Self-isolation for ALL travellers returning from France

Beta variant may evade vaccines, experts warn

Decision taken to protect public health in Scotland

Fully vaccinated travellers returning to Scotland from France will still be required to self-isolate from tommorow (Monday 19 July).

The decision follows concerns about the persistence of Beta variant cases in France, given this variant – also known as B.1.351 – may evade vaccine protection. It means that anyone who has been in France in the previous 10 days will need to quarantine on arrival to Scotland in their own accommodation and will need a day two and day eight coronavirus (COVID-19) test, regardless of their vaccination status.

From Monday 19 July, travellers from other amber list countries will not be asked to self-isolate if they have been fully vaccinated through the NHS in the UK and 14 days have passed since their second vaccination.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “Nobody wants travel restrictions in place for any longer than is absolutely necessary.

“We have been clear that the green, amber and red lists can change at short notice. It important we act quickly to limit the risk of importation of variants of concern which could undermine the rollout of our vaccine programme.”

UK Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “We have always been clear that we will not hesitate to take rapid action at our borders to stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect the gains made by our successful vaccination programme.

“With restrictions lifting on Monday across the country, we will do everything we can to ensure international travel is conducted as safely as possible, and protect our borders from the threat of variants.”

It was announced last night that Mr Javid has tested positive for Covid.

Mr Javid met with the Prime Minister and the Chancellor on Friday, and both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak should be self-isolating.

By good fortune, though, our heroes won’t have to go through this tiresome self-isolation inconvenience – it seems the plucky pair are participants in a ‘pilot programme’ in which daily tests replace that tedious self-isolation. How fortunate is that !!

BUT WAIT …

REVERSE FERRET ALERT!!!

CHANGE OF PLAN: The prime minister and chancellor will now self-isolate as normal after contact with Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who tested positive for coronavirus.

Case numbers continue to rise ahead of the lifting of rules on social contact in England tomorrow, so-called ‘Freedom Day’. Respected epidemiologist Professor Neil Ferguson said this morning that 100,000 cases per day are ‘almost inevitable’.

Some freedom …

More information on international travel and quarantine

From Scotland with love

Vital equipment on it’s way to fight Covid-19 crisis in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia

A grant of more than £270,000 from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund will fund the supply of 300 items of vital equipment to treat Covid-19 patients in Africa.

The funding will allow Kids Operating Room, a Scottish-based global health charity, to distribute 100 oxygen concentrators each to Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia.

Covid-19 cases in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia are rising quickly, with the health system in Zambia especially under severe stress.

One of the biggest impacts of the rise in Covid-19 cases is a shortage of oxygen, and oxygen concentrators are easy to use, are suitable for patients of all ages, and can be used throughout the health service.

External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Covid situation in Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia has become very serious, very quickly, and we know that the pressure on health services are putting great stress on their infrastructure, especially in relation to the delivery of oxygen to patients.

“This funding for oxygen concentrators will go some way to help ease the current stress on the health services in our three African partner countries, and we are delighted to work with Kids Operating Room to make sure this vital equipment is put to use as soon as possible.

“Scotland remains fully committed to playing our part in tackling shared global challenges, and we are committed to increase the International Development Fund (IDF) by 50% to £15 million.

“As the global pandemic continues, we firmly believe this is not the time to turn our back on the poorest and those in dire need – instead, this is precisely the moment when we should be living up to our core values.”

David Cunningham, the chief executive officer of Kids Operating Room, said: “Our model is to listen to doctors, then give them what they need – right now, the message is coming back loud and clear that what they need is access to more oxygen to fight Covid-19.

“Oxygen concentrators are key pieces of equipment that are needed to meet the region’s critical oxygen shortage. They are suitable for all ages and durable for years to come post-Covid, making them incredibly essential to support the health services in the long-term.”

Kids Operating Room is a Scottish global health charity with bases in Edinburgh, Dundee and Nairobi. It works directly with local surgeons and their teams across Africa and South America to transform hospital spaces into dedicated operating rooms for children’s surgery.

Oxygen concentrators provide a sustainable and cost-effective source of medical oxygen – they draw air from the environment and then concentrate that room oxygen to therapeutic levels for delivery to patients.

