters to all of us, not just to businesses.

But we also have to consider very carefully our social interactions.

A life where we go to work but stay locked down with no family interaction for the rest of the time is not one that many of us, if any of us, would enjoy.

So given that we are likely to have for quite a while to come very limited room for manoeuvre – and I want to stress that is the case –  we will need to get these balances as right as possible. That’s why we are paying close attention to the ideas that many of you are taking the time to share us.

Our considerations will be informed, as we have always said, by the scientific evidence and advice and the clear principles we have set out.

In all of this continuing to set out clearly to you why we are asking you to live your lives in such a restrictive way is vital – so that you understand we are not asking you to do this for no reason and will not ask you to do this for any longer than we judge to be necessary.

It is not enough, and never be enough in my view, for me simply to tell you what I want you to do. I have to explain, I’ve got a duty to explain to you, on an ongoing basis my reasons for it.

Compliance with any measures we may need to keep in place will, I think, always be higher if I am clear, rational and straight with you about the difficult judgements they are based on.

So on that theme, I thought I’d just very briefly share with you today the results of some polling on attitudes that we have undertaken.

And you’ll understand that we do this just to check that the messages that we are trying to convey are being understood and getting across.

Though I’m not complacent about this at all, this polling that I’m going to share with you suggests that the really important bond of understanding between government and you, the public in Scotland, right now is currently very strong. And I want to do everything I can to keep it that way.

The polling reveals that there is widespread endorsement for the approach that we are taking in Scotland.

So, for example:

  • 84% of you agree with a slow and gradual lifting of restrictions
  • 82% of you agree that before further significant changes to lockdown restrictions are brought in, the impact of those already introduced should be assessed
  • 86% continue to agree that decisions on when and how to lift restrictions must be based on saving lives and protecting the NHS

So, I want to take the opportunity again today to thank you for your support. These last few weeks have truly been a collective endeavour – we’ve all been making sacrifices not just for our own sake, but for the sake of each other as well.

We’ve been putting those values I keep talking about – of love, kindness and solidarity – into practice.

My ask of you is that we keep doing so for a bit longer. Let me, therefore, end with this fundamental point.

The way in which we save lives, but also the way we emerge from this lockdown that bit more quickly, is by sticking now with the current guidance.

So before I hand over firstly to the Chief Nursing Officer, and then to our National Clinical Director, I want to reiterate – once again – what that guidance says.

Please stay at home.   Except for essential work that you can’t do at home, for buying food or accessing medicines, or for exercising, you should not be going out.

Of course, you can now exercise more than once a day, if you want to. But when you are out, please stay more than two metres from other people and don’t meet up with people from other households.

Please wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And remember to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

Finally, if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of the virus, then please stay at home completely.

I know that these restrictions are tough, I say this every day but I’m always conscious on a Friday of just how much tougher these restrictions feel for all of us over the weekend, particularly when the sun is out, which as we know, is sometimes a rare occasion in our country.

But these restrictions are essential for now and crucially, and this is the point I really want to leave you with – they are making a difference and I hope you can see that in the statistics, albeit the difficult statistics that I’m sharing with you everyday.

By staying at home we are slowing down the spread of this virus, we are protecting the NHS, we are undoubtedly saving lives and we’re also bringing much closer that day when we can start that return to normality.

So thank you very much for doing the right thing. Thank you for the sacrifices you are making. Please keep doing it. For your own sake and your families sake and for the sake of everybody across the country. Thank you very much indeed for listening and I’m going to handover now to Fiona McQueen, our Chief Nursing Officer, and then to Professor Leitch, our National Clinical Director.

Food for thought: ‘pandemic eating’ research

People’s eating habits during the pandemic are providing food for thought in a new piece of research, co-led by the University of Northampton.

The ‘Food, Mood and You’ study is looking to survey people over the age of 18 each day for a single week in which they note their activities, their emotions and how they are eating.

The results for the UK will be collated over the next two weeks and volunteers can register and take the survey online.

The study is also being rolled out across countries including Australia, Canada, USA, Finland, Spain, Italy, Russia, Portugal, China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Korea.

Dr Josephine Chen-Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Developmental and Educational Psychology, is the UON lead. She said: “There are lots of anecdotal conversations about how we are supposedly eating more during lockdown – perhaps due to boredom – but no firm evidence about this and, more importantly, why that is happening, if at all.

