Buffets, licking envelopes shut, and chocolate trays should be things of Christmas past this year, if families want to enjoy the festivities hygienically.
Tag: coronavirus
Protect Scotland App now available to anyone 12 or over
NHS Lothian urges locals to download app to help stop the spread
Young teens living in the Lothians are being urged to join the fight against COVID-19 by downloading the Protect Scotland app.
The free app is now available to those aged 12-15, and parents are being asked to encourage their child to download it if they have a compatible smartphone, to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
The age range has been extended to allow younger people to protect themselves and those in their household – and help make sure they can keep meeting up with friends outdoors.
NHS Lothian today highlighted how the app offers an additional layer of protection, building on existing person-to-person contract tracing in place, and the more people that download it and use it, the more effective it will be.
Already downloaded over 1.7 million times since its launch in September, the Protect Scotland app enables people to self-isolate far quicker if they are exposed to the virus, reducing the risk of them infecting others.
Once downloaded, it works in the background, using Bluetooth technology to anonymously alert people if they’ve been near another app user who has tested positive for coronavirus.
And if they themselves test positive, app users are being encouraged to enter the code they’re provided, so close contacts can be quickly notified.
This latest update of the app will also reflect the reduction of the isolation period length to 10 days.
People’s privacy is be protected, as the app uses encrypted anonymised codes to determine close contacts, which are deleted after 14 days. It doesn’t store details on an individual, or their location.
Katie Dee, NHS Lothian’s Interim Director of Public Health, said: “I would encourage those aged 12 – 15 to download the free app, and parents to encourage their children to get the app, if they have a compatible smartphone.
“The app helps support NHS Scotland’s Test and Protect system, adding an additional means of notifying people who have been exposed to the virus, allowing them to self-isolate far quicker which reduces the risk of them infecting others.
“Using the app and following FACTS will help protect your household, and help young teens continue to be able to meet up with their friends more safely. The more people that use it, the more effective it will be in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the area.”
Download the free app today at protect.scot and protect yourself, your family, and Scotland against coronavirus.
Coronavirus: Valneva vaccine clinical trials get underway
- Valneva begins first UK clinical trials for its promising COVID-19 vaccine, being developed in Livingston, West Lothian
- the UK government has pre-ordered 60 million vaccine doses
- follows a multi-million-pound UK government investment in Valneva’s manufacturing facilities, boosting its capacity to supply up to 250 million vaccine doses
Valneva has started UK clinical trials for its promising COVID-19 vaccine, currently being developed in Livingston, West Lothian.
Speciality vaccine company Valneva’s candidate will initially be tested on 150 UK volunteers at four National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) testing sites in Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Southampton. These early phase 1 and 2 trials will show whether the vaccine produces a safe and effective immune response against COVID-19.
Should this early trial prove successful, larger clinical trials will be planned for April 2021 with over 4,000 UK volunteers testing 2 doses of the vaccine in 2 groups: those aged between 18-65 years and over 65s.
The UK government has already pre-ordered Valneva’s vaccine candidate and should studies prove it to be safe and effective, 60 million doses could be made available to the UK by the end of 2021.
This latest milestone follows a multi-million-pound up-front investment announced in August by the UK government and Valneva to expand its Livingston facility. This supports over 100 highly skilled jobs for technicians and scientists at the West Lothian site, while advancing Scotland’s vaccine manufacturing capacity.
Through this investment, if Valneva’s vaccine candidate proves successful, this permanent facility will potentially have the capacity to supply up to 250 million vaccine doses to the UK and internationally.
Valneva’s vaccine is the fifth to enter clinical trials in the UK, alongside Oxford/AstraZeneca, Imperial College London, Novavax and Janssen, whose studies are currently ongoing.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma, said: As we take the monumental steps in rolling out the first COVID-19 vaccine, we must remember that we need to have a range of vaccines available to protect the British public now and long into the future.
“Today we have more welcome news that life-saving clinical trials will begin across the country to test the safety and effectiveness of Valneva’s vaccine, which is being clinically developed right here in the UK.
“Having visited Valneva’s state-of-the art facility in the Summer, I have seen first-hand the incredible work our scientists and researchers are doing to develop this vaccine.
