Post workers’ union CWU has criticised a “reckless” Royal Mail decision to bring back shared delivery vans, saying that the union’s first priority is to “protect postal workers’ lives”.
Speaking to around 20,000 CWU members on a Facebook session, deputy general secretary for the postal sector Terry Pullinger accused Royal Mail management of basing workplace health and safety decisions on economic worries in the build-up to Christmas, saying that the decision had “operational overtones”.
He added that the company is “going against everything they supported at the start of this pandemic,” and criticised the timing of the decision.
“In the last couple of weeks, the landscape has drastically changed. It’s getting worse, with areas of this country getting shut down. To now make the move to put two people back in the van is reckless.”
Commenting on the shared vans policy, he said the company was “asking us to put their name on it. We will not do that. Our priority is to protect postal workers’ lives. We want to keep you safe, your workplace safe and your family safe.
“Every single person should be at high alert to make sure this virus does not spread to postal workers.”
He asked union reps to share the “no to shared vans” message throughout Royal Mail workplaces.
The CWU is also calling on Royal Mail to be “honest” over whether workers sharing vans will receive full sick pay if they are forced to self-isolate.
CWU Acting Assistant Secretary Carl Maden has demanded clarity from management after Royal Mail returned to van sharing practices on Monday.
The stance, which management insists is a purely voluntary role for workers who feel comfortable sharing vehicles, was opposed by the CWU.
CWU Acting Assistant Secretary Carl Maden said: “At a time when Covid-19 cases are increasing and further lock downs are in the pipeline, the CWU did not agree with van sharing – however, Royal Mail have gone ahead with it.
“Therefore, I have asked Royal Mail to guarantee anyone who volunteers will have full sick pay.”
Carl pointed out a recent Royal Mail document sent to managers stated the provision of enhanced sick pay is “dependent on the absence not being caused by or aggravated by the employee”.
The document goes on to say: “Where, in the reasonable view of the company, there is evidence of an employee’s disregard for public health guidance which then leads to them needing to self-isolate, Royal Mail Sick Pay will not be paid.”
Furthermore, in a meeting last Friday which attended by five directors/senior managers, Carl asked them to confirm whether full sick pay would be paid to members forced to self-isolate after volunteering for van sharing roles.
He also asked them to release a communication explaining any circumstances where sick pay will not be paid.
At the time of writing, nothing has been received from Royal Mail.
Carl called on Royal Mail to publish a statement as soon as possible, so members can make informed decisions about volunteering in vans.
He said: “We want guaranteed full sick pay and assurances any absence will not count against you on an attendance review or consideration of dismissal”, and added the union also wants those guarantees applied to members working in Fleet services.
He added: “I am sure I will be accused of scaremongering. However, all Royal Mail have to do is publish a document which states clearly: ‘if you have to self-isolate due to van sharing, full sick pay will be paid and the absence will not count against you within the attendance agreement or stipulate when sick pay will not be paid.’
“This would be an honest position.”
Carl also reminded workers they are entitled to read risk assessments and safe systems of work, and managers are obliged to provide you with a copy if requested.
Public library services had a positive impact on those who engaged with them during lockdown.
Public library staff made a valuable contribution to the Covid-19 response.
Public library services and their staff could have delivered much more – but faced barriers in doing so.
Public library services have huge potential to support individuals and communities as they navigate the short, medium and long-term impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Eight action areas are identified that challenge national and local governments, sector support bodies and the sector itself to go further to ensure that everyone in the UK has an equal opportunity to experience the enabling impact of the best public library services.
The report draws on public polling of 2,196 UK adults carried out by Savanta ComRes on behalf of the Carnegie UK Trust, 1,196 responses to a public library staff survey and depth interviews with 22 Heads of Service.
You can access the Making a Difference report series by clicking on the links below:
Applications for the Self-Isolation Support Grant have opened for low income workers who are asked to self-isolate and would lose income if they needed to isolate.
The £500 grant will help those who have been asked by Test and Protect to isolate, following testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or having been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
These payments are designed to help people self-isolate for the required period to stop the spread of the virus, but who would face financial hardship due to being asked to self-isolate and will be targeted at those in receipt of Universal Credit or legacy benefits who are employed or self-employed.
The Local Self-Isolation Assistance Service is also being introduced to support people needing to isolate. As well as being able to self-refer for support through the existing National Assistance Helpline, local authorities will now proactively contact those being asked to self-isolate to offer help, advice and assistance including help to access essential food and medication or local support services.
The service will deliver an initial 30 minute call, followed up by two 10 minute calls during the period of self-isolation and will initially prioritise the most vulnerable individuals. This will ensure people are referred to the relevant services for support while maximising uptake of the Self-Isolation Support Grant for those who are eligible.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Self-isolation is essential to protect people and reduce the spread of COVID-19 but we do not want people to experience financial hardship, particularly those with no access to public funds, due to a loss of income as a result of doing the right thing.
“Whilst employers should do everything they can to allow people to work from home we know this isn’t always possible so this £500 grant is there to help.
