Those aged 80 years of age and over invited forward for vaccination
NHS Lothian is getting ready to vaccinate those aged 80 years of age and over as it rolls out the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine into GP and community settings from today (January 11).
With mainland Scotland now in lockdown, David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation and NHS Lothian COVID-19 Vaccination Project Lead today reminded those eligible who will be invited in the coming weeks that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a permissible reason to leave the home.
The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the UK last week (December 30). It is the second COVID-19 vaccine to be approved by the MHRA.
With age the greatest risk factor for serious illness and death from COVID-19, the first priority group for the vaccine is residents in a care home for older adults and their carers, people aged 80 or over and frontline health and social care workers.
Those aged 80 or over will receive a letter or ‘phone call from NHS [insert board area] inviting them forward for their vaccination and advising them where and when they can get it.
The vaccine requires two doses to offer the best possible protection. Second dose appointments will be scheduled for twelve weeks after the first dose is administered, in line with MHRA regulatory advice and updated clinical guidance from the JCVI.
David Small, Director of Primary Care Transformation and NHS Lothian COVID-19 Vaccination Project Lead said: “The first of our GP practices began administering the COVID vaccine to the over 80s last week (above) and from today further roll out commences.
“The COVID vaccine offers a beacon of hope, in what has some been truly difficult times. Across Lothian, we are working tirelessly to make sure that we can deliver the vaccine to each of the relevant groups when they are due to receive it.
“Whilst stay at home guidance is in place to supress the spread of COVID-19, I’d encourage those who are eligible to attend their appointments when invited, as getting vaccinated remains a valid reason to leave your home.”
“Those who are eligible for vaccination will be contacted directly with details of when and where they will receive their vaccinations. We ask individuals to wait to hear, rather than contact their GP.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, said: “We are prioritising the delivery of first vaccine doses to as many people on the JCVI Phase 1 clinical priority list in the shortest possible timeframe, to maximise the impact of the vaccine programme in its primary aims of reducing mortality and hospitalisations for those at greatest risk.
“Vaccination is one of the most important tools we have as we work our way out of this pandemic.”
For more information visit nhsinform.scot/covid19vaccine or call 0800 030 8013.
City Council Leader Adam McVey is urging members of the public to stay at home and not attend a planned demonstration at the Scottish Parliament today.
“This simply isn’t safe. To attend a protest like this now would be incredibly selfish and those doing so would be putting our families and communities at greater risk when numbers of transmissions are already far too high in Edinburgh.
“This attempt to create a crowd is utterly disrespectful to our businesses and residents who are sacrificing so much to try and keep all of us safe.
“Anyone thinking of breaking the rules by travelling to Edinburgh to attend this event should not do so – they are not welcome.”
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) is warning members of the public to watch out for insurance scams that continue to exploit the financial loss people are facing as a result of the disruption of Covid-19.
Currently at least one insurance scam takes place each minute in the UK leaving victims devastated and costing honest consumers more than £3 billion each year. There are concerns the current economic climate could see this figure rise further.
The IFB which is at the heart of the UK’s fight against organised insurance fraud has identified several scams that the public should be aware of.
Delivery driver job ad scams
IFB Investigators have noticed more fraudsters are exploiting the state of the job market by using recruitment as a tool to phish for personal information and insurance details from job applicants.
Most notably, this has been seen with bogus delivery driver roles which are frequently being advertised on social media and some classified ad websites.
Job seekers will be told that their application has been successful and then asked to hand over their details, leaving them with their identities stolen and their insurance policy being used to help facilitate ‘Crash for Cash’ scams – often used to fabricate road traffic collisions.
With more people out of work due to the disruption of Covid-19 and a surge in demand for delivery services, job applicants should be extra cautious of any suspicious looking job ads.
Compensation scams
This is when a fraudster or unscrupulous firm contacts someone out of the blue to tell them they may be entitled to compensation.
If convinced, victims will hand over their personal details which can be used to steal their identity or bank funds, or they could be encouraged to take out a fraudulent insurance claim.
With record numbers out of work or losing money due to the disruption of Covid-19, these scammers may offer to recover financial losses incurred as a result of the pandemic.
