Tag: coronavirus

You’ve got to go, says First Minister

‘reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Friday 2 October):

Good afternoon everybody, thanks for joining us. As usual I will give a report of the COVID-19 statistics for today.

The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 775. That’s 12.6% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases now to 30,687.

324 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 164 in Lothian, and 102 in Lanarkshire. There will be a meeting today of the National Incident Management Team and they will be taking a look obviously at a range of issues but in particular at the current situation in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.

The remaining 185 cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.

I can also report that 175 people are in hospital – which is an increase of 21 from yesterday and 19 people are in intensive care, that’s 2 more than yesterday.

I also regret to report that 4 deaths have been registered of people who had first tested positive for Covid during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths under that daily measurement is now 2,526.

And again, I want to send my sincere condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one and of course that particularly includes those who have lost a loved one in the last few days.

Obviously these numbers today, not just of cases, but perhaps more particularly hospital admissions, numbers in intensive care and the numbers of people dying, really should remind us that this resurgence of Covid is something we have to take very seriously.

Now, I’ve got several issues I want to briefly update on today.

Firstly, as I often do on a Friday, I want to draw your attention to an announcement made last night.

The Scottish Government has now added Poland and Turkey to the list of those countries subject to quarantine restrictions. 

We have also added the three islands of the Caribbean Netherlands – Bonaire, Saba and Staysha.

That means from 4am tomorrow, people travelling to Scotland from these places must self-isolate for 14 days, upon their return.

Madeira and the Azores will be removed from the list of places which are subject to quarantine restrictions. However, if you have arrived from those places in the past two weeks – or if you arrive later today or tonight – you will still have to self-isolate for 14 days.

These changes are yet another reminder that levels of the virus – in any country or any area – can change quite rapidly. And when they change, our quarantine rules often change as well.

So please – and this is especially important as we approach the October holidays – think carefully right now about any unnecessary travel.

In fact, if possible, avoid unnecessary overseas travel. And remember that the fact that a country is exempt from quarantine requirements when you go there, does not necessarily mean that it will still be exempt when you come back.

The second update relates to the Protect Scotland app.

I’ve said before that the app is not a magic solution – it doesn’t replace the need for the hard work being done by our test and protect teams.

But it is a really important additional tool in tackling Covid, and it is already proving its worth.

More than 1.3 million people have downloaded the app. In the past three weeks, more than a third of the people who have tested positive have been app users. And during that time, more than 2,000 contacts have been advised to self-isolate through the app. And these are people who might not otherwise have been identified.

However there are three points that I want to stress which might make the app more useful.

The first applies to everybody who currently has it.

If you test positive for Covid, you will receive a code which you are then meant to enter into the app. Please make sure that you do that, because it is necessary for you to do that for the app then to automatically notify people you have been in close contact with.

Now that might sound very basic and obvious, but we know that at the moment not everyone who has the app, and who receives a positive test result, is actually doing that.

Now, enough people are doing it for the app to be making a difference – but it would obviously be better if everyone entered the code when they test positive. So please remember to do that.

The second point is that we issued an update to the app this week which some people may wish to take advantage of. It allows the app to be paused, without Bluetooth being disabled in your phone.

Now, let me stress first of all, that I don’t want people to pause the app when you are going about your day to day activities – because that would remove the point of having it.

But this is a feature that is especially useful for some groups of people, in particular perhaps, clinical staff in jobs that often involve being within 2 metres of other people, but where significant measures are in place to reduce the risk of infection – for example wearing medical grade protective equipment.

We are also looking at other improvements that can be made to the app. For example we are working really hard just now with NHS England and the NHS in Northern Ireland on linking up Protect Scotland with the apps in those countries, to support people who travel, to make these different apps interoperable.

We are also looking at whether the age limit for use of the app can change – right now you have to be over 16 and we’re looking to see whether it will be possible to reduce that in the future.

The final point I want to stress is that if you haven’t downloaded the app yet, and you are able to do so, please do it.

It takes less than 2 minutes. Your data is kept entirely secure and anonymous. And it is a simple but it is a really powerful and important way in which we can all play our part in the struggle against Covid.

Lastly, today, I want to stress again how important it is that all of us self-isolate when we are asked to do so.

Obviously I can’t do that today without first addressing the issue of Margaret Ferrier (above) – the SNP MP who travelled by train to London and attended the House of Commons after taking a test when she should have been self-isolating – and who then travelled back to Scotland by train after being told that her test was positive.

Margaret is a friend of mind, so everything I am about to say is obviously with the heaviest of hearts. And of course, I wish her a speedy recovery from Covid.

But none of that changes the fact that her actions were reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible, and I feel very angry on behalf of all you.

Every single day I stand here and I ask you to make horrendous sacrifices as part of our collective efforts against Covid.

It’s really important, whether you agree with me or not, whether you love me or loathe me, that you can have confidence in the advice that I give you.

That means me being clear that the rules apply to everyone – regardless of who you are and regardless of what your political allegiance is.