“It will be fascinating to see what’s actually going, so I encourage people to take part in our survey and help us add another piece to the complex jigsaw puzzle of human behaviour during our ‘new normal’.”

Professor Tracey Devonport at University of Wolverhampton has been working collaboratively with colleagues from UON and University of Jyväskylä, Finland (Dr Montse Ruiz).

She adds: “It is likely that we have all heard friends and family talking about eating more during the COVID-19 pandemic because they are experiencing emotions such as boredom, stress or frustration.

“We wanted to develop a research project that explores emotions and eating and in doing so provide simple interventions that may help manage emotional eating during these challenging times.”

*The survey can be taken online.

Health visitors continue to provide crucial lifeline for families

Frontline community work continues despite COVID-19, thanks to the efforts of health visitors (HVs) like Laura Gordon. 

Since the pandemic began, Laura continues to manage a caseload maintaining frequent contact, building therapeutic relationships and providing a crucial role in providing support and advice to children and families in the Inverclyde community.

Home visits have had to be reduced, but Laura remains in the community doing face-to-face consultations at least two to three days per week. She believes providing swift support is key, and despite restrictions on face-to-face contact, health visitors around Greater Glasgow and Clyde have adapted to ensure families in need are able to receive the care and advice they require.

From increased telephone consultations and video calls to provide high quality care and support, to risk assessments over the phone before visiting to ensure use of the correct PPE, keeping children and families safe is a top priority.

Raising a new baby can be a stressful and challenging time in normal circumstances, and many new mothers rely on Laura as a key source and primary contact to help answer their questions, and support their babies and children with appropriate development.

Laura provides practical advice and support for topics relating to breastfeeding, nutrition, safety -including safe sleeping arrangements, illnesses and mental health, among others.

As well as the child’s physical and mental wellbeing, Laura works with families to ensure they have access to any services that they may require, including for urgent needs such as  financial aid or for food banks in the area.

HVs also continue to visit families with additional support needs, for example to support postnatal depression, parenting advice, and also in partnership with third sector agencies and social work for child protection support plans.

The nature of Laura’s remit means working collaboratively with families to find tailored solutions for their individual needs and circumstances.

Laura, who has worked within Inverclyde for a number of years, said: “Family life has changed massively since the pandemic began, and many families are under even more pressure than normal.

“Having a new baby is a huge transition and at this time most parents don’t have the support they would normally rely on. They can feel isolated and overwhelmed.  Having somebody to turn to during this time is extremely  important and contributes to the ongoing safety and wellbeing of their children.

“Inverclyde is among the most deprived areas in Scotland and some familes experience challenging circumstances and may have specific and urgent health needs without necessarily knowing what’s available and how to access the appropriate support. We can help them with that and facilitate access. This support can often provide lifelines when families are most in need.”

Inverclyde HVs are very much looking to the future and how they can embrace new methods of communicating effectively with families. Laura explains how they work on social media platforms to engage with patients.

Laura said: “By using Twitter and Facebook we can easily reach our families and provide key messages on all aspects of public health, including child development, brain development, perinatal mental health, weaning, nutrition, safety, safe sleep, immunisations, parental wellbeing, behavior management strategies, play and stimulation.

“The way we engage with patients may have changed due to COVID-19, but we are all still here, and we are all still working within the communities to help families access the services they need while providing them with practical advice and support so they get the best outcomes for their children.”

Shapps: ‘We want to keep this momentum going’

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps gave the UK Government’s daily media briefing yesterday.

He described how the time during lockdown has been used to fix and upgrade road and rail infrastructure, including plans to help the economy bounce back.

Good afternoon and welcome to today’s Downing Street press conference. I’m pleased to be joined by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.

Latest data

Let me start by updating you on the latest information from the Government’s COBR data file.

Through our monitoring and testing programme, as of today:

  • 2,219,281 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including a new record of 126,064 tests carried out yesterday
  • 233,151 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 3,446 cases since yesterday
  • 11,041 people are in hospital with COVID-19, down 14% from a week ago, when 12,802 patients were hospitalised
  • and sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, 33,614 have now died – that’s an increase of 428 fatalities since yesterday.

This new figure includes deaths in all settings not just in hospitals.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends as the nation battles to defeat the disease.

Main content

Today I’m going to set out how – whilst the country has been at a virtual standstill – this downtime has been used to fix and upgrade the nation’s road and rail infrastructure, along with plans to help our economy bounce back.