‘Ghost Broker’ scams
A ‘Ghost Broker’ is a fraudster who poses as an insurance provider to sell unrealistically cheap fraudulent insurance deals, typically through social media and online ads.
Some ‘Ghost Broker’ fraudsters have also been found to be promoting deals that are exclusively for Key Workers.
‘Ghost Broker’ scams are rising. The IFB has seen its percentage of investigations into the issue double in recent years. Research also shows one in three 18-24 year-olds has seen a suspicious insurance advert on social media.
Ben Fletcher, Director of the IFB, said:“Insurance fraud thrives in times of financial hardship and the continued disruption of Covid-19 sadly keeps bringing opportunities for fraudsters to target those most vulnerable. From the elderly to key workers, we’ve seen them get targeted.
“It’s never been more important for the public to remain vigilant to the slew of scams out there. If anyone sees something that doesn’t look right, they should report it to the IFB’s confidential Cheatline straight away on 0800 422 0421.”
Evidence of an insurance scam can be reported to the IFB’s confidential and anonymous Cheatline (powered by Crimestoppers) on 0800 422 0421 or online.
The IFB uses information from Cheatline reports to work with insurers, the police and industry watchdogs to help fight fraud, keep people safe and keep consumer costs down.
More information on a wide range of common insurance scams can be found on the IFB’s Stop the Scams campaign page.
Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty writes about the UK’s battle with Covid-19
We have faced several grave moments during our battle against coronavirus. But right now, the country is perhaps facing the most serious yet.
The new, more transmissible variant of this disease is spreading rapidly across the country and having tragic consequences.
On Monday the 4 UK Chief Medical Officers and the NHS Medical Director recommended raising the national alert level to the maximum of level 5 for the first time.
This means that without further action there is a material risk of our healthcare services being overwhelmed within 21 days.
Since then the situation has deteriorated further.
Hospitals are always busy in the winter but the NHS in some parts of the country is currently facing the most dangerous situation anyone can remember. If the virus continues on its current trajectory many hospitals will be in real difficulties, and very soon.
This means that the time people wait for care will continue to increase to potentially unsafe levels, hospitals won’t have room to take redirected emergency cases in regional networks, staff to patient ratios which are already stretched will become unacceptable even in places likes intensive care.
There will be avoidable deaths. NHS staff are doing their absolute best, and working remarkably; we all owe them a huge debt of gratitude, but even they have limits.
The public have made an extraordinary effort so far. Of course we are all tired of restrictions, but we need to find the collective strength to get through this critical stage and save as many lives as we can.
The advice right now is unambiguous: to drive the numbers down, we must stay home except for work, exercise and essential activities. Every unnecessary interaction you have could be the link in a chain of transmission which has a vulnerable person at the end.
These restrictions will not last forever. Science has delivered new vaccines, drugs and tests, with more on the way, in record time. People will be reunited. Vaccines and new treatments offer us hope and a clear way out. But we are not there yet, and should not act as if we are.
We still have weeks to go before vaccines will start reducing COVID deaths and, some weeks later, the number of people being hospitalised. We cannot afford to let our justified optimism for the future come at the expense of difficult action today.
That means for now staying home and avoiding all unnecessary contacts. By following the rules, we will save lives and help normal life return more swiftly.
Doses to be administered at over 1,000 GP practices and community centres
Many more people will receive the first dose of the Oxford/Astrazeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in GP practices and community vaccination centres across Scotland from tomorrow (Monday)
The vaccine, approved for use in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 30 December, has already been administered in primary care settings in NHS Tayside, Lothian, Orkney and Highland.
First doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine will now start to be administered in GP practices and community centres across the rest of Scotland this week.
Scotland has an allocation of 533,640 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in January. These doses are available for local order and delivery to the different parts of Scotland over January.
Those aged 80 years and over will be invited to attend for vaccination by their local NHS Board or GP practice via a letter or by phone.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “The delivery of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is a major development for the biggest vaccination programme we have ever delivered.
“I would like to thank everyone involved for their continued efforts to ensure the pace of the programme continues. Next week I will update parliament with further logistical detail of the vaccination programme.