“We know self-isolating can be tough, and want to do everything we can to support people throughout this challenging time. Our new assistance phone service will proactively contact people who have been asked to self-isolate and direct them to support that they may need, for example access to food or medicines, the Self-Isolation Grant or other financial support they may be eligible for, as well as other local services including community volunteering, emotional support and social work.
“This service will initially focus on those who are on the shielding list, people aged 70+, disabled people, and people in low income households. We are considering how we roll this service out to further groups to reach even more people and provide support for them to isolate.”
COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Kelly Parry said: “We are pleased that the Scottish Government, working in partnership with Scottish local government, have made available this grant to provide financial assistance to those on low incomes who need to self-isolate.
“Local councils are well placed to provide advice, support and assistance which will help reduce the social and economic impacts of the pandemic.
“Staying home to stop the spread of COVID-19 is the right thing to do to ensure that members of our communities who are most at risk and vulnerable to the effects of the virus are kept safe. This grant will assist those who will lose income as a result and are at most risk of financial hardship, including those with no recourse to public funds, stay home and reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
People will be informed on how to apply for the Self-Isolation Support Grant after they have been contacted by Test and Protect and asked to self-isolate through a follow up call from their local authority. People may make an application of their own accord prior to the follow-up call from their local authority.
Payments are available to eligible people who were told to self-isolate from 28 September onwards.
The Self-Isolation Support Grant does not cover people who are quarantining after returning to the UK from abroad, unless they have tested positive for coronavirus or have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by the Test and Protect Service.
Grants can be received more than once if people are asked to self-isolate on more than one occasion, as long as these do not overlap.
The Local Self-Isolation Assistance Service will deliver an initial 30 minute triaging call, followed up by two 10 minute calls through the individuals period of self-isolation. People contacted and informed of the need to self-isolate by contact tracers will be asked whether they wish to opt-in to their details being passed to local authorities to receive this new service. For people who are not in priority groups or are self-isolating but have not been contacted by contact tracing teams, the existing National Assistance Helpline is available to support them.
Clients may opt-out at this stage, or on any of the calls from local authorities if they choose to opt-in. If they opt-out, they can still access support by phoning the existing National Assistance Helpline.
Care home residents and their family and friends will soon be able to enjoy longer visits together and greater personal interaction, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced.
Updated guidance published by the Scottish Government (below) recommends easing restrictions on visiting in a range of ways, including extending indoor visits from 30 minutes to up to four hours.
Outdoor visits can be extended to include up to six visitors from no more than two households, including children and young people, for up to one hour per visit.
The new guidance also supports increased personal interaction, including hugs or hand holding, as long as strict PPE and infection prevention control measures are met.
These include:
personal interaction – visitors can support personal care and daily routine activities, provided this is agreed with the care home and takes place in residents’ rooms
touch – enabling contact with loved ones with regular training and supervision for visitors to put on and take off PPE and safety guidelines
family pets and therapy animals – during outdoor and indoor visiting, if agreed with the care home, and certain pre-conditions are met
gifts and residents’ belongings – can be brought in by visitors, when agreed with the care home manager in advance
These changes will require careful planning by care homes so will be implemented once care homes are satisfied that they can be accommodated safely, alongside existing safety measures such as the weekly testing offered to all care home staff, and sample testing in homes with no cases.
Local PPE Hubs are also in place across Scotland through Health and Social Care Partnerships to support the social care sector with PPE supplies for staff and visitors, in addition to care homes’ existing supply routes.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We know how difficult visiting restrictions have been, and it is only natural after six months of lockdown restrictions, that care home residents and their loved ones will want to see and interact with each other as much as possible.
“The Scottish Government has been actively working with Scottish Care and other care home stakeholders on a staged approach to re-introduce visiting in care homes in as safe a way as possible, while COVID-19 remains in Scotland.
“This latest guidance has been developed with input from family members, carers, and clinicians to offer greater flexibility in visiting arrangements, and indoor visiting in particular, as winter approaches. We will continue to actively consider how we can best support visiting in care homes, and protect those who are at most risk from this virus.”
Age Scotland has warmly welcomed the changes to care home visits that will allow families to spend more time in an indoor setting with their loved ones.
Brian Sloan, chief executive of Age Scotland, said: “This has been a long time coming but it will nonetheless be a huge boost for care home residents and their families, who have really struggled with the lack of contact since March.
“Family members can at long last visit their loved ones in care homes for up to four hours, indoors and, where it safe to do so, hold their hand for the first time in almost seven months. The importance and benefits of this cannot be underestimated.
“This is something that care home residents and their families have rightly been crying out for as they grew increasingly concerned about the negative impact it was having on their health and well-being. Their wait has been excruciating.
“We have heard from many families who have been seriously alarmed by the decline in the health of their loved one during lockdown, in part because of enforced isolation to avoid the spread of coronavirus. We have been making the case to the Scottish Government that every effort must be made to resume indoor visiting as the ongoing risk to the person’s health by not doing so is substantial.