“Thanks to significant investment from the UK government, we are doing all we can to ensure our country has the capabilities in place to produce hundreds of millions of doses of this vaccine for the UK, and for those around the world.”
Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “Today marks an important milestone not only in the UK’s fight against coronavirus but for the hundreds of staff at the Valneva facility in Livingston who have worked tirelessly over the last few months to develop this vaccine. This is a great example of the work of Scotland’s world-class life sciences sector.
“The UK government is doing everything it can to support all parts of the country throughout the pandemic including ordering and paying for vaccines for the whole of the UK. We are investing in Valvena’s manufacturing facility in Livingston, supporting hundreds of highly skilled jobs.
“With a number of other vaccines in development, this gives us all hope for the months ahead.”
The UK was the first country in the world to both procure and authorise the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, ordering 40 million doses – enough for around a third of the population. The UK was also the first country in the West to start a mass COVID-19 vaccination programme, which began on 8 December.
In total, the UK government has developed a portfolio of 7 different vaccine candidates and secured access to 357 million doses to date, putting the UK in the best position for a vaccine and increasing chances of finding vaccines that work for different people.
Chief Executive Officer of Valneva Thomas Lingelbach said: “Our teams have been working extremely hard to develop our differentiated vaccine candidate and I would like to thank them, as well as the UK government, for their dedication and support.
“While conducting our first clinical trials, we are already ramping-up our manufacturing capacities and commencing production at full-scale so that we can make the vaccine widely available across the world assuming the vaccine is safe and effective.
Interim Chair of the government’s Vaccines Taskforce Clive Dix: “Huge progress has been made in developing a successful COVID-19 vaccine. While this is very positive, we must remember there is no one size fits all approach, and we need to continue developing different types of vaccine so we can vaccinate the UK population.
“We believe that Valneva’s vaccine is promising and has the potential to tackle coronavirus now and into the future, which is why we have pre-ordered 60 million doses and are investing to help them expand their UK manufacturing facility. This will not only support them in manufacturing hundreds of millions of vaccines for the whole world but boost the UK’s resilience against possible future heath crises.
Chief Investigator for the Valneva study Professor Adam Finn said: “We are really pleased to be initiating this first-in-man phase 1 study in Bristol and continuing it in several other centres across the country in the New Year.
“This is a more traditional vaccine design than those that have been in the news recently, consisting of the whole SARS CoV2 virus that has been chemically inactivated. This kind of viral vaccine has been in widespread use for 60 years.
“Our team will be working hard through the Christmas holiday period to get the first participants enrolled and vaccinated. We are pleased to be adding further to the research already done via the NIHR in Bristol over recent months to test COVID-19 vaccines and we are really grateful to the many members of our community who continue to come forward and volunteer to take part in this important work.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs said: “This is excellent news that Valneva, based in Livingston, are moving forward with clinical trials.
“The management of Covid-19 will take time and the Valneva Covid-19 vaccine will be part of the long term plan for beating the virus.
“I wish Valneva all the best with their clinical trials, so that a larger trial can be carried out early next year.”
Some of the volunteers taking part in Valneva’s clinical trials came through from the NHS Vaccines Registry, allowing the UK public to support the national effort to speed up vaccine research. Over 364,000 people have already signed up to the Registry, with more needed.
Additional information about volunteering for clinical studies can be found by visiting the NHS site to join the NHS Vaccine Research Registry.
The Registry was launched by the UK government in partnership with the NIHR, NHS Digital, the Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland Executive in July. It aims to help create a database of people who consent to be contacted by the NHS to take part in clinical studies, to help speed up the development of a safe and effective vaccine.
Through the government’s Vaccines Taskforce, the UK has secured early access to 357 million doses of 7 of the most promising vaccine candidates, including:
- BioNTech/Pfizer – Phase III – 40 million doses secured
- Oxford/Astra Zeneca – Phase III – 100 million doses secured
- Moderna – Phase III – 7 million doses secured
- Novavax – Phase III – 60 million doses secured
- Janssen – Phase III – 30 million doses secured
- GSK/Sanofi – Phase I / II – 60 million doses secured
- Valneva – Phase I / II – 60 million doses secured, with an option to acquire a further 130 million if the vaccine is proven to be safe, effective and suitable.