“We have over 1,100 vaccination sites, including over 750 GP practices with a growing core of over 3000 trained vaccinators to deliver the vaccine. When it is your turn to be vaccinated you will be contacted by your local health board and I urge you to please take up the offer.
“Please do not contact your GP but wait for your letter or phone call. And please remember that when the time comes for your second dose, it is crucial you get it as this is vital for longer term protection and to complete the course.
“As ever, we are dependent on the vaccine supply and we continue to explore all possible options to speed up the delivery of all vaccine and bring forward timescales where possible.
“This work, alongside our expanded testing strategy, rigorously complying with restrictions where we live and adhering to the public health guidance, is essential to protect those most at risk and minimise further impact on the NHS and social care services.”
The number of people being treated for coronavirus in Scotland’s hospitals reached another record daily high yesterday.
Latest figures show a total of 1,596 people are in hospital with Covid, up from Friday’s figure of 1,530.
93 Covid-related deaths were recorded on Saturday, the same number as Friday which was the highest daily figure of the pandemic so far.
University students will be taught online throughout January and February, with the vast majority not expected back on campuses until the start of March, as part of a revised plan for their return in light of the spread of the new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Only very small numbers of students will be allowed back on campus this month, for example, those:
who have remained over the winter break
whose attendance is critical and whose education cannot be delivered remotely or postponed, essential placements, or for reasons of student well-being
Where attendance is time-sensitive to the ability to graduate and cannot be delivered remotely or further postponed, very limited numbers of students may be able to return from mid-February. However all arrangements are subject to a future review of COVID-19 conditions.
Colleges will follow the level guidance for their local authority area which in practice means with limited exemptions the majority of college students’ studies will be on line in January and into February
The current state of the pandemic, the impact of suppression measures and the roll out of the vaccine will all be taken into account in considering whether it is possible for a return at any point.
Richard Lochhead, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, said detailed sectoral guidance will be published as soon as possible next week, but that his basic message to students remains that they should not return to their term-time accommodation until in-person teaching resumes, as advised by their institution.
Mr Lochhead said: “These changes reflect the current status of the virus, the reality of the new strain, and the rise in cases in recent weeks.
“The return of students to campus, including returning to term-time accommodation, involves the mass movement of thousands of people across the country. The mixing of people on that scale, including the potential movement of tens of thousands of students to university halls and private-rented flats, simply isn’t safe right now. It would fuel the virus, and that is something no one wants.
“Our immediate priority right now is to say to students, other than in specific special circumstances, they must not return to their campus or term-time accommodation before they are specifically told to do so by their institution.
“For the overwhelming majority of university students, this means all learning will be online-only at least for January and February, and students should not expect to return to campus or student accommodation before the end of February.
“We will review plans in light of the state of the pandemic nearer the time, but right now even the very limited number of returns that were previously planned for phase 2 of the restart dates, cannot happen until at least the middle of next month for the majority of students, supported by rapid-result testing on arrival.
“We would like to thank everyone for their patience and fortitude in dealing with the pandemic over past months, and we understand this is more difficult news – but we want to give students and staff as much certainty as we can so they can plan effectively. That’s why we are setting this plan out now.
“As we have all seen, this virus moves fast and changes quickly but even in light of that reality, hopefully by setting out a clear plan that gives certainly for at least the next two months, everyone can now plan with a greater degree of confidence.”
– Click & Collect slots now available from 447 Morrisons stores across the UK –
– Up to 37,000 slots available every day
– Slots available to book now nationwide for collection tomorrow
Morrisons is expanding its Click & Collect service to 447 stores across the UK to help feed the nation during the third national lockdown.
At the start of March 2020, there were just 14 Morrisons stores offering the Click & Collect service, growing to 280 in the second lockdown in November. Now, Morrisons has extended the service even further to help customers during the latest January lockdown, with 447 stores now fulfilling Click & Collect orders across the country.
Morrisons’ Click & Collect service allows customers to complete a Morrisons.com order online and then collect from a store, without an additional delivery charge and contact-free, at a time that suits them best.