“It is essential that increased visits to care homes are now available to everyone wherever possible. With PPE and other protective measures in place, older people in care homes will be able to reconnect with their relatives and feel part of their family again.”
The Prime Minister yesterday set out how the UK government will further simplify and standardise local rules by introducing a three tiered system of local COVID Alert Levels in England.
Addressing MPs before hosting a Downing Street press conference, he confirmed the levels will be set at medium, high, and very high.
He set out how this new approach will be simpler and standardised, and thanked local leaders who have engaged with the government over the weekend.
The “medium” alert level – which will cover most of the country – will consist of the current national measures, which came into force on 25 September.
This includes the Rule of Six, and the closure of hospitality at 10pm.
The “high” alert level will reflect many current local interventions, but there will now be consistency across the country.
This primarily aims to reduce household to household transmission by preventing all mixing between households or support bubbles indoors. The Rule of Six will apply in outdoor spaces, including private gardens.
Most areas which are already subject to local restrictions will automatically move into the “high” alert level.
The “very high” alert level will apply where transmission rates are causing the greatest concern, based on an assessment of all the available data and the local situation.
This includes incidence and test positivity, including amongst older and more at-risk age groups, as well as the growth rate, hospital admissions and other factors.
In these areas, the government will set a baseline of prohibiting social mixing indoors and in private gardens, with the Rule of Six allowed in open public spaces like parks and beaches.
Pubs and bars must close, and can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal.
People will be advised not to travel in and out of these areas.
To create local consensus behind this more severe action, the government will work with local leaders on how individual areas should go beyond this baseline, which may include measures such as the closure of gyms, casinos, and leisure centres.
Non-essential retail, schools and universities will remain open in all levels.
Cases are rising rapidly across the country, particularly in the North East and North West, and this is resulting in increased hospitalisations and deaths.
The Prime Minster said that further action is required now to suppress the virus and make sure the NHS isn’t overwhelmed, and can continue providing essential services such as cancer care.
This follows significant local engagement throughout the weekend.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister spoke to Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, following detailed discussions over the last few days between all the region’s leaders, Chief Executives and senior government figures.
They discussed the huge challenge from rising numbers of COVID cases in the region and pledged to work together on combatting the virus.
Senior No 10 advisers and the Housing Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick also held discussions with local authority leaders and mayors from the highest areas of concern.
As the Prime Minister said, in recent months, local outbreaks have been tackled with targeted restrictions – helping save lives and avoiding the need to apply those measures nationally.
However, over time this has led to different rules in different parts of the country, with some rules becoming increasingly complex and difficult to enforce.
A postcode checker on gov.uk will show which alert level applies in each area and the NHS COVID-19 app will also direct people to this information.
Regulations for all three local alert levels were laid yesterday (Monday) and they will be debated and voted on in the House of Commons today (Tuesday). Subject to that vote, they will come into force on Wednesday, subject to the approval of Parliament.
These measures will be kept under constant review, including a four-week sunset clause for interventions in “very high” areas.
The PM also confirmed that the government will also provide Local Authorities across England with around £1 billion of new financial support.
He also said that engagement with other leaders in the North West, the North East and Yorkshire & Humber is continuing.
The PM also called on local leaders in the areas rated very high to work with the government on these measures, in return for more support for local test and trace, more funding for local enforcement, the offer of help from the armed services, and the job support scheme as announced by the Chancellor.
PM Boris Johnson made a statement at the coronavirus press conference:
Good evening everyone.
We are entering a new and crucial phase of our fight against Coronavirus.
Because the number of cases has gone up four times in four weeks and it is once again spreading among the elderly and vulnerable.
There are already more Covid patients in UK hospitals today than there were on 23 March when the whole country went into lockdown and deaths, alas, are also rising once again.
These figures are flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a passenger jet. And we must act now.
So we are giving local authorities across England around a billion pounds so they can protect vital services as they fight the virus.
Nightingale Hospitals across the North of England are being prepared for service.
And so we can squash this virus wherever it appears we are today simplifying, standardising and in some places toughening local rules in England by introducing three levels of Covid Alert.
Medium, with existing national measures such as the Rule of Six and the closure of hospitality at 10pm.
High, with extra measures including a ban on indoor social mixing between households or support bubbles.
And Very High, for places where, without further action, the NHS will swiftly be under intolerable pressure.
Areas within the Very High Alert category will be reviewed every four weeks and nowhere will be shut down indefinitely. And the exact restrictions at this level, Very High, will be worked out with local leaders, along with tailored packages of support.
But at a minimum they will, sadly, include a ban on all social mixing between households in private places, including gardens
and pubs and bars must close unless they can operate solely as a restaurant, serving alcohol only as part of a main meal.
We will also ask people not to travel into and out of Very High alert level areas.
Nobody affected by this will be left to fend for themselves.
And we will expand our unprecedented economic support to assist those affected by these decisions, extending our Job Support Scheme to cover two-thirds of the wages of those in any business that is required to close, and providing those businesses with a cash grant of up to £3,000 a month, instead of £1500 every three weeks, and extra funding too for those in the Very High category for local test and trace and enforcement.