The charity will coordinate the distribution of the oxygen equipment. They will arrange for delivery to doctors in Lusaka, Lilongwe and Kigali, and have the equipment distributed to the most in-demand hospitals.

First dose phase of vaccination programme nears completion

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf has visited a drop-in vaccination clinic in Arbroath as the national programme nears completion of first doses for all adults who attended their scheduled appointments on Sunday.

The clinic in Arbroath is one of many additional walk-in and pop-up facilities operating across the mainland to encourage people to get Jagged in July and Mr Yousaf urged anyone who is yet to take up their offer of a vaccine for whatever reason to come forward now.

No appointment is necessary at drop-in clinics and people can attend whether they are due a first dose or second dose, if eight weeks have passed. Anyone who wishes to book an appointment can do so at NHS Inform.

Mr Yousaf said: “I am pleased to see people making use of the vaccination clinic in Arbroath and urge others to do the same at their local drop-in venues if they haven’t yet come forward to be vaccinated.

“Getting vaccinated has never been easier. Simply head to a drop-in or pop-up clinic – the most up-to-date details of clinics near you can be found on your local NHS board’s social media posts or book an appointment online in a location which suits.

“The vaccination programme is working – evidence shows vaccination is weakening the link between case numbers and severe acute illness. However, case numbers are still high and vaccination continues to be the best way to protect yourself and those around you.

“We are currently working through the final group on the JCVI priority list – those aged between 18 and 29 – and we know that the extra drop-in clinics being operated by mainland health boards until Sunday make it easier for them to fit getting vaccinated into their busy lives. Walk-ins will still be available after this week but now is the time to take advantage of all the additional facilities on offer.

“I want to thank all those involved in setting up these clinics and of course, everyone involved in the national vaccination programme. It has been a huge success and without doubt, represents our best way out of the pandemic.”

NHS Tayside Director of Public Health Dr Emma Fletcher said: “Drop-in vaccination clinics are running at venues right across Tayside to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated. No appointment is necessary and anyone over 18 can drop-in.

“So far, uptake of vaccinations in Tayside has been very good. We have delivered over 532,500 vaccines in Tayside with 300,000 people, 86% of the adult population, having one dose and around 232,500 people, 66%, having had both doses but we need that uptake to be higher to stop the spread of the virus.

“We know that getting both doses of the vaccine offers maximum protection against the virus and we are particularly encouraging people aged 18-29 to come forward as early as they can. So if you have not yet had your first jab, or you are longer than eight weeks from your first jab and are due your second jab, come along to your nearest clinic and we will get you vaccinated.”

New charity aims to tackle legacy of grief from Covid-19

Apart of Me, the design-led company that supports young people and their families through the heartbreak of grief via a mobile App, has received a double-boost as it seeks to help those suffering loss from the pandemic.

Firstly, their application to become a charity was not just approved, but fast-tracked by the Charity Commission. The Commission acknowledged both the importance of the serviceto children and young people affected by grief and the time-sensitive nature of the work given the legacy of loss caused by Covid-19.

In a second piece of good news for the charity, it was announced today that they had been named winners in the London Mayoral Resilience Fund, a scheme set up by Mayor Sadiq Khan to help the capital city bounce back against Coronavirus.

Apart of Me has been appointed to run projects to help young people in London bereaved due to coronavirus. The charity’s aim is to apply the same clinical approach and methods they use in their award-winning App to help young people combat their grief.

Apart of Me launched in 2018 as an innovative app-based adventure game that helps bereaved children use their mobile phones or tablets to help cope with the grief and confusion caused by the loss of a loved one.

“When we launched Apart of Me a couple of years ago, little did we know how badly it would be needed today, with so many children and young people left grieving for loved ones as a result of Covid-19,” said Louis Weinstock, the child psychologist who co-founded the organisation with tech entrepreneur Ben Page in 2018.

“Whilst all the talk at the moment is of our desire to return to normality, millions of children around the world have lost parents, grandparents and care-givers from this pandemic. They need our support.”