Trust me, it’s one of the easiest things in the world in politics to call for tough consequences when one of your opponents breaks the rules. That’s not hard for any of us.

The litmus test though is whether you’re prepared to do the same when it’s one of your own breaking the rules. And in these abnormal times, when everybody has been asked to difficult things, I think that is more important than ever.

That’s why the SNP whip has been withdrawn from Margaret – and that is the most serious sanction a party can impose on an elected representative. I have also spoken to her directly and made crystal clear to her that I think she should now resign as an MP.

Now, people contact me and say, why don’t you just sack her? This is a point I have to make clear – I don’t have the power to force an MP to step down – no party leader has that power.

But I can make my views known, difficult though it is and I have done so and I hope she will come to the right decision, in the interests of the overall integrity of these vital public health messages.

And I want to emphasise again why it is so important to self-isolate.

We are launching a media campaign actually this evening – which has been planned for several days – to stress the importance of self-isolation.

Essentially, if you have any one of the symptoms of Covid, you should start to self-isolate immediately, and you should book a test. You can do that through the NHS Inform website.

The symptoms, as a reminder, are a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss of – or change in – your sense of taste or smell.

When you get your test result, if you test negative, and don’t have Covid, you can stop self-isolating at that point.

However if you have Covid, you need to self-isolate for a further 10 days, starting from the day on which you took your test.

If you are identified as a contact of someone with Covid – either by a test and protect team, or by the app – then you must self-isolate for 14 days.

You need to self-isolate for longer than someone who has tested positive. That’s because if you get Covid, your infectious period will start a few days after the infectious period of the person you got it from.

And the key point I want to stress today – for obvious reasons – is that self-isolation is not something anybody can or should see as an option, as something that is voluntary.

If you develop symptoms, or if you are identified as a contact, you must self-isolate immediately. Don’t think you can go to the shops one last time – let alone travelling any longer distances.

And you must self-isolate completely – that means staying at home, and not going anywhere else.

The reason is simple. If you have been in touch with someone who has Covid during their infectious period, there is a chance that you will also have Covid, even if you don’t yet have symptoms. And self-isolation is one of the most important things we can all do to ensure that we are not, unwittingly sometimes, transmitting the virus to anyone else.

So this is essential. It is a tough thing for any of us to be asked to do but it is an essential thing that all of us must abide by.

And if we are asked to do it – no matter who we are, and no matter what our circumstances are – we should all do it.

It is inconvenient, it is tough particularly for those on low incomes who might lose money when asked to self-isolate, that is why we are introducing the £500 support payment.

And it is why we are working with local authorities to ensure there is practical help available to people for things like food deliveries, and details of all of that are available also on the NHS Inform website.

But the reason we provide help for people to do the right thing, is because right now doing the right thing for all of us is so important.

So please, please – self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms of Covid. And self-isolate for 14 days if you are identified as a contact. It is vital to our collective efforts against the virus.

Now, I have stressed that particular point today, I was always going to be stressing that point today but it has particular added resonance given the circumstances I have already alluded to. But before I finish, and hand over to Jason I also want to provide the usual reminder of the other key public health guidance that we are asking everybody to follow.

None of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now – except for very specific purposes such as childcare or caring for a vulnerable adult.

When we do meet with others – outdoors, or in indoor public places – the maximum group size allowed is 6, and those 6 people should not come from any more than two households.

We should avoid car-sharing if it is possible.

Work from home if we can.

Download the Protect Scotland app, as I’ve already talked about.

And finally, all of us should remember FACTS –

  • Face coverings
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Clean hands and hard surfaces
  • keep a Two metres distance from other households.
  • and of course Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.

I know I say this every day but I feel a particular responsibility to say it today. I know how hard it for everybody to follow these rules right now, and I know how angry people feel when they see others not following these rules, but we have been asked to stick with all of these rules for the collective wellbeing of the country and for each and every one of us – so please do that.

Do that for yourselves, your families, your loved ones and for your community as a whole. And my thanks, my deep and sincere thanks, to everybody who is making really tough sacrifices right now in the interests of that collective effort.

COVID-19 and Communities: Community Hub Case Studies

New report from the Carnegie UK Trust

Over the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Carnegie UK Trust has been undertaking a series of conversations with communities across the UK, exploring the changing relationship between local government, public services and communities.

Throughout these conversations, we’ve heard from several areas that community hubs were a critical part of the emergency response.

In many cases, these demonstrated strong leadership, creative practice and partnership working. The Trust believes that these hubs could have a longer-term role in recovery from the pandemic, joining the dots between people that require support and connecting them to a range of services to promote individual and community wellbeing.

Building on the learning from four areas, (North Ayrshire, Renfrewshire, Lancaster and Scarborough), our new report offers examples of best practice, challenges, opportunities and learning for the future. We hope that these examples will inspire change.

North Ayrshire: A case study on kindness

On the same day, we are also releasing a report that tells the story of our two-year partnership with North Ayrshire Council.

This ‘case study on kindness’ shares the activities, achievements and learning about what it takes to embed kindness across a local authority area, and finishes with five priorities that we hope will feel relevant and urgent for local government and its partner organisations everywhere.