You will shortly be able to type in your postcode into Gov.UK and see exactly what restrictions apply where you live.
The majority of the country will, for now, be at medium.
Most areas currently under local intervention will be at High, and Nottinghamshire, including Nottingham itself, East and West Cheshire and a small area of High Peak will also move to this level.
Over the weekend we have been working with local leaders in areas where the data are most worrying.
And from Wednesday, local authorities in the Liverpool City Region will move to the Very High alert level.
In addition to pubs and bars we have agreed with Liverpool City mayor Steve Rotheram that gyms, leisure centres, betting shops, adult gaming centres and casinos will close.
We are still working with other local leaders to determine how best to tackle the resurgence of the virus in their areas. But tackle it we will.
No one, least of all me, wants to impose these kinds of erosions of our personal liberty, but I am as convinced as I have ever been that the British people have the resolve to beat this virus and that, together, we will do just that.
With that I’ll hand over to the Chancellor, who has some more details on how we’ll be supporting these businesses, employees and areas affected by today’s changes …
Full details on what the COVID Alert Levels contain are set out below:
Local COVID Alert Level – Medium
This is for areas where national restrictions continue to be in place. This means:
All businesses and venues can continue to operate, in a COVID-Secure manner, other than those that remain closed in law, such as nightclubs.
Certain businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to close between 10pm and 5am.
Businesses and venues selling food for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-thru.
Schools, universities and places of worship remain open
Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees
Organised indoor sport and exercise classes can continue to take place, provided the Rule of Six is followed
People must not meet in groups larger than 6, indoors or outdoors
Local COVID Alert Level – High
This is for areas with a higher level of infections. This means the following additional measures are in place:
People must not meet with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place
People must not meet in a group of more than 6 outside, including in a garden or other space.
People should aim to reduce the number of journeys they make where possible. If they need to travel, they should walk or cycle where possible, or to plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes on public transport.
Local COVID Alert Level – Very High
This is for areas with a very high level of infections. The Government will set a baseline of measures for any area in this local alert level. Consultation with local authorities will determine additional measures.
The baseline means the below additional measures are in place:
Pubs and bars must close, and can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal.
Wedding receptions are not allowed
People must not meet with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor or outdoor setting, whether at home or in a public space. The Rule of Six applies in open public spaces like parks and beaches.
People should try to avoid travelling outside the ‘Very High’ area they are in, or entering a ‘Very High’ area, other than for things like work, education, accessing youth services, to meet caring responsibilities or if they are in transit.
People should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if they are resident in a ‘Very High’ area, or avoid staying overnight in a ‘Very High’ area if they are resident elsewhere.
Local COVID Alert Level – Very High:
Liverpool City Region
Liverpool
Knowsley
Wirral
St Helens
Sefton
Halton
Scotland is likely to adopt it’s own version of the ‘three tier’ strategy when the current ‘circuit breaker’ ends later this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.
She told yesterday’s press briefing: “We intend to develop our own tiering framework and take that to Parliament after the October recess and of course, that will coincide with the ending of the temporary reset restrictions announced last week.
“At a strategic level, we will be looking to align as closely as possible with the other UK nations. I think it is important and it makes sense to try to do that, though, I would stress, that operational decisions about which tiers might apply in which parts of our nations will be for each of us to take at a devolved level.
“The publication of a new framework will be a key step to guide us through the next phase of the pandemic. But it’s by no means the only step we will be taking over the next couple of weeks.
“What we want to do is ensure that these temporary restrictions don’t simply slow or reverse the increase in cases for a while, although that is clearly important, before things return to normal or as they were before these restrictions afterwards.
“What we want to do is use the two weeks to secure a longer term benefit and greater resilience as we know we will be living with this virus for some time yet to come.
“So, for example, as I indicated last week, later this week we will introduce regulations to extend the mandatory use of face coverings in indoor communal settings, for example, staff canteens and corridors in workplaces.
“We are also going to be taking action to strengthen compliance with the different strands of the FACTS advice. That will focus particularly on self-isolation because that is so essential to reducing and preventing transmission, but it also an area where we know, for understandable reasons, that compliance is not yet as high as we need it to be.
“We are also talking to different sectors of the economy, including hospitality and retail, to help them ensure that they can operate even more safely in future. For example, we have already asked shops to return to two metre physical distancing, and to reintroduce other measures, such as one way systems, that they had place earlier on in the pandemic.
“And finally, as I said last week in parliament, we are reviewing, again, our testing strategy. As we continue to expand our testing capacity, we are looking at the basis on which we would test more people including groups of people who do not have symptoms but who may, if the virus is not detected help to generate, or risk, community transmission, or transmission where people are vulnerable.
“So we will be working hard over the next two weeks, to further improve how we control the pandemic, while living as freely as possible for individuals and businesses, and we will be seeking to ensure that as we exit the reset restrictions two weeks from now, we do that on a more resilient footing.”
Teachers’ Union the NASUWT is deeply concerned following the release of the COVID-19 Statistical Report by Public Health Scotland showing a significant increase in the percentage of secondary age children testing positive for Coronavirus in September.