Since the first lockdown, Morrisons has introduced lots of new ways to help customers shop, including:
Its Doorstep Delivery service for elderly and vulnerable customers wishing to place a next day delivery order. Anyone wishing to use the service should call 0345 611 6111 and select option 5
Same-day deliveries with Amazon and Deliveroo for quick and convenient shopping
A selection of Food Boxes available online, which will be delivered next day if ordered before 3pm
Morrisons is also offering 10% discounts on shopping to key workers, which include NHS, Teachers and Blue Light Card holders. There is also an NHS shopping hour which takes place at 6am – 7am, Monday to Saturday to make it easier for the nation’s key workers to do their shopping.
Miles Foster, Morrisons Online Operations Director said: “We are doing everything we can to increase the amount of home delivery slots available but we recognise that the slots get snapped up quickly in lockdown. Click & Collect is an excellent alternative and is proving really popular with customers.
“Since the first lockdown we have expanded our Click & Collect service significantly and it is now available from 447 of our stores across the country. We have slots available now nationwide so our customers can get the groceries they need in a contact-free and convenient way.”
Police are urging members of the public to stay at home and not attend a planned demonstration at the Scottish Parliament.
Information has been received that an event is scheduled to take place on Monday (11 January). However, under the current Level 4 restrictions, such gatherings are not permitted and anyone wishing to demonstrate is urged to find alternative ways to protest, such as online, to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Superintendent David Robertson from Edinburgh Police Division said: “We understand people want to make their voices heard, but they must do so lawfully and peacefully.
“The Scottish Government regulations are clear that no marches or parades are allowed due to the restrictions in place.
“Static demonstrations can take place if Scottish Government guidance is followed in local authority areas under Level 0-3 restrictions.
“They are prohibited in areas under Level 4 restrictions and we will continue to police these using the 4Es approach of engaging with those taking part and explaining the restrictions in place.
“Our response will be measured and appropriate and we will use enforcement as a last resort where required.”
For more information on the latest coronavirus guidelines please visit the Scottish Government website at http://ow.ly/QT2O50D43KL
US biotech company Moderna, Inc. has announced that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved its mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 for use under Regulation 174.
The temporary authorization permits the supply of COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna in Great Britain and is based upon the advice of the UK Commission on Human Medicines.
“We appreciate the confidence shown by the UK MHRA in COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna with this decision, which marks an important step forward in the global fight against COVID-19,” said Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna.
“I want to thank the MHRA and the Commission on Human Medicines’ reviewers for their tireless efforts. The authorization of a product developed by Moderna is a significant milestone on the Company’s 10-year journey, and I would like to thank all our colleagues that have helped us get to this point.”
The United Kingdom government has also exercised its option to purchase an additional 10 million doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna, bringing its confirmed order commitment to 17 million doses. The first deliveries of the COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna to the UK from Moderna’s dedicated non-U.S. supply chain are expected to commence early in 2021.
The UK is the fifth jurisdiction to authorize COVID-19 Vaccine Moderna, following the United States on December 18, 2020, Canada on December 23, 2020, Israel on January 4, 2021 and the European Union on January 6, 2021.
Additional authorizations are currently under review in a number of countries including Singapore and Switzerland.
The vaccine will be available for free and the government is working with the devolved administrations to ensure it is deployed fairly across the UK.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This is fantastic news and another weapon in our arsenal to tame this awful disease.
“Through our vaccine delivery plan we have already vaccinated nearly 1.5 million people across the UK. The Moderna vaccine will boost our vaccination programme even further once doses become available from the spring.
“While we immunise those most at risk from COVID, I urge everyone to continue following the rules to keep cases low to protect our loved ones.”
Nearly 1.5 million people in the UK have already been vaccinated with the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccines, with more than 1,000 vaccination sites live by the end of the week across the UK to rapidly scale up the vaccination programme.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will submit updated advice on which groups to prioritise for vaccination before doses become available.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “Vaccines are the key to releasing us all from the grip of this pandemic, and today’s news is yet another important step towards ending lockdown and returning to normal life.
“The UK was one of the first countries in Europe to sign a deal with Moderna, and I’m delighted our Vaccine Taskforce has secured an additional 10 million doses of their highly effective vaccine to protect the British public and save lives.
