The Executive Committee of the EIS has raised significant concerns over guidelines for the re-opening of Scotland’s schools.
With schools set to re-open next week, the EIS has written to Deputy First Minister John Swinney calling for a number of actions to be taken, as a matter of urgency, to protect pupils, staff and the wider community from the risk of COVID-19 infection.
In the letter, EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan says, “I write to you in order to raise some significant concerns regarding the now published Guidelines for the reopening of schools.
“You will recall that I raised at the CERG (COVID Education Recovery Group) meeting of July 24th, the EIS view that whilst the Guidelines represented the generality of where agreement was possible, they nonetheless fell short from an EIS perspective in significant areas.”
The letter goes on to outline EIS concerns in a number of areas, including physical distancing and class sizes, procedures for testing for COVID in schools, contradictions between procedures for schools and other settings such as public transport and shops, and concerns over staff members who have been shielding.
On the issue of physical distancing, the letter highlights that the Scottish Government guidance includes an, “Exhortation to move to smaller classes to support physical distancing where possible, without specification as to how that was to be done. The inherent contradiction in urging such a significant mitigation but failing completely to instruct its implementation is a major concern.”
The letter also calls for: “The strongest mitigations possible in place and erring on the side of caution particularly where there is conflicting or emerging evidence in relation to the behaviour of the virus and its capacity for transmission among and by children and young people. These should include specific physical distancing guidelines for pupils.”
On testing, the EIS letter says, “We would urge that further consideration be given to a more proactive approach to supporting teacher and staff confidence that they are working in Covid-secure schools, by providing asymptomatic access to regular testing.”
And, on the issue of staff who have been shielding, the letter says, “Teachers who have been shielding for the past three or four months under Scottish Government direction, are now concerned that next week they could be back in front of a full class of pupils. This seems to be an enormous leap and one which does not sit well with the First Minister’s warning to those who had been shielding until August 1st, about continuing to be especially cautious.”
Calling for further action to ensure safety, the letter goes on to state, “The EIS welcomes the fact that Scotland appears to have successfully suppressed the virus at this point in time; however, we would not wish to see the reopening of schools act as a catalyst to a resurgence. That means we must ensure that school buildings are COVID-secure environments.
“Across the globe we are witnessing how quickly things can deteriorate. Teachers, pupils, and parents have every reason to be anxious about schools reopening. Addressing the concerns raised in this letter would go some way to offering reassurance.”
The EIS will open a new survey of its members in schools across Scotland to seek their views on these issues and on the steps that should be taken to ensure that schools are safe. The survey will run this week, and the results will inform further discussions with the Scottish Government and local authorities ahead of next week’s planned re-opening of schools.
A copy of the EIS letter to Mr Swinney is available for information.
Edinburgh’s pupils will return to school next week.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Monday 3 August):
Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. I’ll start with the usual update on the Covid-19 statistics.
An additional 18 positive cases were confirmed yesterday. That represents 0.7% of the people who were newly tested yesterday, and it takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 18,694.
A health board breakdown will be available as usual later on but my provisional information is that 11 of the 18 new cases are in the Grampian Health Board area – though I cannot yet say if some or all are linked to the outbreak in Aberdeen. 6 are in Greater Glasgow & Clyde and 1 is in Lothian.
I can also report that a total of 265 patients are currently in hospital who have been confirmed as having the virus. That is the same as yesterday.
And a total of 3 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed Covid-19. That is also the same as yesterday.
Finally, I am very glad and relieved to say that yet again during the last 24 hours, no deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test in the previous 28 days as having Covid-19. The total number of deaths, under this particular measure, therefore remains 2,491.
Although we are now reporting fewer deaths on a daily basis, that total reminds us of the impact this virus has had on families across the country. I want to again extend my condolences to everyone who has suffered loss.
And as always, I want to thank our health and care workers for the extraordinary work that you continue to do.
There are three main points I want to cover today.
We have had – over the weekend as you may have seen in the media – a number of small outbreaks, of relatively low numbers across the country. The most significant of these is the cluster that is currently being dealt with in Aberdeen.
I can confirm that, as of now, 13 positive cases have been identified as associated with this cluster – though that number may yet rise.
Each of the cases so far is linked to the Hawthorns Bar in Aberdeen. And I want to thank that business for acting swiftly and for co-operating fully with the guidance and procedures to contain the cluster.
An incident management team – led by NHS Grampian – met over the weekend. It is working with the Scottish Government, Health Protection Scotland and local environmental health teams to trace contacts, inspect premises, and do everything possible to minimise onward transmission. I am very grateful for those efforts. And we will, of course, provide more details as and when they become available.
We’ve seen a few of these clusters now – and unfortunately, it’s very likely that we’ll see more in the weeks ahead.