But before I set out today’s transport announcements, let me briefly remind you of the government’s roadmap out of this crisis.

As you know, we have established a new COVID Alert System, with five levels – based primarily on the R value and the number of cases.

Throughout the lockdown, we have been at Level 4.

Thanks to the British people, we have brought the R down and we can now begin moving carefully to Level 3.

From this week we’re at Step 1, meaning that:

  • those who cannot work from home should now speak to their employer about going back to work
  • you can now spend time outdoors and exercise as much as you like
  • you can meet one person who’s not part of your household outside, provided you stay 2 metres apart

Step 2 – from June 1, at the earliest, as long as it’s safe, we aim to allow:

  • primary schools to reopen for some pupils, in smaller class sizes
  • non-essential retail to start to reopen
  • cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors, without crowds

And then Step 3 – no earlier than July 4, and again, only if the data says it’s safe, we aim to allow:

  • more businesses to open, including those offering personal care, those in the leisure sector, together with places of worship

We can control this virus if we stay alert.

But what does staying alert actually mean?

Staying alert, for the vast majority of people still means staying at home as much as possible, and working from home if you can.

But it also means:

  • limiting contact with other people
  • keeping your distance if you go out
  • washing your hands regularly
  • wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces where it’s difficult to be socially distant – for example on public transport
  • and if you or anyone in your household has symptoms, you all need to self-isolate

If everyone stays alert and follows the rules, we can control coronavirus by keeping the R down and reducing the number of infections.

This is how we can continue to save lives, and livelihoods, as we begin as a nation to recover from coronavirus.

Transport context

Today I want to update you on the measures we’re taking to speed up our economic recovery while keeping people safe.

For 2 months, we’ve remained in lockdown, travelling as little as possible, and in doing so, the whole country has protected the NHS and helped reduce the number of COVID infections.

But as we begin making tentative steps towards restarting our economy and people in some sectors who can’t work from home begin to return to their workplaces, it is clear that transport has a critical role to play.

Last Saturday, I explained why it’s our civic duty to avoid public transport, if at all possible.

Because, even when we have 100% of services up and running, there may only be socially-distanced space available for 1 in 10 passengers.

Therefore, in order to help reduce crowding, we set out a £2 billion programme to put cycling and walking at the heart of transport, with £250 million emergency spending already underway.

Over the past week, we have followed this up by publishing 3 pieces of detailed guidance.

First, for local authorities in England, explaining how they should prepare for significantly-increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians.

Next, for the transport sector, to ensure they provide safer services for those travelling, and safer workplaces for their staff.

And third, and most importantly, for passengers.

We’re asking the public to help ensure that the transport system does not become significantly overwhelmed by returning commuters.

The guidance makes clear, that if you can’t walk or cycle but you do have access to a car, please use it, rather than travelling by bus, train or tram…..

Especially where that public transport is liable to be overcrowded.

And, for those people who absolutely need to use public transport…

It also explains how you can best protect yourself and those around you.

Transport upgrades during lockdown

In the coming weeks, as we carefully and cautiously restart sectors of our economy, and people begin to travel once again…

They should notice that, whilst the country has been in down-time …

…with the roads and railways quiet…

We’ve been busy…

Getting on with essential work….

Fixing the nation’s infrastructure…

So we can recover faster when the time comes.

This upgrade programme…

…the kind of work that – at any other time – would cause inevitable disruption and service delays, whilst costing the taxpayer more…

…has instead been carried out in previously unimaginable circumstances of a largely unused transport network.

For example, we completed 419 separate Network Rail projects over Easter, with a further 1,000 upgrades being carried out throughout the May bank holidays.

Meanwhile, Highways England has been busy accelerating maintenance projects on the nation’s roads.

Last week, for example, we opened the vital A14 upgrade 7 months ahead of schedule.

This is a route normally used by 85,000 drivers daily, which will dramatically improve access to the UK’s largest container port at Felixstowe and permanently boost the distribution of goods around the UK.

As Northern Powerhouse minister – I can report that – in the North, we’ve delivered £96 million of rail infrastructure improvements during April.

And throughout the country, we’ve accelerated maintenance projects on road and rail…

Whilst always sticking to PHE safety guidelines…..

So that altogether, Highways England has delivered over £200 million of upgrades, and Network Rail £550 million worth, during April alone.

