Tag: coronavirus

Fire Service ready to protect Scotland’s communities during coronavirus pandemic

Scotland’s Chief Fire Officer has reassured communities that the fire and rescue service is taking all necessary measures to minimise disruption to its emergency response amid the coronavirus (COVIDー19) pandemic.

Martin Blunden, Chief Officer of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), said “robust contingency plans” are in place to manage increasing levels of sickness and self-isolation among firefighters and staff.

This includes the temporary suspension of the Service’s Home Fire Safety Visit programme; halting attendance at external events; and inviting recently retired firefighters and specialist staff to return to the frontline to cover potential absences.

Chief Officer Blunden said: “This is an unprecedented time for Scotland and the whole the UK, for ourselves as a Service, and for our emergency service partners.

“We’ve been working hard over the last ten days to put plans in place to ensure our staff are safe, and that we’re able to supply an emergency response for the people of Scotland who require our assistance and to support our partners.

“As a service we have already taken a number of steps to protect all of our staff and the public, as the coronavirus pandemic develops.

Co _blunden _portrait _blue _background

“This includes instructing many staff across the country to work from home; stopping our Home Fire Safety Visits, aside from carefully managed very high risk visits; limiting access to community fire stations to essential personnel only; and making sure that we don’t attend any external events outside of fire stations, including some training events.

“As well as protecting staff and the public, these measures help to ensure that we can continue to provide a 999 response when required.”

Speaking of the potential impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic on the Service’s core emergency response, CO Blunden said: “We continue to work to attend every 999 call that we receive.

“However, should we have a significant staff absence, our highly trained Operations Control staff will assess calls that we receive to make sure that we attend the calls where we can save life, or where we can prevent significant damage to buildings or properties.

“They will make that assessment, and we may eventually have to place calls into a queue until resources can be made available.

“But I can assure you that for every 999 call where you need our response, we will attend, and we will do everything we can to assist and save life.”

He added: “To minimise the impact on our emergency response during the course of this pandemic, we are also looking at ways to invite people who have recently retired – firefighters and others with specialist skills – to come back and cover any predicted shortages.

“I’ve been blown away by the number of people who have already contacted the Service, and we will have more on this soon.”

Coronavirus: PM writes to the nation

The Prime Minister is to write to every UK household to urge them to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives. The letter will land on the doorsteps of 30 million households across all four UK nations from next week.

The Prime Minister will outline the guidance everyone should follow and the measures the government has put in place to fight coronavirus and to support businesses and workers.

He will urge everyone to follow the rules to save lives and thank NHS staff working round the clock as well as everyone volunteering their time to protect others.

The letter reads:

I am writing to you to update you on the steps we are taking to combat coronavirus.

In just a few short weeks, everyday life in this country has changed dramatically. We all feel the profound impact of coronavirus not just on ourselves, but on our loved ones and our communities.

I understand completely the difficulties this disruption has caused to your lives, businesses and jobs. But the action we have taken is absolutely necessary, for one very simple reason.

If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to cope. This will cost lives. We must slow the spread of the disease, and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment in order to save as many lives as possible.

That is why we are giving one simple instruction – you must stay at home.

You should not meet friends or relatives who do not live in your home. You may only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. You can travel to and from work but should work from home if you can.

When you do have to leave your home, you should ensure, wherever possible, that you are two metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

These rules must be observed. So, if people break the rules, the police will issue fines and disperse gatherings.

I know many of you will be deeplyworried about the financial impact on you and your family. The Government will do whatever it takes to help you make ends meet and put food on the table.

The enclosed leaflet sets out more detail about the support available and the rules you need to follow. You can also find the latest advice at gov.uk/coronavirus

From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do.

It’s important for me to level with you – we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal.

I want to thank everyone who is working flat out to beat the virus, in particular the staff in our fantastic NHS and care sector across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour.

Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS – and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. It is with that great British spirit that we will beat coronavirus and we will beat it together.

That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

BORIS JOHNSON

_PM_letter_to_nation_Concoronovirus

Let’s look after one another for the good of the city

Edinburgh’s council leaders have urged the public to be considerate of one another and of their surroundings to help the city respond to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Adam McVey and Cammy Day have called for residents to treat frontline staff working to deliver vital services to the city with compassion, while praising the community-mindedness of those looking out for vulnerable neighbours and encouraging adherence to social distancing guidelines.

They have also appealed for people to take responsibility for litter, dog fouling and bulky items being disposed of, particularly at this time, when limited waste and cleansing resources must be prioritised for essential bin collections.