The percentage of young people testing positive for coronavirus is of great concern to the NASUWT, particularly among the 12-17 age group, and could potentially increase the risk to teachers, education staff and the wider community unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.
Additionally, since the end of September there is evidence of increased percentage of patients testing positive among the primary school age group.
NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach has called on Deputy First Minister John Swinney to urgently review the situation and identify what further measures can be taken to mitigate the risks posed by the increases seen in the data.
Dr Roach said: “Schools should remain open as long as they remain safe. But it is clear the spike in the Covid-19 transmission rate in certain secondary school children age groups, and also primary school age groups, coupled with the rise in transmission in the community, could potentially increase the risk to teachers and other education staff unless further measures are introduced in schools to protect them.
“At a time of significantly increased risk of virus transmission within the wider population, the data on the number of cases and testing among children strongly indicates a deeply concerning trend within the secondary school age population.
“The sharp upward trend in the data is a major concern for our members and secondary schools increasingly appear to be high-risk environments for coronavirus.
“This situation urgently requires attention by the Government and further mitigating measures need to be identified and implemented.”
The UK’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam outlines the current Covid-19 situation:
In our national fight against Covid-19, we are at a tipping point similar to where we were in March; but we can prevent history repeating itself if we all act now.
ONS data show that an estimated 224,000 people have the virus – up from 116,000 last week, hospital admissions for Covid-19 are rising again, as are intensive care admissions. Although the epidemic re-started in younger adult age groups in the last few weeks, there is clear evidence of gradual spread into older age groups in the worst affected areas.
Sadly, just as night follows day, increases in deaths will now follow on in the next few weeks. The good news, is that we are much more certain now that children are usually not badly affected by this virus.
The R for the UK is between 1.2 – 1.5. Roughly this means that every one case generates more than one new case, through onward transmission – so the epidemic grows larger. Every NHS region of England has an R that is well above 1.0, suggesting that widespread increases in transmission continues across the country, not just in the north of England. Scientists estimate that the doubling time in the UK for new infections is between 8 and 16 days and is even faster in some areas.
SAGE is clear that we need to act now.
Winter in the NHS is always a difficult period, and that is why in the first wave our strategy was: “contain, delay, research and mitigate” to push the first wave into Spring. This time it is different as we are now are going into the colder, darker winter months. We are in the middle of a severe pandemic and the seasons are against us. Basically, we are running into a headwind.
The NHS is bracing itself and they will do what they always do, which is work their socks off to help as many people as possible. But we need to be realistic – there is only so much they can do. We all have to help our hard-working NHS staff continue to care for everyone who needs it urgently, and provide as many non-urgent tests, checks and treatments as possible, by helping to stem the rising tide of infections.
People point out that we must not lose sight of the indirect harms of Covid-19. They are absolutely right. We need to keep elective surgeries and non-urgent services open for as long as we can; we need to keep cancer treatment and diagnostic services going; and we need to continue to provide mental health services. And importantly, we need people to come forward for that care when they need it – and we know that, during the first peak, fear of the virus put many off from doing so.
The best way we can do this is to keep the number of Covid-19 cases down. If cases rise dramatically the NHS will need to focus more on dealing with the life threatening situations immediately in front of them; this can mean freeing up staff and space by postponing other non-urgent procedures and treatments. We need to help the NHS by keeping Covid-19 numbers low; and in turn the NHS will be there for us, our families and loved ones.
The principles for how we keep transmission low have not changed. Above all else, if you have Covid-19 symptoms you must self-isolate in line with published guidance and get a test.
At all times, even when you are well, wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering in confined spaces and follow the 2 metre social distancing rules. By keeping our contacts low we reduce the number of opportunities for the virus to spread. I know this is very hard, but it is an unfortunate scientific fact that the virus thrives on humans making social contact with one another.
What I would give to have had the level of data, testing and medical insight we have now back in February and March this year. We now have much-improved testing capabilities, we know in more detail where the disease is, and we have better treatments.
Earlier in the year we were fighting a semi-invisible disease, about which we had little knowledge, and it seeded in the community at great speed. Now we know where it is and how to tackle it – let’s grasp this opportunity and prevent history from repeating itself.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce tougher restrictions for England tomorrow.
The lockdown and Covid 19 have been particularly difficult on many BAME, low income and isolated families here in Edinburgh.
In June 2020 ELREC started a food project to help bridge the gap between BAME people and food poverty and access to free food services such as food banks. This came about after ELREC was contacted by many community members asking for food support due to job losses, furlough, redundancies, and benefits income not being sufficient to live on for many families.
The work is all volunteer led and these include ELREC staff, board members and our other volunteers who give up their time to help us deliver this project. ELREC provides on average 25-30 food parcels per week.
The volunteers not only put the parcels together but also deliver them to anyone who is not able to collect for health or Covid reasons. We are working in partnership with Edinburgh Community Food and Fareshare to deliver this service for the community.