I’d like to thank the army of transport and construction workers who have been grafting very hard throughout the lockdown.

Building future infrastructure

But to make sure that Britain is ready to bounce-back from coronavirus…

Today I can announce nearly £2 billion to upgrade our roads and railways, to put our transport infrastructure in the best possible shape and to get our economy growing once again.

This package includes £1.7 billion for local roads – making journeys smoother and safer for drivers, hauliers, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and others…

By filling millions of dangerous potholes, we will make our roads safer – and encourage more people to cycle, or even take part in the upcoming e-scooter trials…

Helping more people play a part in relieving pressure on public transport.

This investment will also help fix damage caused by winter flooding, repair roads and bridges, and fund numerous road improvement schemes.

As more people become mobile again, we’ll be building a network of rapid charging stations for electric cars…

Including a big expansion of rapid-charging facilities at motorway service stations…

Helping the country to lock-in the dramatic air-quality improvements we’ve experienced during the coronavirus lockdown.

A better future

Amid all the sad news and tragedy of loved ones we’ve lost, we’ve somehow managed to do things in weeks that would normally take years…

Building new hospitals…

Moving public services online…

Making instant reforms and fast-tracking new laws…

Extraordinary changes in the way that employers and employees work…

Effectively taking large swathes of the economy online almost overnight…

Now we want to keep this momentum going.

If building a new hospital takes 2 weeks, why should building a new road still take as long as 20 years?

If GP surgeries can quickly move online, why are most rail passengers still travelling on cardboard tickets?

We must exploit our newfound capacity to respond at pace and apply it to rapidly improving our infrastructure.

And we must examine why it is that bureaucratic bindweed makes British infrastructure some of the costliest and slowest in Europe to build.

Because whilst many will continue to work from home even after this immediate crisis…

…both the long-term transport trend and the pressing need to level-up communities across the country, dictate that infrastructure will be even more important in stimulating our recovery and supporting new jobs.

So by combining fast home-internet access, with vastly upgraded transport connections, we can help revive many of our small and medium-sized towns which over decades have been left behind.

Closing remarks

This has been a devastating start to the year, not just for Britain, but for the world.

And we are only at Phase 1 of the recovery plan.

But we all know that it is our reaction to adversity that will ultimately define how we recover.

We must harness our approach to tackling the pandemic….

And apply it to rebuilding our own infrastructure.

With the same swift action, innovation, and collective determination that has characterised the past few months…..

And in doing so, we can emerge stronger.

Health and social services staff to get free access to mental health apps

  • Daylight and Sleepio apps available to everyone working in health and social services in Scotland to support their mental health during the crisis
  • Staff can download mental health apps for free to help with sleep and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic
  • Announcement part of nationwide drive to digitise healthcare, starting with workforce mental health

All health and social services staff in Scotland can now access free apps to cope with insomnia and anxiety as part of a nationwide effort to support the mental health of key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

NHS Scotland has this week launched a national programme to provide those working in health and social services with access to practical, everyday advice and support, as well as mental health apps and tips on self-care to help staff cope with the challenges they are facing with the pandemic.

As part of the PRoMIS National Wellbeing Hub, the apps on offer include programmes designed to help maintain healthy and restorative sleep, reduce anxiety and worry, and to help staff learn evidence-based techniques to address mental health issues when they arise.

The NHS-accredited apps Daylight – designed to help with worry and anxiety – and Sleepio – a digital sleep improvement programme featuring Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques – are both developed by digital therapeutics company Big Health.

Sleepio has already been made available to almost 30,000 residents in the Western Isles, and both Sleepio and Daylight were recently made  available at no cost to all NHS employees across England thanks to a partnership with NHS England.

As the UK’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues, health and social services staff remain at the frontline and are being placed under mounting pressure. The news comes as first Minister Nicola Sturgeon has stressed that the “stay at home” message remains in place in Scotland after Boris Johnson announced his “conditional plan” to reopen society.

Big Health co-founder and Professor of Sleep Medicine at the University of Oxford, Professor Colin Espie, has praised NHS Scotland’s timely response in protecting the mental health of NHS staff as well as their physical health during the pandemic.

Commenting on Big Health’s partnership with NHS Scotland Professor Espie said: “I’m honoured that Big Health is able to support our colleagues in NHS Scotland to help safeguard their mental health during these most challenging of times.