While certain services have been reduced as a result of the pandemic, thousands of people across the Council are still helping to keep the city moving.

They include school staff providing care for children of key workers, waste collection crews, cleaners and carers as well as parks officers working to close play parks to reduce social interaction and parking attendants making sure the roads network is clear of obstructions.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’re working together as a city with the common purpose of keeping everyone safe and well, and it’s particularly heartening to see so many people looking out for one another, encouraging social distancing and showing their support for the people leaving their homes every day to provide crucial services regardless of the circumstances.

As well as the amazing support provided by NHS staff and other emergency services, there are thousands of people making every effort to serve the people of Edinburgh, from the teams picking up our bins and crews out gritting our roads and pavements overnight to the cleaners keeping key buildings open and housing officers helping to find safe places for people experiencing homelessness.

“I know we all recognise the great job being done, and I understand some of frustrations people will feel, but I would urge everyone to get behind the effort of key staff and give them our support during this difficult time – by being kind to each other we can make this unfortunate situation a little easier for everyone working so hard for us.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “These are particularly challenging circumstances, and I want to thank the thousands of people who are going the extra mile to deliver essential services, to care for our most vulnerable residents and to share positive messages.

“Of course, we’re all adapting to significant changes, and it’s taking time to adjust, but we do need the public to help us to continue delivering services under increasing pressure. We must prioritise limited resources so by taking responsibility for things like rubbish and dog fouling when you do head out of the house, by treating frontline workers with respect and staying at home as much as possible, we really can get through this together.”

Several service changes have been implemented by the Council this week to help limit the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in Edinburgh. These include the suspension of pay and display parking charges, closing play parks and games areas and establishing Council Resilience Centres.

Further information on services, support and how to report any concerns can be found on the Council website. If you’re experiencing an emergency or critical situation, please call 0131 200 2000.

Coronavirus: Helping each other in Drylaw

Through Spartans and Social Bite, one hundred free packed lunches a day are on offer to people living in Drylaw. This service will start on Monday (30th March) and will be available Monday – Friday every week.
If you know an individual or family who might benefit from this offer please get in touch with  Allan.Hosey@ea.edin.sch.uk 
NB: Please discuss this offer with the individual or family before nominating them.

The packed lunches will be delivered with appropriate social distancing in place.

Unfortunately, due to the limited number of packed lunches available, we will not be able to meet all demands for this service.

This initiative is part of a North Edinburgh-wide effort which has swung into action over the last ten days. Staff and volunteers from a host of community organisations have joined forces to ensure that our area’s most vulnerable people don’t go without essentials during these most difficult of times.

Would you like to play your part and help out? More volunteers would be warmly welcomed – to find out what’s involved contact Allan (email above)

Mental health advice from Anxiety UK

The constant barrage of new developments regarding the current outbreak of COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus) can cause particular challenges for people living with anxiety, stress and/or anxiety-based depression especially those that have health anxiety and/or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – OCD.

Whilst there’s plenty of advice on how to protect yourself and limit the risk of exposing yourself to the virus, little has been said about the effect a problem of this nature- can have on our mental health and specifically those who have pre-existing mental health issues such as anxiety disorders.

It is well established that for many that live with anxiety, a common characteristic is that of having an ability to tolerate uncertainty.  The current situation with coronavirus has clearly created a lot of uncertainty which might be difficult for those with pre-existing anxiety conditions such as health anxiety to manage.

For such individuals the whole situation may feel extra daunting and worrying and with the extensive media coverage that the subject has attracted, it’s understandable that some people may feel overwhelmed and begin to catastrophise – imagining the worst case scenario.

One thing that might be helpful for those experiencing anxiety to remember is that whilst no-one knows exactly what might happen, the good news is that most services and businesses will already have a contingency plan in place to ensure that they are able to continue operating as close to normal as possible.

Anxiety UK also has a robust business continuity plan in place which will allow us to keep supporting those that need our help.

Our services will not be disrupted and anyone who needs further assistance around any aspect of anxiety can contact us via our support email support@anxietyuk.org.uk or by calling the helpline on 03444 775 774 between the usual opening hours of 9.30am – 5.30pm.

Health anxiety can make any kind of symptom feel like the worst case scenario, however taking on board the below tips should help those experiencing health anxiety to feel in control and manage their anxiety:

Firstly, try to limit your exposure to news sources which are covering the coronavirus issue as this only serves to feed fear.

Ensure that you have some mental ‘downtime’ woven into your daily schedule.   Mindfulness practice can be incredibly helpful with apps such as the Headspace app (available to all Anxiety UK members at no additional cost) assist with keeping us in the here and now as opposed to allowing our minds to think about future scenarios which might never happen.