We are seeking donations to top up the food parcels with specific items such as meat.
PLEASE DONATE what you can and help us keep doing this important work for our community: https://gf.me/u/yw6r7s
Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has outlined details of a £40 million fund to help businesses affected by temporary restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The COVID-19 Restrictions Fund will provide one-off grants of up to £3,000, depending on rateable value, to bars, restaurants and other businesses required to close by regulations.
A hardship fund with grants of up to £1,500 will support some businesses that remain open but are directly impacted by the restrictions, including those in the direct supply chains of firms that must close from tonight.
In addition, up to £9 million of funding will help with the costs of re-furloughing staff by supporting the 20% salary contribution required by the UK Government.
A discretionary fund of up to £11 million will help businesses that need support but don’t fall into the above categories. This will, for example, support soft play centres that have been unable to re-open this month.
The plan has been developed following discussions with business groups, trades unions and local authorities.
Ms Hyslop said: “The temporary restrictions announced by the First Minister are absolutely essential if we are to prevent a return to the dangerous level of infections that we experienced earlier this year.
“It is a difficult balance and we do not underestimate the challenge that these new measures present for businesses – particularly those in the hospitality sector.
“We have developed a funding plan which will help to protect jobs over the coming fortnight and I encourage business owners to apply for support.
“We are also committed to helping businesses meet their contribution to furlough costs, where staff have to be re-furloughed. We have increased the size of the grant available and are urgently identifying a mechanism to deliver additional support on top of that.
“While I welcome the UK Government’s plans to adapt the job retention scheme and the associated consequential funding, we still require clarity on what the Chancellor’s announcement will mean for Scotland.
“This situation further underlines the need for us to have the financial flexibility which would help us to rebuild our economy.”
Grants will be distributed by local authorities. Up to £2,000 will be payable to businesses with a rateable value of up to £51,000 that are required to close by law, for those with a rateable value of £51,001 or above the grant will be £3,000.
Ms Hislop’s announcement followed the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement:
Job Support Scheme expanded to firms required to close due to Covid Restrictions
The UK government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions, the Chancellor announced today (Friday 9 October).
Job Support Scheme will be expanded to support businesses across the UK required to close their premises due to coronavirus restrictions
government will pay two thirds of employees’ salaries to protect jobs over the coming months
cash grants for businesses required to close in local lockdowns also increased to up to £3,000 per month
Under the expansion, firms whose premises are legally required to shut for some period over winter as part of local or national restrictions will receive grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work – protecting jobs and enabling businesses to reopen quickly once restrictions are lifted.
The government will support eligible businesses by paying two thirds of each employees’ salary (or 67%), up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “Throughout the crisis the driving force of our economic policy has not changed.
“I have always said that we will do whatever is necessary to protect jobs and livelihoods as the situation evolves.
“The expansion of the Job Support Scheme will provide a safety net for businesses across the UK who are required to temporarily close their doors, giving them the right support at the right time.”
Under the scheme, employers will not be required to contribute towards wages and only asked to cover NICS and pension contributions, a very small proportion of overall employment costs. It is estimated that around half of potential claims are likely not to incur employer NICs or auto-enrolment pension contributions and so face no employer contribution.
Businesses will only be eligible to claim the grant while they are subject to restrictions and employees must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive days.
The scheme will begin on 1 November and will be available for six months, with a review point in January. In line with the rest of the JSS, payments to businesses will be made in arrears, via a HMRC claims service that will be available from early December. Employees of firms that have been legally closed in the period before 1 November are eligible for the CJRS.
The scheme is UK wide and the UK Government will work with the devolved administrations to ensure the scheme operates effectively across all four nations.
This comes alongside intensive engagement with local leaders today on potential measures are coming in their areas.
In addition to expansion of the JSS, the government is increasing the cash grants to businesses in England shut in local lockdowns to support with fixed costs. These grants will be linked to rateable values, with up to £3,000 per month payable every two weeks, compared to the up to £1,500 every three weeks which was available previously. This could benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses, including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys and many more.
The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from a £1.3 billion increase to their guaranteed funding for 2020-21 – allowing them to continue their response to Covid-19 including through similar measures if they wish.
These measures will sit alongside the original JSS – which is designed to support businesses that are facing low demand over the winter months – and the £1,000 Job Retention Bonus (JRB) which encourages employers to keep staff on payroll.
They build on the UK government’s wider package of unprecedented measures to help protect, create and support jobs through the pandemic, to ensure that nobody is left without hope or opportunity.
Welcoming the move, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “The extension of the Chancellor’s Job Support Scheme is welcome news for businesses across Scotland, providing a vital safety net for companies which are asked to close temporarily.
“From the very start of the pandemic, the UK Government has focussed on stopping the spread of coronavirus and keeping people safe, while also doing everything we can to protect the economy.
“The unprecedented package of measures we have put in place to support all parts of the country shows the clear benefits for Scotland being part of a strong United Kingdom.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Friday 8 October):
Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the usual report on the daily COVID statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,246.
That is 16.2% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 37,033.