TUC research: One in three BME workers have had to self-isolate
Black and minority ethnic (BME) workers have had to self-isolate at a much higher rate than white workers, according to new TUC research published this week.
The poll, carried out by Britain Thinks, shows that more than a third (35%) of BME workers have self-isolated during the pandemic compared to a quarter (24%) of white workers.
Feeling unsafe at work
The TUC believes the research shows that BME workers are being put at greater risk of coronavirus exposure than white colleagues.
While half of white workers (49%) reported that their employer had done a Covid-Secure risk assessment for their workplace, this falls to 36% for BME workers. This is despite the risk assessment being a legal requirement.
Higher stress levels
Working during the pandemic continues to have a negative impact on the levels of stress and anxiety of two-fifths of BME workers (38%).
BME workers (88%) are more likely to have concerns about returning to work than white workers (78%).
Previous TUC analysis has shown that BME people are far more likely to be in precarious work and in jobs with higher coronavirus mortality rates than white workers, such as security guards, carers, nurses and drivers.
Unfair treatment
Almost a third (32%) of BME workers report having experienced 3 or more forms of unfair treatment compared to a quarter of white workers.
In addition, almost a quarter (23%) of BME workers report experiencing abuse from other members of their workplace, compared to 16% of white workers.
TUC antiracism task force
The findings are published today (Thursday) as the TUC’s new antiracism task force meets for the first time. It is chaired by NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach.
The task force will lead the trade union movement’s renewed campaign against racism at work. It will engage with Black workers across the UK to hear about their experiences. And it will produce recommendations on tackling structural racism in the UK, in workplaces and in unions themselves.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: “This government has been careless of the impact of coronavirus on BME lives.
“BME workers are more likely to be exposed to the virus, less likely to work in Covid-Secure workplaces, and therefore more likely to be plunged into hardship if they have to self-isolate.
“BME workers – and all workers – should be entitled to decent sick pay when they have to self-isolate, and to safe workplaces.
“The government should act to rid the UK of the low wage insecure jobs that keep many BME workers in poverty and put them at higher risk from the virus. And it should set out a real commitment to ending systemic racism and discrimination.”
Chair of the TUC’s anti-racism task force and NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “There is a hostile environment for Black workers today which means they are more likely to face discrimination in the workplace, to be in insecure jobs, and more likely to be dismissed from work.
“And, during the pandemic we have also seen how racial discrimination has resulted in Black workers being much more likely to die at work as a result of Coronavirus.
“As the Task Force begins its work, we will be hearing evidence from Black workers about their experiences of everyday racism in the workplace.
“The Anti-Racism Task Force will not hesitate to call out racial injustice wherever we find it. It will bring together a strong coalition to deliver a programme of measures to root out racism and tackle racial discrimination and injustice at work.”
Covid 19: Christmas relaxation will overwhelm services
To protect the NHS, the UK government must abandon ‘rash’ plans for household mixing
Two leading medical journals – the British Medical Journal and the Health Service Journal – have joined forces to warn that the UK’s plan to ease Covid rules over Christmas is a “rash decision” that will “cost many lives”:
Since the UK’s first lockdown in March, the government has had one (perhaps only one) consistent message—protect the NHS.
Now, with the number of hospital patients with covid-19 again on the rise, and a third wave almost inevitable, the New Year is likely to see NHS trusts facing a stark choice: be overwhelmed or stop most elective and non-urgent work. Rather than lifting restrictions over Christmas as currently planned, the UK should follow the more cautious examples of Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
By and large the NHS has coped well with the additional caseload from covid-19 patients during the autumn. The second wave began to hit hospitals at the start of September. Government figures report 451 inpatients with covid-19 in England on 2 September.1 Over the ensuing 10 weeks, the numbers rose steadily and then rapidly, peaking at a reported 14 712 inpatients in England on 23 November.
If the third wave turns out to be of the same order of magnitude as the second wave, the health service should manage. But this will be the case only if the third wave starts with a broadly similar extra caseload of covid-19 inpatients as at the beginning of the second wave: around 450.