If you are feeling concerned or overly worried about it there are some techniques you can use to help manage your anxiety such as simple breathing or (short-term) distraction exercises and mindfulness.

A free guide is available to download here https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/products/booklet/breathing-and-relaxation-guide/

Try practising the APPLE technique which encourages you to Acknowledge, Pause, Pull back, Let go and Explore: 

Acknowledge – Notice and acknowledge the uncertainty as it comes to mind.

Pause – Don’t react as you normally do. Don’t react at all. Just pause and breath.

Pull back – Tell yourself this is just the worry talking, and this apparent need for certainty is not helpful and not necessary. It is only a thought or feeling. Don’t believe everything you think. Thoughts are not statements or facts.

Let go – Let go of the thought or feeling. It will pass. You don’t have to respond to them. You might imagine them floating away in a bubble or cloud.

Explore – Explore the present moment, because right now, in this moment, all is well. Notice your breathing and the sensations of your breathing. Notice the ground beneath you. Look around and notice what you see, what you hear, what you can touch, what you can smell. Right now. Then shift your focus of attention to something else – on what you need to do, on what you were doing before you noticed the worry, or do something else – mindfully with your full attention.

If you feel that you need more targeted and 1:1 support for your anxiety, here at Anxiety UK we have a range of services which you might find helpful including talking therapy support services: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), counselling and clinical hypnotherapy – all accessible at reduced rates.

For more information on health anxiety in general, you can download our fact sheet here – https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/products/anxiety-condition/health-anxiety/health-anxiety-fact-sheet-instant-download/

Letters: Our NHS

Our NHS is under extraordinary pressure and strain and I implore our government and people to help support our front line staff. 
The front line workers are the only people who have to treat people infected with this virus on a personal level. The rest of us just have to stay two metres apart or at home.
We know that our front line staff do not have the protective facilities they need. It is wrong that they have to work in danger and compromise their health and safety while serving the public.
Therefore, I am pleading to the government to ensure our front line staff whether nurses, doctors, police or care workers, have protective masks, clothing and have access to testing kits.
We have seen in Italy and Spain the difficulties that staff have faced and many have lost their lives. This must not happen here, so please protect our front line staff and make sure they have the facilities they need to survive and do the invaluable work they are doing for the public.
#protectthefrontlinestaff
#coronavirus
Foysol Choudhury MBE
Chairman: Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council | Chairman: Bangladesh Samity Edinburgh. | Founder / Director: Edinburgh Mela. | President: The Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs, Scotland. | General Secretary: Council of Bangladeshis in Scotland. 

 

Lord Provost: We’ll get through this together

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost FRANK ROSS shares a message of thanks to Council staff, NHS workers and people of Edinburgh:

“This is an extremely unsettling time for everyone. Unprecedented is often the word on all of our lips as we find ourselves facing a global health and economic crisis. I send my deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and my best wishes to all who have been affected. 

I’m sure I speak on behalf of everyone in the city when I express our enormous gratitude to the staff of NHS and health workers, who are doing an incredible job in the most challenging of circumstances. Last night, Edinburgh joined communities across the country in a nationwide round of applause, paying tribute to the NHS staff working hard to treat coronavirus patients. It was a truly moving moment.

Edinburgh is now feeling the effects of the pandemic, but I believe if we take the right actions now, we will slow the spread, reduce the impact and save lives. I’d like to thank everyone who has followed the rules and stayed at home.

I’m aware that we all have serious concerns about the impacts of coronavirus and what it will mean for your family, your health, your job and your family finances.

I want to reassure you that the Council is completely focussed on preparing for what lies ahead over the next days, weeks and months. We’re doing everything we can to keep vital services running and keep residents informed and supported.

I would like to thank all local authority workers for their ongoing commitment and hard work at this difficult time. The attitude and willingness to adapt to make sure key services are delivered for the people of Edinburgh is humbling and won’t be forgotten.

As key workers and service providers across the city work to keep Edinburgh moving and help those who need it most – there are some important things that we can all do to make a big difference in our communities.

I implore you to listen to and act on the advice to stay at home, as far as possible. We must follow the advice from the experts. It helps us to protect those most vulnerable to the virus and those essential workers who continue to support the city. We must do everything possible to reduce the amount of people becoming ill and dying, or we risk our NHS being overwhelmed and unable to cope.

If you do go outside please practice social distancing, go on your own or with one or two others in a small family group. Parks and beaches should not be busy. And of course, if you believe you have any of the symptoms (high temperature or fever, cough, shortness of breath) please abide by the isolation guidance and stay indoors. I’m not exaggerating when I say, lives depend on it.