“From the scientists and trial volunteers to our world-class regulators and clinicians, we are enormously grateful to everyone who has played their part in this national effort to defeat the virus and get our country back on its feet.”
The NHS has decades of experience in rolling out successful widespread vaccination programmes and is putting into place extensive preparations for the roll-out of the Moderna vaccine ahead of the spring.
The Moderna vaccine will be deployed through similar methods:
hospital hubs for NHS and care staff and older patients to get vaccinated
local community services with local teams and GPs already signing up to take part in the programme
vaccination centres across the country, ensuring people can access a vaccine regardless of where they live
Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “The NHS is pulling out all the stops to vaccinate those most at risk as quickly as possible, with over 1,000 vaccination sites live across the UK by the end of the week to provide easy access to everyone, regardless of where they live.
The Moderna vaccine will be a vital boost to these efforts and will help us return to normal faster.
Through the Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 367 million doses of 7 of the most promising vaccines so far. To date, the government has invested over £230 million into manufacturing a successful vaccine. In the Chancellor’s Spending Review, published on 25 November, it was announced that the government has made more than £6 billion available to develop and procure successful vaccines.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said: The highly effective Moderna vaccine is another impressive success for science and is another testament to the hard work of researchers and selfless clinical trial volunteers.
This vaccine will save lives once doses become available, but it is crucial we all continue to follow the rules to protect each other until enough people have been protected.
Interim Chair of the government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix said: This is another important milestone in our efforts to end this pandemic, and I would like to thank those in the government’s Vaccine Taskforce who have worked so hard to negotiate agreements with vaccine developers.
“A key objective for the Vaccine Taskforce is to ensure we have a range of vaccines to deliver to the UK population. The addition of the Moderna vaccine to the UK’s portfolio is important to reach that goal.”
Yesterday’s announcement was a glimmer of bright light on Covid’s darkest day. Thursday saw the worst figures since the virus hit the UK last year. A record 68,053 cases were recorded – and there were 1325 deaths, another unwanted record. Scotland also saw it’s worst figures – 93 deaths were registered on Thursday and 1530 people were in hospital with the virus.
Health professionals have said that the worst is yet to come. Vaccination really cannot come fast enough.
The Council is working to minimise the impact of new temporary lockdown measures on services.
National restrictions for mainland Scotland, which require the public to stay at home, came into force at midnight on Monday (4 January). Following this we carried out a review of services which may be impacted by the new rules.
Other than the extended closure of schools, early learning and childcare throughout January with online learning in place, service changes outlined for level four, introduced on Boxing Day, will continue.
We will continue to keep service delivery and the use of Council buildings under review, responding to any changes in guidance. Full details of Council services affected by COVID restrictions are available on our website, which will be regularly updated.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “This is an extremely difficult time for everyone, and we want to minimise any additional impact new restrictions will have on the services that residents rely on.
“Our main concern is keeping the public safe and supporting our most vulnerable citizens and we will continue to monitor and review our service delivery throughout lockdown to ensure this.
“I know postponing the return to school will pose a challenge for many but we’re working hard on our digital roll-out to make sure all children have access to learning resources while we’ll keep providing free school meals throughout January.
“We’ll also continue to support local businesses, processing business grants and seeking clarification from Government on any further funding available. Getting out and about for daily exercise will be key to coping over the coming weeks so I’m pleased that our parks and playparks will remain open during this time too.
“We must not lose sight of the goal here – we have already worked so hard to combat the spread of COVID-19. We must keep this collective effort up in the face of a new, virulent strain of the virus if we are to keep one another safe and, eventually, see our communities recover from this crisis.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: The introduction of a lockdown across the country demonstrates just how dangerous the situation is and we must take heed. It’s crucial that we listen to the advice of public health experts if we are to minimise the impact of COVID, and that means sticking to the guidance.
We know we can look forward to better times in 2021, with the ongoing roll-out of vaccines around the world. But right now we must act decisively and stay at home, except for essential purposes, to keep the rate of infection down and to protect the NHS, which we need so much at this time.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals, families and businesses who have observed restrictions over the last year, and for their continued adherence to the rules – together we can get through this. We’ll be updating our website with any service changes under lockdown, so keep an eye on our Coronavirus pages.