With current restrictions failing to control the virus, extrapolation suggests that the actual figure is likely to be more than 40 times higher, as we explain below. The planned relaxation of restrictions over Christmas will boost the numbers further as the NHS also struggles with the additional demands of winter.
England went into lockdown on 5 November, and the number of inpatients with covid-19 began to fall, down to 12 968 on 5 December.1 If this rate of decline had continued, the English NHS would have been on course for just under 11 000 covid-19 inpatients on 31 December.
However, in the past two weeks, despite most of the country being in tiers 2 or 3 of restrictive measures, numbers of inpatients have started to rise again. By 14 December (the latest data available) the covid bed occupancy had climbed back to 15 053.
Unless something happens to change this trajectory, hospitals in England will have just short of 19 000 patients with covid on New Year’s Eve. This figure, derived by extrapolating a straight line from 5 December to 14 December through to 31 December, would be almost exactly the same as the 18 974 peak of the first wave on 12 April.
The NHS currently has around 95 000 general acute beds. It is operating with around 10% fewer beds than a year ago as a result of infection prevention and control measures introduced to try to stop the spread of covid in hospitals.
The main effect of a further surge in covid-19 inpatients is likely to be felt most by those with other conditions. The NHS has learnt from the first and second waves and has robust plans to rapidly increase intensive care capacity, including through the Nightingale hospitals. But how are these to be staffed? A large influx of patients with covid-19, similar or greater than that seen in the autumn, can only be managed if staff and other resources are diverted from treating non-covid patients.
Having recovered much of their capacity for elective and non-urgent care during the autumn, NHS trusts in the most pressured regional health systems are already having to cancel almost all such activity because of the resurgent virus.
A substantial third wave could wipe out almost all the reductions in waiting times for elective procedures achieved in the past 20 years. Average waiting times will reach 12 months by March next year.
This will take years to recover from, at the cost of much suffering and loss of life.
The coming months are also likely to see the NHS under intense winter pressures from seasonal outbreaks of norovirus, increased admissions of frail older people, and the peak of staff absence. The NHS will also be in the middle of delivering the largest vaccination programme in its 72 year history, through already overstretched general practices and hospitals.
Even if NHS England succeeds in vaccinating all those “at risk” by Easter, this won’t be in time to prevent hospital admission and death for many during the next few months. NHS Track and Trace, which in fact has almost nothing to do with the NHS, continues to squander money on failure.
So too does the mass testing of asymptomatic people using lateral flow tests that are not fit for purpose.
London and many neighbouring counties will enter tier 3 on 16 December. However, other areas such as Kent, which has been in tier 3 since 2 December, are still seeing strong increases in hospital admissions. These measures are clearly inadequate.
Ministers are meeting on 16 December to review current restrictions for England. When they devised the current plans to allow household mixing over Christmas they had assumed the covid-19 demand on the NHS would be decreasing. But it is not; it is rising, and the emergence of a new strain of the virus has introduced further potential jeopardy.
Of particular concern is the effect on staff, many of whom have already worked through the hardest nine months of their professional lives. Levels of burnout and sickness absence are likely to exceed those already experienced.
What should be done
Members of the public can and should mitigate the effect of the third wave by being as careful as possible over the next few months. But many will see the lifting of restrictions over Christmas as permission to drop their guard. The government was too slow to introduce restrictions in the spring and again in the autumn.
It should now reverse its rash decision to allow household mixing and instead extend the tiers over the five day Christmas period. In order to bring numbers down in advance of a likely third wave, it should also review and strengthen the tier structure, which has failed to suppress rates of infection and hospital admission.
This joint editorial is only the second in the more than 100 year histories of The BMJ and the Health Service Journal. We are publishing it because we believe the government is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives.
If our political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action, they can no longer claim to be protecting the NHS.
Childcare expansion from August next year
All eligible children will benefit from at least 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) from August 2021, the Children’s Minister has announced.
The expansion of funded ELC, originally intended for August 2020, was paused in April to give local authorities the flexibility to focus on responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
A new date has now been agreed with local authority umbrella group COSLA.