It’s important that we look out for our family, friends and neighbours, in particular, the elderly and the isolated. These are troubling times and a friendly word or help with a chore can go a long way. It has been fantastic to see some the great work of local people and projects rallying together in communities.

Misinformation is also a concern of mine – we often receive and share pieces of advice that we’ve heard from a friend of a friend who is in the know and I urge you to practice good information hygiene as well as personal hygiene.

Before sharing what you’ve heard, ask for a source of the information as this could easily be false or taken out of context. Get your information from recognised sources and the updates provided by NHS and Scottish Government.

This is undoubtedly the biggest challenge we’ve faced in a very long time as a nation, but we will get through this together.

There is a lot of information and support available to help you. Please visit our information pages and follow @Edinburgh_CC for up to date information.

Stay safe and stay connected.”

Social Distancing: what you need to know

Businesses and the public in Scotland are now required by law to follow necessary social distancing measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.

The Scottish Government is using powers from the UK Coronavirus Bill to make it a criminal offence to flout the strict public health guidance that is helping save lives.

To enforce social distancing, people in Scotland are being asked to only go outside if they have a ‘reasonable excuse’.

These include shopping for necessary food, household and medical supplies, travelling to and from work where working from home is not an option, and daily exercise that adheres to social distancing guidance.

Enforcement can be used against businesses and venues that have been told to close, including drinking establishments, entertainment venues, and indoor leisure and sports facilities.

Police Scotland can issue penalty notices of £30, rising to £60 if not paid within 28 days, where they have reason to believe there has been an offence under the regulations.

These penalties are doubled for each repeat offence up to a £960 cap, with no reduction for early payment. Due to the exceptional nature of these powers, the regulations will be reviewed at least every 21 days to ensure they are still necessary.

Constitution Secretary Michael Russell said: “There has been a huge effort by the people and businesses of Scotland to respond to the unprecedented situation we face dealing with the coronavirus.

“I would like to thank everyone who is playing their part by staying at home to ensure the social distancing measures we have introduced help stop the spread of the virus.

“While the majority of people are doing the right thing, these regulations provide the police with emergency powers to enforce social distancing where necessary.

“It is only because of the unprecedented crisis we are facing, and to save lives, that these powers are being introduced. They are temporary and will be kept under review.

“I urge the people of Scotland to continue their outstanding collective effort and follow the rules that have been laid down.”

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone QPM said: “I thank the overwhelming majority of people who are complying with very clear guidance to stay at home.

“I expect the public to continue to do their duty and contribute to the national effort to keep people safe from the spread of coronavirus.

“This is a challenging time for people who have to adjust their daily habits and everything we do will be done in a fair, reasonable and proportionate manner.

“Those who persistently and blatantly defy the law must know we will enforce the law.”

The Scottish Government has issued specific guidance on staying at home and away from others to help protect the NHS and save lives.

Guidance for the public

A non-exhaustive list of reasonable excuses for when people can leave their home includes:

  • shopping for food
  • essential household and medical supplies
  • exercise once a day
  • medical assistance
  • travel to work where work at home is not an option
  • attending a funeral of a member of their household, a close family member or in the event that no family or household member is attending the funeral, of a friend
  • providing care or assistance to others
  • and meeting legal obligations or accessing critical public services

The regulations include powers to enable Police Scotland to enforce restrictions on movement of people outside their place of residence and to disperse gatherings.

This includes the ability to remove people who are outside their home without a reasonable excuse if the police officer has reason to believe it is a necessary and proportionate means of ensuring compliance.

Marie Curie in Scotland caring on the frontline

The charity Marie Curie is geared up to care for hundreds of additional dying patients requiring end of life care, in order to relieve the unprecedented pressure on the NHS during the Coronavirus crisis.

Marie Curie in Scotland needs to raise over a quarter of a million pounds a week (£2.5 million UK-wide) to continue to run its essential frontline services, at a time when its ability to generate this money has been seriously compromised.

Given the choice, people overwhelmingly say they would prefer to die in their own home, or in a hospice, rather than a hospital. 

People who are dying are able to leave hospital quickly, if the right package of care is in place and it is safe to do so. Marie Curie are experts in providing that care.

Now more than ever, dying people who do not want to be in hospital need to be moved to a more appropriate setting, as precious beds in critical care units are urgently required for patients who need lifesaving treatment for Coronavirus.

Marie Curie can help, but only if it continues to raise the donations it needs to fund its vital work. 