I do hope that you find these reports helpful.

To let us know your thoughts, please email Pippa@CarnegieUK.org or join the debate online by tagging @CarnegieUKTrust #COVIDConversations – we would be pleased to hear from you.

Best wishes

Sarah Davidson,

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK Trust

40% of Scots feel worse off due to the coronavirus

The financial impact of the lockdown imposed at the end of March has been revealed in new research of UK adults by credit reference agency Equifax. The study found that 40% people living in the Scotland feel worse off financially due to the coronavirus lockdown.

Figures suggest this could be a consequence of the fact that 38% of people living in Scotland reported they took home a reduced salary during lockdown, compared to 37% nationally, with 1 in 5 people believing they will be made redundant when furlough ends.

  • 43% of people in Scotland believe it will take up to 12 months to recover financially compared to 36% nationally  
  • 1 in 10 of those living in Scotland are behind on regular payments for which they don’t have payment holidays
  • 52% of people in Scotland continued saving during lockdown and 44% saved more than pre-lockdown.

Lisa Hardstaff, credit information expert at Equifax, commented: “For those on furlough, the fear of redundancy once the scheme comes to an end is very real. And even for those who don’t believe they will be made redundant; nearly a third of people living in Scotland believe their employer will ask them to reduce their salary in the immediate future once they return to work.

“Everyone has been affected differently during this crisis.  National figures show that more than half (52%) said they were able to put aside more money into their savings compared with pre-lockdown.

“And nearly a quarter (24%) said they actually feel better off.  However, in contrast, 18% admitted they were behind on regular payments for which they don’t have a ‘payment holiday’ in place

“Expenditure on outgoings has changed since lockdown; nearly half of those surveyed that live in the Scotland spent more each week on their food bill and 43% spent more on gas and electricity. As the work from home culture continues it’s likely these additional costs will remain, even though, not surprisingly 66% said they spent less on travel.

“With areas of the country in localised lockdowns and a second COVID-19 wave predicted in the Autumn, recovering from the financial impact of COVID-19 could be prolonged.

“National figures also show that over a  third (36%) believe it will take them up to 12 months to recover and 31% said they think it will take between 13 to 24 months to get back on a solid financial footing. Now more than ever, therefore, it’s vital to have a really good understanding of financial incomings and outgoings.”

With uncertain times ahead Equifax has created an online budget planner that allows people to monitor their income against their outgoings, to help them take control of their finances now and in the future.  

Lisa Hardstaff concluded: “A financial planner not only helps manage outgoings each month, it allows people to prioritise important financial commitments like mortgage payments, council tax, etc.

“It can also help to see where money can be saved, such as unused memberships or cutting back on food bills.”

Support for those self-isolating

New grant for people self-isolating

Supporting people to do the right thing

People on low incomes will be eligible to receive a new £500 grant if asked to self-isolate.

The new Self-Isolation Support Grant will help those who would lose income if they needed to self-isolate, such as those unable to carry out their work from home.

This grant is for those who will face financial hardship due to being asked to self-isolate and will be targeted at people who are in receipt of Universal Credit or legacy benefits, with some discretion to make awards to others in financial hardship. 

Applications are due to open from 12 October and will be delivered through the existing Scottish Welfare Fund, which is administered by local authorities.

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville (above) said: “Self-isolation can be tough, but it is essential to protect people and reduce the spread of coronavirus. To ensure people do not experience financial hardship as a result of doing the right thing, we are introducing this new £500 grant for people on low incomes who have been told to self-isolate.

“We want to do everything we can to support people throughout this challenging time and these payments will help ensure people do not have to make a choice between self-isolating and supporting themselves financially.

“While we continue to press the UK Government for clarity around consequential funding for the support scheme they recently announced, it is essential that we act swiftly so that people who need support are able to access it. I am glad that the scheme has the support of local authorities and that we have a means of delivering it from next month.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Kelly Parry said: “COSLA, on behalf of Scottish local government, welcomes this scheme.  It will help ensure those who are affected and qualify are looked after and won’t need to go to work, which will help reduce the community spread of the virus. 

“Councils have vast experience of providing local support of this type to communities and are the best placed to deliver this measure.  We are keen to agree the details with the Scottish Government as soon as possible and look forward to getting much needed support to the people who need it.”

Further information on Test and Protect  

Support for self-isolating students

Minister says physical and mental wellbeing the priority

Scottish universities must ensure students self-isolating on campus receive the highest possible standards of support to maintain their physical as well as their mental wellbeing, according to Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead.

He was updating Parliament on the latest Government measures to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the university sector.

Mr Lochhead also said every possible effort is being made to allow students to return home safely at Christmas if they wish to do so, and that the Government is now exploring the merits of some ‘targeted surveillance COVID testing’, to better understand the level of asymptomatic cases of the virus among the student population. 

Universities Scotland, which represents Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions, has now confirmed a package of 10 measures it will be using to support student wellbeing.

The Government published additional guidance to inform students wishing to return home right now, of their options and how the latest national restrictions apply to student households.