Children’s Minister Maree Todd said: “I’m very pleased that we now have a new date for the full implementation of expanded ELC, and that children will benefit from more high quality funded childcare.
“We took the difficult decision in August to pause the statutory roll-out to allow local authorities to focus on responding to the pandemic and providing critical childcare, which was crucial to supporting key workers.
“The pandemic has had an obvious impact on construction and recruitment plans across the country, however local authorities have worked exceptionally hard and continued to make good progress in very challenging circumstances, and the majority of children receiving funded ELC are already receiving 1,140 hours.
“We were always clear that the suspension of the statutory duty on local authorities to provide 1,140 hours was a pause, not a stop. We will continue to work with partners over the coming months to deliver this transformational policy that will benefit families across the country.”
COSLA’s Children and Young People’s Spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “Local government remains committed to increasing the number of funded early learning and childcare hours, recognising the transformational effect for Scotland’s families, ensuring that children have access to the highest quality learning and care, and providing significant savings to parents and carers.
“Despite the massive challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on infrastructure projects and our recruitment programmes, all councils are delivering more that the current 600 hours entitlement to some or all families.
“We are pleased that we have jointly agreed a new date of August 2021 for the reinstatement of the statutory duty for 1140 hours. We look forward to working with all our partners, including the Scottish Government, to ensure Scotland’s children and families can benefit from almost doubling funded hours of ELC and to support the recovery from the impact of coronavirus on our communities.”
Latest data from the Improvement Service, compiled in August, shows that more than 56,000 children (61% of those receiving funded ELC) are already receiving 1,140 hours, despite the statutory expansion being paused in April to give local authorities the flexibility to focus on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
BT: Scots pledge to support small businesses this Christmas
Shoppers keen to back their local high streets as they face the most turbulent winter in decades
- 64 per cent of Scots agree[1] they are making more effort to support small businesses due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic
- 70 per cent of Scots fear their local shops won’t survive the pandemic
- 71 per cent of Scots are increasingly worried about the impact on their community if they lose local shops
- 50 per cent of Scots agree the pandemic has made them reluctant to visit shops, stressing the need for small businesses to have an online presence
More than three in five people surveyed in Scotland are keen to support small businesses this Christmas – as they worry their local shops could go bust, according to new research conducted by BT in the run up to the festive period.
The poll of over 2,000 UK consumers found that 64 per cent of Scots agree they are making a conscious effort to help small businesses more because of the severe impact that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on trading over the past year.
The plight of local shops appears to be weighing heavily on the public conscience, as nearly two thirds of those polled in Scotland fear their local high street won’t survive the pandemic.
The poll found that 71 per cent of Scots are increasingly worried about the impact on their community if they lose local shops, with 64 per cent agreeing that their community depends on local businesses. Coupled with the recent collapse of major retail chains, it’s clear the public are concerned about the future of their local high-street.
The affection the public holds for small businesses is strongly reflected in the survey results, with 62 per cent of respondents in Scotland saying that small businesses play a key role in supporting local people; 51 per cent recognising the importance of small businesses in sustaining the economy; and 52 per cent pledging that small businesses provide vital employment.
Fears of contracting Covid-19 appear to remain post the most recent lockdowns across the UK, with 50 per cent of people in Scotland stating the pandemic has made them reluctant to visit shops. This reinforces the need for small businesses to have a strong online presence to help them survive the disruption of the pandemic.
Alan Lees, Director of BT’s Enterprise business in Scotland, said: “Small businesses have undoubtedly been amongst the hardest hit by the pandemic, with national and local lockdowns severely impacting their ability to trade.
“It’s really heartening to see that communities across the Scotland are coming out in force to support their local high street this Christmas, as these firms rely heavily on the festive period to generate the lion’s share of their profits.
“The fact that consumers want to engage with small businesses, particularly online, but sometimes face barriers in doing so, means that it is absolutely vital for them to adapt by moving online or risk being left behind. That’s why we launched our Small Business Support Scheme – to boost the connectivity, cashflow and confidence of small businesses through faster broadband, digital payments and digital skills, amongst other forms of assistance.”