Acknowledging their new charitable status, Weinstock said, “Charity means ‘compassion’. Having our registration expedited by the Charity Commission not only confirms the urgency of our mission, but it will also allow us to fundraise and accelerate towards our goal of helping every grieving young person transform their grief into compassion.”

From the outset the goal for Apart of Me was to combine bereavement-counseling techniques with 3D animation and gaming developments to create an app-based game that could help children and young people find a path through grief to compassion. Since then, the app has been downloaded nearly 100,000 times, receiving critical acclaim from clinical leaders and those who have used it.

Henry, who was 18 when his father died of cancer, describes the impact the game had on him. “Apart of Me was my guiding light in the dark when I felt incredibly alone, lost and confused. It helped me to understand what I was going through and took the loneliness of the whole experience away.”

A worldwide focus on mental health in recent years has seen established game developers attempt to tackle the concepts of anxiety and self-worth head-on.

Apart of Me have been pioneers in this field with Louis and Ben collaborating with 126 skilled volunteers around the world to build their app, which was highlighted as a best-in-class app for safe and accessible support by Good Thinking, London’s Digital Mental Wellbeing Service (backed by the London Mayor’s office, Public Health England, London councils, the NHS and ThriveLDN).

Louis’ work has previously been acknowledged by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, under the Government’s ‘Points of Light’ scheme.

In a personal letter to Louis, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how you have created innovative, accessible grief counselling which has supported thousands of young people in the UK and abroad.”

One million children in key worker households live in poverty

New research published by the TUC (produced by Landman Economics) finds that over a million children of key workers are currently living in poverty.

The research, which used the government definition for key workers, found that in some regions more than a quarter of children in key worker households are living in poverty.

Key worker families in the North East have the highest rate of child poverty (29%), followed by London (27%), the West Midlands (25%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (25%).

Government policies could worsen key worker poverty

The TUC says the main reasons for key worker family poverty are low pay and insecure hours – factors that often coincide in occupations such as care workers, delivery drivers or supermarket staff.

High housing costs further reduce keyworker family budgets for essentials like groceries and utility bills. And support through Universal Credit is not enough to guarantee families avoid poverty.

Current government policies are likely to increase child poverty rates. Ministers have capped pay rises for key workers in the public sector, which in some cases will mean real wage losses. And the chancellor is planning to cut Universal Credit for low-income families by £20 per week in October.

The TUC warns that these policies will put the brakes on the nation’s economic recovery by curbing household spending. This will restrain business activity, and impact on wage growth for other workers across the economy.

TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Every key worker deserves a decent standard of living for their family. But too often their hard work is not paying off like it should. And they struggle to keep up with the basic costs of family life.

“The prime minister has promised to ‘build back fairer’. He should start with our key workers. They put themselves in harm’s way to keep the country going through the pandemic. Now, we must be there for them too.

“This isn’t just about doing right thing by key workers. If we put more money in the pockets of working families, their spending will help our businesses and high streets recover. It’s the fuel in the tank that our economy needs.”

Support needed for key worker families

The TUC is calling on the government to guarantee decent living standards for key worker families by:

Raising the national minimum wage to £10 per hour immediately.
Ending the freeze on public service workers’ pay and give all public service workers a decent pay rise.
Funding the public sector so that all outsourced workers are paid at least the real Living Wage and get parity with directly employed staff.
Canceling the £20 cut to Universal Credit, which is set to hit low-income families in October, and set out plans to increase child benefit above inflation each year across the parliament.

– Children in poverty in key worker households by UK nation and region

Region	Children in poverty in key worker families	Proportion of children in poverty in key worker families
North East	56,198	29.1%
North West	101,481	18.1%
Yorks & the Humber	100,214	24.9%
East Midlands	80,653	21.2%
West Midlands	111,577	25.2%
East of England	83,719	15.5%
London	164,548	26.5%
South East	143,372	18.7%
South West	66,678	15.6%
Wales	60,378	23.4%
Scotland	74,376	18.7%
TOTAL	1,062,586	20.6%

‘One last push towards normality’

Edinburgh Pentlands MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed the announcement from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that Edinburgh will move from Level 2 to Level 0 on Monday (19^th July).