Mr Lochhead said the Government continues to work alongside universities, accommodation providers, unions, and other key stakeholders to keep campuses and their wider communities safe, and to support students and staff to comply with existing COVID-19 measures.

In its planning for the return of thousands of students for the new academic year, Mr Lochhead added the Government had balanced the negative impact of limiting access to education on students’ personal development, their wellbeing and life chances, with the country also needing the stream of talented and trained individuals produced by Scotland’s world-leading colleges and universities that underpins the economy.

He emphasised to manage that, the Government had consistently planned for some face-to-face teaching in colleges and universities as part of a blended return to campus, during phase three of the Government’s route map.

Mr Lochhead said: “Universities and student accommodation providers have a duty of care to their students – right now, this must be their number one priority and I expect them to take every possible step to look after their safety and wellbeing.

“That is why all universities will now provide a stay-at-campus support package for any students self-isolating, and we have asked the sector to ensure that’s gold standard.

“Our key message right now encourages students to remain living in their current households and on campus if they are able to. We are now working together with the sector on the best approaches on how to handle the Christmas break.

“Universities should also look sympathetically at students who have left or want to serve notice on their tenancy and re-apply at a future point – Ministers are urging the sector to apply the utmost flexibility on this point.

“We remain mindful of clinical advice about the limitations of asymptomatic testing and the need to prioritise our testing capacity. However, we are also exploring the merits of some targeted surveillance testing focused on institutions which present particular concerns, to understand the level of asymptomatic cases.”

Over 54,000 Scottish SMEs fear closure from second UK lockdown

An estimated 35,070 Scottish SME*s (small and medium-sized enterprises) say it is likely their business will close permanently in the next 12 months as a result of the coronavirus crisis, with this figure rising to 54,776 in the event that a second national lockdown is introduced, according to a recent survey by Virgin Money*.

The research is reported in the latest Virgin Money Business Pulse, which provides a comprehensive insight into the performance of the UK’s SMEs and the environment in which they operate.

Across the UK as a whole, the survey, which was conducted in early September, revealed that almost one million SMEs fear they could close if there was a second lockdown. Two-thirds (66%) of SMEs said their profits were lower in April because of COVID-19 disruptions, including 21% whose profits took a hit of more than 50%. 

Despite lockdown restrictions easing over the summer months, 64% of profits SMEs’ profits over the past 30 days decreased due to coronavirus-related disruption, compared to expected profits for this period prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. 55% of these businesses believe it will take more than six months for profits to recover to pre-lockdown levels.

Underlining the continuing precarious situation for SMEs, 17% of businesses say it is very likely or somewhat likely they will be forced to close permanently in the next 12 months.  This number rises to almost a quarter (24%) when considered in the context of a potential second national lockdown, similar to that seen in March and April.

A key turning point for SMEs will be the closure of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme at the end of October.  42% of SMEs (excluding sole traders) expect their workforce to be smaller in December than it is in September. The new Job Support Scheme coming into force on 1 November is less generous than the furlough scheme, and so represents a significant withdrawal of fiscal stimulus.

However, the survey also uncovers some positives, with 15% of SMEs stating their profits were unaffected during lockdown and 10% noting their profits were higher, as demand for specific products, such as food and PPE, increased. 

In addition, the lockdown has prompted almost a quarter (23%) of SMEs to update their strategy, 21% to reshape their vision, and 12% have improved existing products and services.

The Virgin Money Business Pulse covers the first half of 2020, which captures the start of the COVID-19 crisis. 

The scale of the challenges experienced by SMEs is reflected in the Virgin Money Business Pulse, which fell to its lowest ever level of 32.9 in the second quarter of 2020. 

This was driven by record-low scores in the revenue, GDP and capacity indicators, although gains were made in the business costs and lending indicators.

Rock bottom commodity prices and falling wages have provided some relief to SMEs in the form of declining business costs.  Similarly, government-backed loans as part of the fiscal response to the pandemic, led to a record jump in SMEs’ borrowing, which has improved the lending indicator.

Elsewhere in the Virgin Money Business Pulse, the new Regional Rebalancing Tracker, which records regional economic inequalities in the UK, reveals the economic divide between London and the South East and the rest of the UK has continued to widen in the past six years. 

Scores are calculated based on a region’s convergence to the level of economic prosperity and opportunity in London and the South East.  The tracker reached a record low of 38.6 points in Q2 2020, with the lowest levels of convergence in the North East of England and the East Midlands.

Scotland’s individual Regional Rebalancing score was 37.6 in Q2 2020, with a weak rate of business creation weighing on the overall score. Productivity in Scotland is, however, the highest in the UK outside of London and the South East.

It is estimated that in 2020, workers in London and the South East generated on average £37.69 per hour worked. In Scotland, the corresponding figure is £30.13. This means that for every pound of output generated by workers in London and the South East, workers in Scotland generate an estimated 80 pence in the same amount of time.