“NHS staff are working under enormous pressure whilst also experiencing significant changes to their lives at home as a result of COVID-19. We built Sleepio and Daylight to help people effectively manage their mental health whether the challenges occur during the night or day.”

Dr Sandra Ferguson, Associate Director Psychology and Lead for National Trauma Training Programme at NHS Education for Scotland added: ““There is increasing evidence that insomnia and sleep difficulties is an area that staff in health and social care are increasingly reporting.

“We are delighted to have worked with Sleepio who have designed this evidence-based app to support staff in resolving these difficulties. A good night’s sleep is a central part of overall wellbeing.”

Sleepio and Daylight are available at no cost to everyone working in the NHS to support their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These solutions aim to support staff to maintain healthy and restorative sleep, reduce anxiety and worry, and to help them learn evidence-based techniques to address mental health issues when they arise.

First Minister: Testing,shielding and skills development

Statement given yesterday by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 14,117 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 188 from yesterday.

A total of 1480 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of 54 since yesterday.

A total of 71 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is an increase of 1 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,253 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

And unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 34 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2007.

And let’s always remind ourselves that behind these statistics are individuals whose loss is a source of grief to their friends, family and loved ones. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers. Later this evening people across the Scotland will once again applaud you from our doorsteps and windows. I hope that that gesture gives a small but important indication of how grateful we all are for the incredible work that you are doing.

I have three things I want to update you on today. The first is on tests and I want to set out again, so it is clear, who is eligible – right now – to access testing. 

Let me stress we keep this under constant review and take clinical advice on an ongoing basis,, and as it changes we will let you know, but I want to set out very clearly the position as it is now – so no one who is entitled to a test is in any doubt.

NHS Scotland testing capacity is currently used within hospitals for all ICU patients, all patients in hospital who have symptoms, and all those admitted to hospital who are over the age of 70, whether they have symptoms of COVID-19 or not. People who are over 70 will be tested every four days during their stay. The reason for that is we see in the statistics every day that older people are particularly hard hit by this virus.

NHS tests are also given to all patients due to enter or re-enter a care home from hospital – if they have previously tested positive for the virus, they must have 2 negative tests before entering the care home from a hospital.

In addition, we implement what is called enhanced outbreak investigation in all care homes where there are cases of COVID. This involves testing, subject to individuals’ consent, of all residents and staff – whether or not they have symptoms.

NHS testing is also available for all NHS and social care key workers, or symptomatic household members of those workers. This testing should be accessible to care and health service staff within their local area, and should not require them to drive or travel long distances.

Care home managers can put symptomatic staff forward for testing and there should be no barriers to that.

Tests are also now available to a wider group of people through the UK wide Testing Programme at drive-in centres and mobile testing units. There are 5 drive-in centres in Scotland – at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports, and in Inverness and Perth. There are also now 12 mobile testing units across the country in locations such as Annan and Fort William, and they will move to other towns every 5 days or so.

These provide testing, for any key worker with symptoms – not just health and care workers – so, for example if you are working in critical infrastructure services. They are also available for anyone needs to work, and cannot work from home; and for anyone with symptoms who is over 65. Testing is also available to symptomatic household members for all of these groups.

If you book a test through these drive-in or mobile centres, you will be allocated to the centre closest to your own postcode. I know that for some people that can still involve travelling quite a long distance. We are therefore working with the military, to try to make mobile testing units as widely available as possible.

Finally, we are also now using NHS testing capacity for monitoring purposes – to test the prevalence of the virus in communities in Scotland.

As we further increase capacity – and as the incidence of the virus continues to reduce – we will also start implementing our policy of test, trace, isolate and support. That will be crucial to controlling further outbreaks of the epidemic, as we start to emerge from lockdown and we will update on progress on that shortly.

However at this stage, our testing policy continues to be based on three key priorities- saving lives and protecting the vulnerable; ensuring that critical staff can return to work as soon as possible; and monitoring and reporting on the spread and prevalence of the virus.

The continuing expansion of testing is enabling us to do that more effectively, while also building our capacity to test, trace and isolate.

The second item I want to update you on, relates to support for people who are shielding.

That term refers to approximately 175,000 people in Scotland who are at the highest clinical risk from Covid-19, and who are therefore being asked to stay at home at all times.

People who are shielding can ask for support and receive information through a text message service. If you have not yet registered for the service but are in that shielding group, I would encourage you to do so.