In addition, the survey has also revealed that small businesses are facing increasing competition from bigger online retailers who are able to offer lower prices and faster delivery.
According to the survey, top reasons holding people back from supporting small businesses include; the price compared with other retailers – with 41 per cent of Scots citing it as a barrier; a limited product selection, with nearly a third of Scots saying it was a concern; while no website presence was cited as a key concern by 17 per cent of respondents in Scotland.
Other concerns include slow delivery, a lack of social media presence and data security issues.
BT’s Small Business Support Scheme consists of a series of measures to help boost the connectivity, cashflow and confidence of small businesses and help them get poised for growth.
Helping small businesses to boost their digital skills is a central part of the scheme, with BT pledging to help one million small businesses to boost their digital skills over the next five years through BT’s Skills for Tomorrow programme.
Alongside this, a dedicated mentoring programme for small businesses via Digital Boost will launch early next year, giving small businesses free access to BT’s expertise in strategy, marketing, and sales. Next year will also see the launch of a new digital marketing hub from BT to help small businesses to better promote their business online.
Other forms of support on offer via the scheme and which are available now include: a bursary scheme for start-ups; a new digital payments solution; and a wellbeing toolkit for small businesses.
Teachers edge towards industrial action over COVID-19 safety
Teachers’ union the EIS has announced that an increasing number of its local associations are now moving towards balloting members on disputes with local authorities over school COVID-19 safety.
At present, six EIS local associations are moving to ballot members with at least four others currently considering whether to take this step towards a formal dispute with employers.
The EIS had called for a move to teaching and learning via remote online platforms for the pre and post-Christmas period, in the interests of minimising infection risk and protecting the health and wellbeing of students, teachers and their families over the festive season.
Despite broad support from many parents, teachers and others this call was flatly rejected by the Scottish Government, which has pledged to keep school buildings open at all costs right up to Christmas.
Following this rejection by the Scottish Government, EIS local associations called on local authorities to utilise their devolved powers to move to remote learning platforms around the festive season.
Subsequently, these pleas have been rejected by local authorities, with many councils citing a recent letter from the Scottish Government which urged them not to utilise their devolved authority to move schools to remote learning.
Yesterday, the EIS also released its latest themed briefing, based on teacher comments in a recent national survey. The briefing highlights teachers’ views on the importance of moving to remote learning around the festive period, as a means to protect staff, students and their families.
The key issues highlighted include:
- Teachers believe that moving to blended or remote learning would help reduce infection spread in the new year
- Teachers are concerned about being able to safely mix with family during the holidays, without having the ability to isolate for 5 days beforehand
- There are concerns that with schools remaining open full time, right up until the 23rd December in some areas, many school staff will have to work over the Christmas period to ensure the track and trace policies are enacted – a fact that was confirmed by the National Clinical Director earlier this week.
- A small adjustment in the final few days of term would make an immeasurable difference to staff and pupil wellbeing.
EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said, “The Scottish Government and local authorities seem determined to keep schools physically open, at all costs, right up to Christmas.
“Scotland’s teachers are clear that this will present a very real risk to their health, their pupils’ health and the health of their families by increasing the risk of COVID-19 spreading through family festive gatherings. Making a very slight change to arrangements around the holiday period, by allowing teachers and students to work remotely from home for a few days, would significantly reduce the risk of pupils or staff taking the virus into their family groups in the festive period.”
Mr Flanagan continued: “It was extremely disappointing when the Scottish Government rejected calls from teachers, and many parents, for schools to move to remote learning to protect families over the festive season. It is quite incredible that the Scottish Government has then placed pressure on local authorities not to use their devolved authority over education to move schools to remote learning in the run up to Christmas.”
Mr Flanagan added: “The number of EIS local associations moving to consultative ballots, together with the number still considering this action, is a clear indicator of the strength of feeling amongst teachers.
“Scotland’s teachers see governments in other countries increasingly taking steps to close school buildings early and move to remote learning in order to protect families over Christmas – this raises the question of why the Scottish Government apparently values its teachers less than governments in England, or Wales, or Sweden or Germany value theirs.”