440 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 306 in Lanarkshire, and 192 in Lothian.
The remaining cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.
I can also confirm that 397 people are currently in hospital – that is an increase of 20 since yesterday.
33 people are now in intensive care, that is 2 more than yesterday.
And I regret to say that 6 additional deaths have been registered of people who first tested positive during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths, under the measure used in these daily figures, is therefore now 2,544.
Today’s total – and indeed all of the deaths that have been recorded in recent days – reminds us, and should remind us, again that Covid is a virus that is deadly for some people, as well as being really dangerous for others.
This is not a virus that we can be complacent about or just allow to spread unchecked, however much we might wish it was and I think that is an important point in the context of everything else I will say today. But let me at this stage pass on my condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one to this illness.
Now, I have a couple of points I want to update on today. First of all, let me report that two more walk-in testing centres have opened this week.
A new centre opened in Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire yesterday, and a centre is opening for bookings in Stirling shortly.
We are continuing to work with the UK Government to increase the number of walk-in sites across the country, and several more – including centres in Dundee and Inverness – are due to open later this month.
These add to the five walk-in centres that are already in operation – two in Glasgow and one each in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews. These five centres, that are already operational, are within walking distance of student campuses, and therefore will be especially useful for students. But I want to stress that all walk-in centres are open to all members of the public. You can book a test by going onto the NHS Inform website.
As always, please don’t use public transport to travel to any testing centre.
If you do not have a car – and can’t walk, or cycle to a testing centre – please book a home testing kit through NHS Inform.
And remember, because this is an absolutely crucial point for all of us to understand, that you must start to self-isolate from the time you start to experience symptoms of Covid – you must not wait until you get a test result before you start self-isolating.
That is a really important point to make sure that we are doing everything we can to break the chains of transmission.
My second theme today, as you would expect, relates to the new regulations which come into force later today and tomorrow.
The regulations applying to hospitality will take effect at 6pm this evening – those relating to other premises like snooker and bingo halls take effect tomorrow. They will all be in force until Sunday 25th October – in other words, across two weeks and three weekends.
First – and with the exception of five central belt health board areas that I will come onto shortly where tighter restrictions will apply – pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will only be able to operate indoors on a very restricted basis.
They can only open indoors from 6 am to 6 pm, for the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks.
They can however continue to serve alcohol outdoors up to the existing curfew time of 10 pm.
In addition, hotel restaurants will be able to serve residents indoors beyond 6 pm, but will not be able to serve alcohol.
In all cafes, restaurants and bars that will remain open, the existing rules on meetings will continue to apply – so that means no more than 6 people can meet, and they should come from no more than 2 households.
However there is an exemption to these rules – and this exemption applies in all parts of Scotland – for weddings that have already been booked and of course for funerals. The current rules for these will continue to apply.
As I indicated earlier this week, we are introducing stricter restrictions in five health board regions: Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.
I think you probably only need to look at today’s figures to get a sense of why we have taken that difficult decision. I mentioned that there are 440 new cases in Glasgow today, 306 in Lanarkshire, 192 in Lothian.
Numbers in Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran are lower – at 53 new cases in Forth Valley and 84 in Ayrshire and Arran – but they are still very high for the population of those areas.
And given that people live and work across all five areas, there can be a ripple effect between them, which is a further reason that tighter restrictions apply to all five of these health boards.
So in these areas, all licensed bars and restaurants will be required to close indoors and outdoors from 6pm this evening, though takeaways will be permitted. There is again an exception for hotels serving food and non-alcoholic drinks to residents.
Now I want to address a frustration about what I understand some see as a lack of clarity over the exemption for cafes – which are being allowed to stay open even in the central belt during the day as long as they don’t serve alcohol.
The reason for this café exemption is quite simple, it is to give people – particularly those who might be living alone and also working from home – somewhere they can still meet a friend for a coffee and a chat. And we judge that as important to help reduce the loneliness and isolation that comes with some of these restrictions that are in place right now.
But, and this is the other side of this balance, we are deliberately trying to reduce the volume of places that people come together so that we can stop the virus spreading, so we’ve got to draw any exemption really tightly.
That’s why we are not allowing premises like restaurants to decide to just stop serving alcohol, become cafes and therefore stay open – that would undermine the purpose of these restrictions.
But we did realise there was a potential anomaly for existing cafes that have an alcohol licence even though serving alcohol is very incidental to their business. What I announced the other day would have forced these cafes to close. In some areas – particularly rural areas – they might be the only cafe in a village.
So we decided to try to resolve this in a very targeted way. And in the 24 hours that we have been doing so, I readily accept that that has resulted in a lack of clarity.
But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay right now for trying to be as flexible as possible. It would have been easier and would have given much greater clarity just to stick to the position yesterday that cafes with a licence had to close.
But we decided to try to strike a different balance.
I can confirm that the Regulations being published today, I think they have just been published before the briefing started, have a definition of cafe which applies regardless of whether or not they have a licence. And that definition is –
“An establishment whose primary business activity, in the ordinary course of its business, is the sale of non alcoholic drinks, snacks or light meals.”