Gavin Opperman, group business director at Virgin Money, said: “The results make for sober reading, but they are unsurprising given the extraordinary disruption of the last six months. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the deepest recession on record and recovery is slow, despite the national GDP figures regaining ground.  The UK’s SMEs have experienced unprecedented strain, with sales and profits affected by workplace closures, supply chain disruption, diminished productivity and declining household incomes.

“Despite the pickup in economic activity in the summer months, businesses are by no means out of the woods.  As we head into the autumn and winter months with newly introduced restrictions, the next six months will be critical for many businesses. 

“SMEs have shown tremendous resilience and innovation this year, with some excellent examples of creativity to pivot business models and maintain operations.  But there is no doubt there are tough times ahead.

“On a brighter note, the pandemic may offer SMEs the chance to continue longer-term with the new and more flexible work patterns the pandemic necessitated, helping to rebalance the spread of wealth and opportunity across the country.

“We will continue to focus on how we can best support the businesses we work with. The future is always hard to predict, perhaps more so now than ever, but we will aim to be the best partner we can be as the UK navigates through the economic recovery from the pandemic”.

*Calculated by The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), with research conducted by Censuswide from 04/09/20 to 07/09/20, with 501 SME decision makers

£1.1 billion MORE for health and social care sector

Additional funding to help pandemic response and winter preparation

Scotland’s health and social care sector will receive £1.1 billion in additional funding to support its work through coronavirus (COVID-19) pressures, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced.

The funding will be allocated to NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland to help them meet COVID-19 related costs such as additional staffing or sickness expenditure, enhanced infection prevention and control measures, and the purchase of PPE.

Ms Freeman said: “The health and social care sector has a critical frontline role in responding to the single greatest public health crisis of our lifetimes, and I want to pay tribute to all staff involved for their heroic efforts to overcome the many challenges presented by this pandemic.

“As we continue to safely remobilise our health and social care sector, the Scottish Government is taking action to support services’ capacity to deal with the ongoing presence of COVID 19, and continue preparations for the wider pressures of the winter season.

“This funding ensures the sector will continue to receive the support required to deal with the additional challenges of the pandemic, whilst still delivering the vital health, social care and hospital-based services the public rely on every day.”

Health and social care funding rose to more than £15 billion for the first time under the 2020-21 Budget, with more than £100 million delivered in excess of Barnett consequentials to support frontline services as part of the overall uplift.

Thanks for your Inspiring Care Stories

Over the past three months Scottish Social Services Council has shared Inspiring Care Stories during COVID-19 and lockdown from social service workers right across Scotland and today publish the final phase.

Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) Chief Executive, Lorraine Gray, thanked everyone who shared their story and the entire social service workforce for the tremendous work they have done, and continue to do, to support people receiving care.

She said: ‘We’ve been overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to share their stories with us and the lengths workers have gone to so they could continue delivering the best quality of care in the most difficult circumstances.

‘Every one of the stories reflects the knowledge, skills and values of the social service workforce, who don’t always get the recognition they deserve for the vital role they play in our communities.

‘Their dedication to their role and the people they support is clear and for many it really is life changing work and a vocation they excel in.

‘We’re privileged to share these stories and hope everyone has enjoyed reading them as much as we have.

‘Sharing Inspiring Care Stories is just the start for the social service workforce as the COVID-19 pandemic and the forthcoming review of adult social care are rightly shining a light on this trusted, skilled and confident workforce and the vital work they do.’

The final stories published today include some from:

  • Glasgow
  • Shetland
  • Edinburgh
  • North Ayrshire
  • Aberdeen
  • Renfrewshire
  • Highland
  • Moray
  • Fife
  • Borders.

The stories are the final phase from those SSSC have gathered. All the stories published can be found in the online Inspiring Care Stories resource:  www.sssc.uk.com/inspiringcarestories

Share your story to get involved

You can still get involved by sharing your Inspiring Care Stories on social media using the hashtags #lifechangingwork and #SSSCregistered.

Services and care workers can add to the stories by:

Read the Inspiring Care Stories here. 

First Minister: COVID is on the rise again

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday – Tuesday 29 September: the day coronavirus deaths topped one million worldwide.

Hello, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the daily update of COVID statistics. The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 806. I’m going to make some important contextual points on today’s figure shortly but I will report the rest of the statistics first.

That 806 represents 11.5% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 28,604.

I can confirm that 302 of today’s reported cases are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 180 in Lothian, 91 in Lanarkshire and 54 in Grampian. The remaining 179 cases are spread across 9 other health board areas.

I can also confirm that 123 people are in hospital – that is an increase of 1 from yesterday. 14 people are in intensive care, which is 2 fewer than yesterday.

No additional deaths have been confirmed of patients who had tested positive within the preceding 28 days.

That means that the total number of deaths, under the daily measurement, remains at 2,512.

That total of course reminds us of the impact this virus has had, and continues to have. I want once again to pass on my condolences to everybody who is grieving a loved one.

Let me now turn to some points of context about today’s figures.

First, as I have explained before our daily case numbers reflects test results reported in previous 24 hours. Each day’s figure therefore reflects test samples actually carried out over the previous couple of days.