The briefing paper, published on Sunday, focuses on teacher comments on the value of moving to blended or remote learning.
One teacher said, “It was with disappointment that I heard that the Scottish Government chose not to allow schools to move to a blended model for the 21st and 22nd December and while I welcomed the relaxing of lockdown tiers over the Christmas period, in reality, for me this won’t change the fact that I shouldn’t visit with my 80 year-old mum and other family members who are in the vulnerable category for fear of taking the contacts of the many pupils I work with on a daily basis to them.”
Another teacher said: “I am physically and mentally exhausted at the moment and am looking forward to Christmas as a time to relax a little and recover from the stress. I am now faced with the choice, however, of seeing my family at Christmas and risking the possibility of carrying infection to them or of isolating and not seeing them. Every day I am sitting in a room with 31 upper school children and whilst measures are in place, they are at times impossible to maintain. Should I carry the virus to anyone let alone my elderly in-laws I would never be able to live with myself.”
Another teacher added: “Going to blended learning on the 18th would not have a massive impact on the education of the children … but it would have a huge impact on the mental wellbeing of staff who would be able to isolate, and then confidently visit with their bubble at some point over the holiday period.
“It would also be considered a gesture of goodwill in a season where it is supposed to be at its most prominent.”
The EIS is continuing to urge its members to share their experiences of working in schools during the pandemic and their views on keeping school buildings open around the festive period using the hashtag #NotAtAllCosts, tagging the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister in their posts.
Recently, the EIS also wrote to all Directors of Education and the Deputy First Minister, calling for an urgent rethink on their refusal to move to remote learning around the Christmas holiday period.
The letters highlight the health & safety implications of the decision and note that governments in other countries are increasingly taking the decision to close their school buildings early ahead of Christmas to protect students, staff and their families.
For further information on the EIS #NotAtAllCosts campaign, visit https://www.eis.org.uk/Coronavirus/NotAtAllCosts
Vaccinations in Care Homes to start tomorrow
Residents of homes for older people in Scotland will begin to receive the Pfizer vaccine against the Covid-19 virus from tomorrow (Monday).
After more than 5,000 key NHS workers and vaccinators received the Pfizer vaccine in the first few days of the programme, it is now being extended to include care home staff and residents.
The move has been made possible following confirmation that the Pfizer vaccine can be ‘packed down’ into smaller pack sizes. The vaccine, is received in packs of 195 five dose vials which must be diluted before use, but these can also be transported in an unfrozen state for up to 12 hours, and can be stored undiluted for up to five days.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has given the go ahead for health boards to do this, making it possible to take the vaccine direct to care home residents or to vaccination centres nearby, with minimal wastage.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Jeane Freeman said that care home residents would be prioritised for receipt of the vaccine from current supplies but warned that pace of the vaccine delivery programme remains dependent on the supply of doses.
Ms Freeman said: “This is another important moment in our journey through the coronavirus pandemic and I am delighted that we have received the authorisation we need to enable us to vaccinate the most vulnerable people in our care homes.
“Officials in the government and our health boards, along with Pfizer, and the MHRA, have worked really hard to allow this to happen and it is another step on the road to our collective recovery and a return to a more normal way of life.
“We are providing the vaccine to people in care homes according to the order of priority set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and we will work through that order of priority as quickly as vaccine supply allows.
“We are hopeful that subject to further stringent approvals, other vaccines may meet MHRA approval for supply – for example, AstraZeneca and Moderna – enabling more vaccinations to take place at a faster rate.”
“In the meantime it remains vital that we all stick to the published restrictions and follow public advice to keep suppressing the virus to as low a level as possible.”
Four charged following march in central Edinburgh
Four men have been arrested and charged following an illegal march in Edinburgh from outside the Scottish Parliament to Charlotte Square yesterday (Saturday, 12 December, 2020).
The men, aged 37, 31, 53 and 31, are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
Chief Inspector Murray Starkey said: “Today people marched in contravention of legislation. We would urge people to find alternative ways to protest, such as online and on social media.
“Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation and guidance, and encourage compliance, only using enforcement as a last resort.
“Our response today has been measured and appropriate.”