Now that is a definition based on what a cafe already does. It doesn’t allow a restaurant to now turn itself into a cafe.
I think business owners will know whether their establishment fits that definition or not. But any doubts or questions that any have should be discussed with local environmental health authorities.
I know how tough this is and I can’t tell you how sorry I am to be standing here in a position where we are requiring some businesses to close again. I am desperately sorry for that, and I know how desperately difficult this is for people trying to make a living, keep businesses they have worked to build up going and of course take care of their staff.
But government – all governments – are trying to strike right now almost impossible balances between lives and jobs.
And speaking for the Scottish Government, we are trying to do that as best we can. As I’ve said all along we will not always get it perfectly right but we are trying our best to get through this as well as we can.
Let me turn now to the other central belt restrictions that will be in place for the next two weeks.
Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will close in those areas for two weeks, from tomorrow.
Contact sports for people aged 18 and over will also be suspended – with an exception for professional sports.
Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed, although the current rules will remain in place for under-18s, and gyms and pools can remain open for individual exercise.
And outdoor live events will not be permitted in these five areas for the next two weeks.
And in general, we are advising people who live in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley not to travel outside the health board area that they live in, if they do not need to. Similarly, people in other parts of Scotland should not travel to those areas if they do not need to.
That said, we are not imposing mandatory travel restrictions at this stage. And we are not asking people to cancel any half-term breaks that they might have. But we are asking people, if you don’t need to travel – don’t do it at this stage.
Finally, if you live in these five health board areas please limit public transport to essential purposes only, for example, going to school or to work, if you are not able to work from home.
Now, I know that businesses who are affected by these temporary restrictions rightly want to know details of the compensation package that we are developing to support them for the next two week period.
We intended to publish details on the allocation of our £40 million support fund this morning. But we are now expecting an announcement from the Chancellor later today on furlough which might have an impact on our proposals, I hope they will have a positive impact on our proposals – so we will publish details after we have clarity on that. I would call on the UK government to ensure that whatever it announces today on furlough applies in Scotland from tonight.
However, I do now want to outline the three strands of the additional Scottish Government package:
Support for employment – this was intended to top up the existing furlough scheme. However, it is this aspect that might be impacted – we hope positively – by the Chancellor’s announcement later today.
We will give a cash grant over and above any employment support for each business that is being required to close or reduce their operations. This is likely to be at the same level as the support provided in Aberdeen when we had the local lockdown there – and that was, depending on rateable value, grants of £1000 or £1500.
We will make available a discretionary fund for local authorities to distribute to businesses that are in need of support but might not fall into the categories that I have already covered.
As I say, we will publish details of that once we have clarity of the first strand which we hope to get from the Chancellor later on. The restrictions which are coming into force today are significant, there is no way in which I can suggest otherwise. But the case numbers we have seen in recent weeks – including, increasingly, the figures now for people being hospitalised – show why these restrictions are necessary.
We have to stop the virus from spreading further. And having already restricted meetings between households in each other’s homes, the most important additional step we can take is to restrict people meeting up in places like bars and restaurants.
These measures still allow for some social contact in cafes as I have already outlined. And they do not prevent people from taking the half term holidays that they had already booked, or from going ahead with weddings which have already been planned. We have tried to minimize the impact on your lives as much as possible while still doing as much as we need to do to get this virus under control.
But for a period, and this is why for a period of just over two weeks, we will remove some of the major opportunities the virus has to spread. And we do believe this can have and will have a significant impact on transmission.
And so I know these steps are unwelcome – and believe me when I say they have been imposed with the greatest reluctance – I would urge all of you to stick with them. The only alternative to restrictions like this right now is a continuing surge in COVID, which would take more lives and probably in turn require even tighter restrictions in the weeks and months to come.
Now in addition to the temporary restrictions which come into place this weekend, and this is the point I will end on – I would urge everyone to continue to stick with the existing rules and guidance.
None of us should be visiting each other’s homes at the moment – except for specific purposes like childcare. That is a really tough restriction but it is perhaps the most important way we have of stopping this virus jumping from household to household.
When we do meet – outdoors, or in cafes – the maximum group size is 6, from a maximum of two households.
In addition, only car-share if it is essential.
Work from home if you can.
Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t already done so.
And finally, please remember FACTS – FACTS comprises the basic rules that if we all follow take away the opportunities for the virus to spread. So:
Face coverings
Avoid crowded places.
Clean hands and hard surfaces
Two metres distance from people in other households.
and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.
I know this is tough, I really do know this is tough and none of what the government is doing right now is being done lightly. I do not want to be standing here imposing restrictions that limit the freedoms we all love and take for granted but this is, as it was at the very start of this pandemic, about saving lives and keeping each other as safe and as well as we possibly can.
We will get through this, it will pass, that much I do know, but I know it will pass easier and possibly more quickly if we pull together, stick together and look out for each other by doing all of these really important things. So my deep gratitude to all of you for that. Jason is now going to say a word of two before he and I turn to questions as usual.