You will recall me saying that yesterday’s figure of reported cases seemed lower than expected. So today’s total of 806 includes a high number of results from samples actually taken on Friday and Saturday that we would have expected to see reported yesterday.

So that perhaps partly explains the particularly high number of cases we’re seeing today. We continue to work with the UK government to ensure that turnaround times for test results, which after a bit of a problem a couple of weeks ago have improved, continue to be as speedy as they need to be.

The second point is that, while we are certainly seeing rising transmission – and I am not underplaying that – we are doing much more testing now than in the spring, so comparisons of daily case numbers now versus then are not really particularly valid.

And of course Test and Protect is able to follow up every person who tests positive to ensure their contacts are traced and told to self-isolate.

So when we know transmission is rising as it is right now, it is actually important to know that significant numbers are being reported every day – that means we know about these positive cases and their contacts are being traced by Test and Protect and all of the work that Test and Protect has to do to break chains of transmission is being done.

The final point to draw attention to about today’s numbers is the age range of the cases. The majority are in the under 40 age groups – with the bulk of those in the under 25 age group – and that is of course affected by university clusters we’ve been seeing in recent days.

But the point I want to make today which is one you’ve heard me make before is that the fact that many cases are now in the younger age groups and we know that younger people are less likely to die from COVID than older, more vulnerable people, that mustn’t give rise to complacency.

Firstly, because young people can become very unwell from this virus and, while their risk of dying is lower, they’re not non-existent and we hear almost every day of what is described as ‘long COVID’ – of younger otherwise healthy people having quite long lasting health impacts from having had the virus.

But the other point about this is that, while we’re seeing a significant number of cases in the younger age group which is a phenomenon we’ve seen across Europe in the latest surge of COVID, it is the case that transmission amongst older age groups is also rising.

Around a third of today’s cases are actually in the over 40 age group and there are a number in the over 60 age group so transmission is rising across the spectrum of age ranges and I’ll say more shortly therefore about what we must all do to guard against transmission.

However, I will briefly address a couple of other issues first.

The Scottish Government Chief Economist has published his regular State of the Economy report today.

The report highlights that – year on year – economic output is likely to decline by 10% over the course of 2020. In many ways that is unsurprising, given the disruption caused to so many businesses. Nevertheless, that would still be the biggest reduction in output in modern times.

That is why the Scottish Government welcomed some parts of the UK Government’s announcement last week about continued support for employment and businesses. It is vital that some support for employers continues, after the furlough scheme ends at the end of October.

But we believe much more is still required and we want to work with the UK government constructively to that end. We can’t get away from the fact that the pandemic will continue to have a significant and, to a large extent, an unavoidable impact on our economy and support provided must reflect that.

The second issue I want to cover relates to funding for health boards and our health and social care integration authorities.

The Health Secretary confirmed earlier today that we are making an additional £1.1 billion available for these bodies.

This will help them to meet additional costs associated with COVID – such as buying personal protective equipment (PPE), safeguarding against infection; and paying for additional staff, and providing cover for staff who are unwell or self-isolating.

The funding will play an important part in ensuring that our health and care services can continue to operate well in the weeks and months to come.

It should help them to prepare for the pressures of the winter, to care safely for patients who have COVID, as well as resume services that were paused during the early months of the pandemic for non-COVID treatments and procedures.

Now let me return to the central issue of the day, which is the current COVID position. As is said earlier, COVID is on the rise again across our population and across Scotland – just as it is across the UK, Europe and the world.

I want to return today to the key actions that we should all take to try and reduce transmission and in particular, the actions we all need to take if we get a positive test result.

This is absolutely vital in helping control the spread of the virus. And it is crucial for all of us, wherever we live – there has been lots of focus on students in halls of residence recently – but self-isolation is essential for all of us if we test positive no matter where we live.

Essentially, if you have any one of the three recognised symptoms of COVID, you should start to self-isolate immediately, and book a test.

You can do that through the NHS Inform website. And I want to be very clear, while we’re not complacent and monitor this carefully, there is good availability of and access to testing across Scotland so make sure you don’t delay booking a test if you have symptoms.

The symptoms are a new cough, a high temperature, or a loss of – or change in – your sense of taste or smell.

From the time you realise you have one of these symptoms, you should not leave your house, except if you need to do that to get tested. You should not use public transport to go to a testing centre – if you can avoid that, you should instead drive or get someone to drive you, request a home test, or use a walk-in centre if there is one nearby or a mobile testing unit.

When you get your test result, if you test negative, and don’t have COVID, you can stop self-isolating at that point.

However if you have COVID, you need to self-isolate for a further 10 days, starting from the day on which you took the test.

Other people in your household should self-isolate for 14 days. They need to self-isolate for longer because if they get COVID from you, their infectious period will probably start a few days after yours did.

In addition, if you test positive someone from Test and Protect will speak to you to identify other possible contacts of yours.

And of course if you have downloaded the Protect Scotland app, you should also enter the code you have been given with your test result.