One of the services which you can request by text is free weekly delivery of food, and other vital provisions such as toiletries.

These deliveries are also available to people without a mobile phone – I will read out a freephone number in a few moments which will be useful if you are in that position.

More than 50,000 people who are shielding have signed up for the free delivery service and more than 250,000 food packages have now been delivered to people across the country.

In addition, many supermarkets are making priority delivery slots available for people who are shielding.

I know for some of you, as you enter your seventh or eighth week of shielding, you will be feeling incredible levels of frustration.

This crisis is in so many ways much harder for you than for you even than it is for those  living with the standard restrictions which are in place for everyone else. And so it is important to me that you know that support is available to you and that support will be available for as long as it is needed. Please ask for that support if you need it – whether that is food and medication, or indeed anything else. Just because you have not needed it up to now does not mean you cannot ask for it at any time.

I also want you to know that you are not being forgotten as we think about our next steps, and about how we live in a new world where this virus is present. Your needs and your quality of life remain really important to our decision making process. We will set out steps over the days and weeks to come about how we emerge from the lockdown but I don’t want anybody in the shielding group to think they are being left behind. You have particular needs and it is really important we protect you, but it’s also important we understand how difficult this is for you.

I mentioned earlier that we have a national helpline for people who are shielding. This will direct you to your local authority and is a good way of finding information about the support which is available to you – including food and medicine deliveries.

The number is 0800 111 4000 – that’s 0800 111 4000 – and the line is open between 9am and 5pm every weekday. So please, do make use of it.

The final issue I want to cover is the work of Skills Development Scotland. I know that the economic uncertainty caused by this crisis has caused very many people to worry about their future prospects.

Although it cannot currently offer face to face support, Skills Development Scotland has still been providing help to people throughout this crisis. For example its website, myworldofwork, provides information on online learning courses; on immediately available jobs; and on practical skills such as developing your CV.

Yesterday SDS expanded its support further by launching a phoneline and online service. Again, I will read out the phoneline number in a few moments.

The phoneline and web resources will provide people with access to range of services available from SDS and local councils.

They will therefore help individuals who are thinking about future job and career options – for example if you are currently on furlough; if you have been made redundant and are seeking employment; or if you are a school pupil, or their parent or carer, who is thinking about what to do after school.

An advertising campaign was launched yesterday to support the enhanced service. So if you think you might benefit from the advice being offered, either go onto the Skills Development Scotland website – myworldofwork.co.uk – or phone the helpline on 0800 917 8000.

I want to conclude my statement simply by emphasising once again our key public health guidance.

Please stay at home except for essential purposes- such as essential work that can’t be done at home, exercise, or to pick up food or medicines.

You can now exercise more than once a day – but when you do leave the house, stay more than two metres from other people. And do not meet up with people from households other than yours.

Please wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

Finally, if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, then you should stay at home completely.

I know that this is really difficult and  it gets more difficult with every passing day. But right now it is still necessary, and it is making a difference.

By staying at home, we are slowing the spread of the virus, we are protecting the NHS, and we are saving lives.

And we are bringing the day closer, when we can relax some more of these restrictions.

So thank you once again to all of you for sticking with this for your own sake but for the sake of everyone else as well. This truly is a national collective endeavour that all of us are contributing to.

Support for people shielding during COVID-19

A quarter of a million packages containing essential supplies have been delivered to people across Scotland facing the highest clinical risks from COVID-19.

The free boxes, which include vital food and toiletries, are dropped off weekly to the homes of people who are shielding.

More than 50,000 individuals have currently signed up for the deliveries.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We understand that this is an extremely worrying time for people who are shielding and we want to do everything we can to support them throughout this challenging time.

“These packages along with the priority supermarket delivery slots help those at greatest risk from COVID-19 to shield and protect themselves from the virus.

“We are providing guidance on shielding from infection and information about the support available. We are offering this support to people who are shielding through a dedicated text message service. Those without mobile phones can still access this support by calling their local authority.”

People who don’t have access to a mobile phone can request these priority slots through their local authority and anyone who is at increased risk but not part of the shielded category and who has no family or community support should phone our national phone line on 0800 111 4000.

The Scottish Government set up this service so those in this wider vulnerable group can also access help in getting essential goods.

The grocery delivery service is led by food and distribution companies Brakes and BidFood.

Shielding support and contacts