Marie Curie Head of Community Fundraising in Scotland Debbie Mooney said, “This is a stark warning that Marie Curie desperately needs more donations if it is to continue caring for dying people and help the NHS cope with the Coronavirus crisis.  

“The people of Scotland are known for our generosity and kindness, which we’ve seen in abundance over the last few difficult weeks. We need the public to rally around our hospices and nurses now and give whatever they can. It has never been more critical.”

Marie Curie’s Chief Executive Matthew Reed said: “At this time of national emergency, Marie Curie Nurses and frontline staff are needed more than ever as the NHS is put under ever greater strain. We’re ready and geared up to help, with hospice beds and nurses on standby.    

“Sadly, some people’s lives will be shortened by Coronavirus, so the need for end of life care will be greater. Marie Curie can meet this need, and in doing so will help free up intensive care beds needed for Coronavirus patients.

“But just as we want to help, our income has been decimated.  We need donations urgently to keep our Nurses and Hospice staff on the frontline.

“Unlike other healthcare providers, Marie Curie is reliant on donations from the public to survive. Every week the charity needs to raise £2.5million to care for the tens of thousands of people who require nursing and hospice care.  

“At the moment, our ability to fundraise is seriously compromised. Events are being cancelled, and we’ve had to close our Shops.  That is why we have launched an emergency appeal to make up the shortfall, and ensure the charity can care for more dying patients, support the NHS and ultimately save lives in the weeks and months ahead.”

Matthew added: “We are all in this crisis together and already we are seeing how the public in this country is rising to support each other and the most vulnerable.  Please donate now.”

  • Text NURSE to 70633 to help us reach the families who need us. Texts cost £5 plus 1 standard rate message. 98% is received by Marie Curie. To unsub text OUT to 78866. Thank you.

If you, or someone you know, is affected by a terminal illness and concerned about Coronavirus, our Support Line team are ready to help with the information you need when you need it. Call free 0800 090 2309*.

Due to increased demand, Marie Curie has extended its service to 7 days a week: Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm. Your calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

You can also find more information on our website: mariecurie.org.uk/coronavirus  

UK pledges £544 million to find coronavirus vaccine

The UK government has pledged an additional £210 million of support to accelerate work to find a coronavirus vaccine, in an announcement following a virtual summit of G20 leaders.

The UK has now pledged £544 million in total which makes it the biggest contributor to Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) – the international coalition to find a vaccine.

Announcing the additional funding, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “While our brilliant doctors and nurses fight coronavirus at home, this record British funding will help to find a vaccine for the entire world. UK medics and researchers are at the forefront of this pioneering work.

Acting High Commissioner to India Jan Thompson said: “This important announcement demonstrates the UK’s continued commitment to finding a coronavirus vaccine alongside our key international partners.

“We already have a strong record of research collaboration with India; at a time like this, international collaboration is more important than ever.”

The additional package of funding will go towards producing rapid tests for coronavirus and testing and developing medicines to treat the disease, for use in the UK and around the world.

Quickly identifying those with coronavirus and having the means to treat those most affected will be pivotal in bringing down the number of people killed.

Few days are without incident for a Prime Minister in these turbulent times, but this was a particularly eventful day for Boris Johnson, who had earlier announced to the nation he had succumbed to the coronavirus. 

In a video message, he said:

‘Hi folks.

I want to bring you up to speed on something that’s happening today which is that I’ve developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus. That’s to say – a temperature and a persistent cough.

And, on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer, I’ve taken a test. That has come out positive.

So I am working from home. I’m self-isolating. And that’s entirely the right thing to do.

But be in no doubt that I can continue, thanks to the wizardry of modern technology, to communicate with all my top team to lead the national fightback against coronavirus.

And I want to thank everybody who’s involved, I want to thank, above all, our amazing NHS staff. It was very moving last night to join in that national clap for the NHS.

But it’s not just the NHS, it’s our police, our social care workers, teachers, everybody who works in schools, DWP staff.

An amazing national effort by the public services. But also by every member of the British public who’s volunteering, an incredible response – 600,000 people have volunteered to take part in a great national effort to protect people from the consequences of coronavirus – I want to thank you.

I want to thank everybody who’s working to keep our country going through this epidemic.

And we will get through it.

And the way we’re going to get through it is, of course, by applying the measures that you’ll have heard so much about.

And the more effectively we all comply with those measures, the faster our country will come through this epidemic and the faster we’ll bounce back.

So thank you to everybody who’s doing what I’m doing, working from home, to stop the spread of the virus from household to household.

That’s the way we’re going to win, we’re going to beat it, and we’re going to beat it together.

Stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives.’