Once that code is entered onto the app, contacts identified by the app will automatically be notified. This is really important. Since we launched the app a couple of weeks ago, hundreds of people – who might not otherwise have been identified – have received notifications in this way and been given advice to self-isolate.

If you find out that you are a contact of someone with COVID – either through a Test and Protect team, or from the app – you need to self-isolate for 14 days. You will be told when that 14 day period starts from.

And the key thing to stress here is that self-isolation really does mean self-isolation. It means not leaving your house at all.

Because we know that’s really tough, we are working to put as much support in place as possible. For example, we are working with local authorities to ensure that when someone is asked by Test and Protect to self-isolate, they are contacted and offered essential practical support – for example help with delivery of food and other essentials. You can also dial the national assistance hotline if you need to self-isolate and need some help on 0800 111 4000. That’s 0800 111 4000.

As I said last week, we are also introducing financial support of £500 for those on low incomes as a way of supporting people to do the right thing. More details of that will be available later this week.

But although self-isolation is tough, it is also essential.

So please do self-isolate when you need to. It is one of the key ways in which we can help ensure that the virus does not spread to new households. And it is one of the ways in which all of us, at various times, may well be required to play our part in tackling the spread of the virus.

Now I’ve spent some time on self-isolation because it is so important and we want to make sure people understand why it’s so important and also what needs to be done when you’re asked to self-isolate and the support that is available. But there are of course other steps we must all take to try to reduce transmission.

So let me end with a quick recap of what those other steps are:

With some limited exceptions, none of us should be visiting each other’s homes at the moment.

When we do meet other households – outdoors, or in indoor public places – we must not meet in groups of more than six people from a maximum of two households.

We should all try to limit our visits to, and social interactions in, places like pubs and restaurants.

We should work from home if we can.

We should all download the Protect Scotland app, if we can.

And finally, all of us in all our interactions, should remember FACTS:

  • face coverings
  • avoid crowded places
  • clean hands and hard surfaces
  • maintain a two metre distance from people from other households
  • and – as I have already talked about today – immediately self-isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the recognised symptoms

These rules are not easy to comply with and they are a huge inconvenience to all of us in our daily lives. But they are essential right now to ensure that all of us are playing our part in trying to stem the increase in COVID and bring the virus back under control.

So again, my thanks to everybody for all of the many sacrifices that I know are being made the length and breadth of the country.

Rebuilding a fairer Scotland after COVID-19

Expertise and experience wanted to help tackle poverty and inequality

Ideas are being gathered to drive a fairer recovery in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Organisations and community groups are being asked to share ideas and evidence based on their experiences of responding to the pandemic, and their engagement with people with lived experience of poverty and inequality.

Responses will help inform the work of the Scottish Government’s Advisory Board on Social Renewal, which is tasked with building on the positive policy and practice shifts seen during COVID-19 to tackle disadvantage and poverty, and advance equality and social justice.

Analysis of responses will feed into the board’s discussions, and a report on the outcomes will be published later this year. 

Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the health, wealth and emotional wellbeing of our communities is vital to inform our response to and recovery from the pandemic. We also know particular groups have been disproportionately impacted by the crisis.

“That’s why we established the Social Renewal Advisory Board to focus on reducing poverty and disadvantage and advancing equality across a range of issues.

We now want to hear from the many organisations and community groups working on social renewal that will have adapted, changed and repurposed in light of COVID-19. There is significant learning on this to be shared and we want to capture that expertise.

“Our call for ideas and evidence will help us drive forward our ambitions on creating a fairer, more equal society and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are heard.”

The call for ideas and evidence will run until 16 October.

Find out more about how to take part here

Consumers lack confidence in returning to local businesses

phs Index reveals one in 20 places still shutdown following COVID lockdown

  • New white paper reports extent of coronavirus impact on organisations
  • phs Index barometer shows 95% of premises now open after 43% closed during lockdown
  • Scotland hit hardest by closures with 51% closed during lockdown
  • New data indicates building usage halved over lockdown; they remain 17% quieter
  • Research reveals consumers in Scotland not confident to return to local businesses; 29% not confident in hygiene measures and 33% not confident in social distancing practices

New data released by facilities services provider phs Group reveals one in 20 UK premises remain closed after 43% were shut down during the coronavirus lockdown. In Scotland, the impact is even more pronounced with 51% of premises shut during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new phs Index, published six-months on from the onset of lockdown, reports that 95% of organisations (businesses, governmental and non-governmental organisations) across the UK are now open following widespread closures; translating to one in 20 which are still shut down. However, Central London is lagging behind the UK with just 90% of premises open; equating to one in 10 which is still closed.

  • Building occupancy has dropped

Nationally, the amount of washroom waste generated by UK organisations in the last four months dropped by 49% year on year. As a good proxy for building occupancy, this indicates the nation’s organisations saw staff, visitor and customer levels almost halve this summer as lockdown took hold. In London, the amount of waste collected over the same period was down 73%, indicating a significant drop in building usage that far exceeds the national average.