Moving to level 0 means that 8 people from 4 households will be able to meet indoors and 10 people from 4 households in an indoor setting such as a pub or restaurant. 15 people from 15 households can meet outdoors; up to 2,000 people can attend stadia seated, 1,000 standing, with 400 people indoors. The limit on attendance at weddings and funerals has increased to 200.

International travellers arriving from amber list countries will not have to self-isolate if they have had two COVID vaccines, but the advice remains not to travel unless it is essential.

The First Minister also made it clear that face masks will continue to be mandatory in certain settings and are likely to be in the future.

SNP MSP, Gordon MacDonald said: “I welcome the Scottish Government’s announcement that Edinburgh will move to Level 0 from Monday July 19^th, this is a welcome step in easing restrictions and returning to normality.

“This is our one last push towards normality, I am very grateful for the efforts of everyone in Edinburgh to follow the rules and keep everyone safe.

“To get us over the line we need to continue to follow the rules which understandably continue to state that we must still wear face coverings in the settings we have been doing so in for some time now.

“It is also very important, if you have not already, to get vaccinated. There is a walk-in centre set up here for anyone who has not yet had a first dose or if you have waited 8 or more weeks for your second dose.

“Vaccination is our route out of the pandemic and we are in a race between the virus and the vaccine and we cannot allow the virus to get ahead.

“I would urge everyone to follow the rules laid out in the First Minister’s statement to ensure we can move to a greater sense of normality on the Scottish Government’s route map on August 9^th.”

Mandatory wearing of face coverings in Scotland is right, says Usdaw

– customers urged to follow the rules and respect shopworkers –

Retail trade union Usdaw has successfully lobbied for the continued mandatory wearing of face coverings in Scotland for the foreseeable future.

The union is calling on retailers to promote face coverings, hand hygiene and social distancing in their stores and urging shoppers to adhere to the law.

Tracy Gilbert, Usdaw Regional Secretary for Scotland, said: “It is right that requirements to wear face coverings in Scotland’s shops continue, which is what Usdaw called for.

“We are asking retailers to promote to customers the wearing of face coverings, continuing with hand hygiene and maintaining social distancing. We also ask the public to show their support and respect for shopworkers by following the law.

“Wearing a face covering in a shop is an important measure to help protect workers who have no option but to interact with large numbers of people as a part of their job. Many retail workers are at a greater risk of catching the virus and bringing it home to their families.

“Supermarket workers and delivery drivers have worked throughout the pandemic to keep the country supplied with essentials. These key workers must be valued, respected and protected.”

In responding to the First Minister’s statement the Scottish Licensed Trade Association said: “Scottish licensed trade operators, while welcoming today’s announcement by the First Minister that Scotland will move to a modified version of Level 0 rules from Monday, remain disappointed that they must still operate under restrictions and at limited capacity.

Colin Wilkinson, managing director of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said it was a “relief to have some clarity” from the Scottish Government but added: There’s still quite a lot of uncertainty about what will happen from August 9^th.

“We urge the Scottish Government to give businesses – and the public – messaging that is both clear and consistent to avoid confusion. Clarity is key as our sector tries to save what is left of the summer.

“That hospitality can open until midnight if their current licence permits that from July 19th is, of course, good news and it will help some businesses tart to claw back lost trade. However, as the one-metre physical distancing rule remains in place, that will be very difficult for some premises, particularly smaller ones.

“The announcement also leaves those still unable to open because of their size or the entertainment they provide, such as late opening premises and nightclubs, no further forward.”

Mr Wilkinson also reiterated the SLTA’s call for further financial aid to ensure the survival of the licensed hospitality industry as it plays its part in rebuilding the economy.

“There needs to be an extension to the current support schemes available such as furlough, VAT reduction, deferral of loan repayments and so on.”

Half of employers expect more flexible working requests from staff after pandemic

A new survey from Acas has found that half of employers in Great Britain expect an increase in demand for flexible forms of working from employees after the country comes out of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Acas commissioned YouGov to ask British businesses about changes to working practices that they are expecting once the COVID-19 pandemic is over compared to before the pandemic. The poll found that:

Over half of employers (55%) expect an increase in staff working from home or remotely part of the week; and
Nearly half of employers (49%) expect an increase in staff working from home or remotely all week.

Acas has published new advice on hybrid working that can help employers introduce it and manage requests from staff who wish to split their time between working remotely and in their employer’s workplace.

Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said: “The pandemic has greatly impacted working life and it’s unsurprising that many employers and their staff have seen the benefits of flexible working during this difficult period.

“Hybrid working existed before Covid and our survey reveals that more than half of employers in Britain expect this type of flexible working to increase once we come out of the pandemic.

“Our new advice can help employers look at the potential benefits of hybrid working, consider whether it is suitable for their workplace, and fairly manage any staff requests.”

Acas advice is that hybrid working can help businesses attract and retain staff as well as increase staff productivity as the flexibility allows them to balance work and personal responsibilities.

Employees can benefit by saving costs and the time spent travelling to work as well as enjoying a better work life balance.

Acas’s advice for employers includes:

Consult widely with staff or their representatives about introducing hybrid working and discuss practical considerations such as regular communication, technology, performance management and health and safety;
A company hybrid working policy could look at which roles are eligible, how someone can request it and any principles such as allowing remote working for a maximum number of days a week;
Ensure staff who are working remotely are not excluded and have access to the same opportunities as those in the workplace such as team building activities, training and development;
Decisions around whether to approve a request for hybrid working should be fair, transparent and other forms of flexible working that could work as possible alternatives can be discussed with employees;
Think about training line managers and staff to help them prepare for and manage hybrid working; and
Consider a trial period to see if it works and if any further adjustments to arrangements are needed.

For Acas’s full advice on hybrid working, please see: www.acas.org.uk/hybrid-working

Lothian Lockdown: Back to Normal?

LAST CHANCE to contribute your story to the oral history of Covid-19 in Edinburgh and the Lothians!

Every single person has a story worth telling: any age, any background, any language.

For every contribution we donate to one of our charity partners (https://lothianlockdown.org/community/) and give you £15 to keep or donate to the charity of your choice. DEADLINE 15 JULY!

Send us a fb message or email at lothiandiaries@gmail.com with any questions.

Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Balearic Islands removed from travel green list

Changes take effect from 19 July

Rising case rates have led the Balearic Islands – Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza – to be removed from the international travel green list for Scotland.

The decision was taken on a four nations basis, and will also see the British Virgin Islands removed from the green list. Both islands will become amber, and travellers must follow isolation and testing rules that apply.

An improved position in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hong Kong and Taiwan mean they are all added to the green list.

Four countries will be added to the red list, with arrivals required to enter quarantine hotels for 10 days. These are Cuba, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sierra Leone.

These changes all come into effect at 4am on Monday 19 July.

The previously announced change for UK residents who have been fully vaccinated by the NHS returning from amber list countries will also come into force then.

Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform Mairi McAllan said: “From the outset we have said caution is required regarding international travel and people should think very carefully about travelling abroad as situations can suddenly change.

“When we added the Balearic Islands to the green list we said we would be closely monitoring the data, and the increase in cases we have seen means we now have to take it off the green list.”

ELREC’s big thanks to volunteers

ELREC Volunteer Appreciation Lunch

ELREC organised a lunch for their team of volunteers to say thank-you for their efforts during the coronavirus pandemic.

ELREC’s chair Foysul Choudhury MBE MSP explained: “We wanted to show our appreciation to all our volunteers who have helped us deliver vital work during Covid 19.

“The volunteers came together every Friday to collect Fareshare food, prepare food boxes, order and include halal chicken and then deliver to local communities in Edinburgh.

“Since June 2020 we have supported over 250 families with food boxes. The demand is still high however due to end of funding we have had to reduce our supply to 25 boxes per week.

“The event was attended by 32 of our dedicated volunteers and staff members. We had lovely lunch and provided gift bags and certificates to everyone involved.”

The lunch was organised by Foysol (above left), ELREC secretary Ragnish Singh and Honorary President Sir Geoff Palmer OBE.

“