Despite the number of reopenings, premises are now still significantly quieter with phs data showing a reduction in usage of 17% in August 2020 compared to pre-COVID levels meaning staff, visitors and customers are not fully returning. London is feeling the pain more than most with buildings a substantial 38% quieter in August.

The findings are published today (Wednesday, 24 September) in the new phs Index white paper, based on phs’ analysis of more than 120,000 UK organisations across all sectors and nearly 300,000 visits to customer premises each month, delivering a range of facilities services, including washroom services. Using this data, phs is uniquely positioned to identify trends in how organisations are being impacted by COVID-19 including insights into building closures and reopenings, rates of building occupancy and the impact on different sectors and geographical regions.

  • Consumer confidence still struggles

To find out more about consumer confidence, phs commissioned new independent research, asking people how they felt about going into local businesses.

In Scotland, nearly a third (29%) admitted to not being very confident about social distancing practices in these premises and a third (33%) are not confident about hygiene measures.

This implies that concerns about not being able to adhere to COVID safety measures is holding people back from returning to the places they would normally work and visit. Interestingly, consumer opinion is split between Edinburgh and Glasgow with people from Edinburgh must more risk averse.

In Edinburgh, 40% and 35% admitted they were not confident in social distancing and hygiene measures respectively. In Glasgow, only 28% and 24% were not confident in social distancing and hygiene in local businesses.

  • Food and accommodation the hardest hit sector

The phs Index reveals that at some point during lockdown, 43% of total premises shut down. A total of 5% remain closed now. The accommodation and food sector was the hardest hit with 73% of sites shutdown at the peak of closures (reached at the end of May) and 8% remaining closed today.

The  arts, entertainment and recreation sector was the second most affected with 62% of sites shutdown at the peak of closures (reached in mid-June). Today, 11% remain closed – more than double the national average.

But it’s not just about public-facing building; 38% of financial and business services sector sites were shut at the peak of closures, reached at the end of May, with more than one in 10 (11%) remaining closed today.

With these sectors synonymous with London’s economy, the prolonged closures in these sectors tell the story of London’s struggle to bounce back. In addition, phs reports that while 43% of education sites shut down at the peak of closures (end of May), 99% opened their doors for the start of the new academic year.

  • Scotland experiences biggest closure rate

Across the UK, phs reports the distinct differences in the extent of the closure of organisations . As a result of lockdown, more organisations closed in Scotland than anywhere else with 51% of sites shutting down. By comparison, 32% shutdown in Northern Ireland, 42% shutdown in Wales and 43% shutdown in England – with the UK average shutdown rate also 43%.  

When it comes to reopenings, 92% of premises are open in Scotland, 95% in England, 96% in Wales and 97% in Northern Ireland.

  • Lag in re-openings following restriction easings

The phs Index reveals the lag between the announcements of lockdown restriction easings and reopenings, determining an average of two weeks before organisations responded and still 5% of sites remaining closed today. Analysing the response of the accommodation and food service sector (including cafes, pubs, restaurants and hotels), the phs Index reports:

  • End of May: peak of closures in England with 72% of sites shut – open rate of 28%
  • Between end of May and 4 July: closures reduce to 48% – open rate of 52%
  • 4 July: UK Government allows cafes, pubs, restaurants and hotels in England to reopen
  • 1 week later (11 July): closures reduce to 40% – open rate of 60%
  • 1 month later (4 August): closures reduce to 23% – open rate of 77%
  • Now, 2+ months later: closures reduced to 8% – open rate of 92%

Interestingly, 24% of sites reopened before the official date of 4 July, indicating businesses were reformatting themselves into takeaways, home delivery outlets or essential retail outlets.

However, the lag in reopenings tells us many organisations were simply not ready; either having not being given enough time to prepare or not having got to grips with new social distancing measures – or that it was perceived to be unsafe or not economically viable to reopen.

  • Risk organisations may struggle to reopen

The concern for the 5% of sites that have been closed for as much as six months is what happens next; phs analysis of 2008 recession data reveals it took nearly five years for the economy to fully recover to its pre-recession level.

Over this period, phs experienced a cancellation rate owing to permanent closure that was 65% higher than before the recession. The question now is whether the remaining one in 20 closed sites can weather the storm and be able to re-open.

David Taylor-Smith, CEO of phs Group, said: “The new phs Index gets to the heart of the impact of the coronavirus on organisations,  creating a barometer for closures and occupancy during a turbulent and unpredictable time when organisations across the country shut their doors overnight and people were told to stay home.

“While the strictest period of lockdown may be over, the phs Index demonstrates there is a long way to go until organisations fully recover. Even though we’re seeing reasonably high reopen rates for organisations, the real story is that people – staff, visitors and customers – have not yet returned with buildings being 17% quieter overall and 38% quieter in London.

“It remains to be seen how many more people will return in the coming months as the pandemic and risk of future local lockdown plays out. In the interim, the only solution for organisations is to instil indisputable staff and consumer confidence in their premises, reassuring people that everything is being done to ensure their premises is as safe as possible.”

For more information and to download the free phs Index white paper, visit the phs website.

You can also follow @phsGroup on Twitter and phs Group on LinkedIn