This particular cluster in Aberdeen is, if I’m honest, exactly what I feared when we re-opened hospitality. And it’s what I was talking about last week, when I urged people to think carefully about how often you need to go to a pub or a restaurant right now, and the care you take while there.
Of course, it is not just this incident in Aberdeen. Across the country, and across social media, we’re seeing evidence of people – and it’s largely younger people – gathering together, with little or no physical distancing in place.
I’ve seen pictures on social media from this weekend that – not to put too fine a point on it – made me want to cry looking at them.
I know what a hard slog it is every single day right now to keep this virus under control.
That’s a hard slog by people here in the Scottish Government but even more so people working in test and protect and our local public health teams across the country. It is a hard slog by the many businesses doing the right things, and of course members of the public who continue to make very hard sacrifices right now.
But every time one person throws caution to the wind and flouts the rules, they put all of us at risk. And the reality is they put all of us at risk and they make the job of everybody working to try to control this virus that much harder.
So I know this year has been really difficult. The most difficult most of us can remember. I know people have missed socialising; and I know that as we exit lockdown – in a summer where we can’t really travel – things can get frustrating.
But I urge all of you to please follow the rules – not just for yourself, although it is for your health and wellbeing, but it’s also about your friends, members of your family and also about the good of the country and the economy overall. So we don’t have to put restrictions on hospitality back in place.
But be in no doubt, if we have to, we will – because we will have no choice.
The Test and Protect system is there to ensure that when these kinds of incidents do occur, they can be contained. And all the evidence I have seen so far suggests that the system is working well. But it is like fighting forest fires. It takes enormous efforts and enormous resource and it’s always a race against time.
So we all need to help. Test and Protect is at its most effective, when incidents like the one we are seeing in Aberdeen right now are kept to a minimum. And so all of us need to continue to reduce the risk of transmission – by denying the virus opportunities to spread.
So please I appeal to everybody be careful. Remember to physically distance, I know it’s really hard and I know it’s the easiest thing in the world to forget, but remember to keep that distance. Wash hands and surfaces, wear face coverings – and indeed, comply with all of the different elements of our FACTS campaign.
Doing those things is how we will keep rates of the virus low. And it’s also how we best support Test and Protect and local public health teams and give them the best chance of containing outbreaks – as and when they happen.
Of course, when we do have outbreaks of this kind, it’s also very important that we learn from them. And that’s relevant to the second point I want to touch on.
The Scottish Government has today published new guidance for call and contact centres. You’ll remember that – a couple of weeks ago – there was an outbreak linked to a call centre in Lanarkshire.
That centre was involved in essential activity. Throughout the pandemic, call and contact centres undertaking essential work, have been able to remain open.
The staff at those centres have – among other things – enabled the work of our emergency services; they’ve helped to support businesses; they’ve kept the lights on and the internet working; and they’ve provided financial and emotional advice to those who need it most. So I want to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in that incredibly important work.
I also want to take the opportunity to thank all of those who are still waiting for their workplace to reopen. Non-essential call and contact centre premises are due to remain closed until at least 14 September. And we’re continuing to advise people to work from home, wherever possible. I know that makes things really tough, and I really appreciate your patience – and the sacrifices you are making.
The guidance we’re publishing today will help to ensure that – now and in the future – contact and call centres can operate safely. It’s been produced in consultation with employers and trade unions. And it takes account of the latest scientific evidence – as well as experiences, like the outbreak in Lanarkshire.
The guidance provides important advice on things like physical distancing, cleaning and hand hygiene. And it should further reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, in the workplace.
The final issue I want to talk about today relates to the reopening of schools, next week.
We know that the move from nursery to primary school can be a big step for children. For parents and carers it can also involve additional costs – for things like school uniforms, shoes, school bags, and books.
Last year, the Scottish Government established the School Age Payment, to help with those kinds of costs. It’s part of the Best Start Grant. And it provides eligible parents or carers with a one off payment of £250.
It’s aimed at people who currently receive certain benefits or tax credits. And it will be available to parents or carers of a child born between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016.
It’s important to note that you do not need to take up a school place to get the money – those who are home schooling or have deferred their child’s start date can still apply.
So if you think you might be eligible, please go to mygov.scot/benefits, for more information. Alternatively, you can call 0800 182 2222 and speak to an adviser. We will make sure those details are posted on the Scottish Government Twitter feed later today.
It’s also worth noting that if you’re eligible for the Best Start Grant, you might also be entitled to free school meals or a School Clothing Grant. And you can apply for these, by contacting your local authority.
The basic point is that there is help there for you, if you need it. And the School Age Payment is one example of that.
Last year, it benefitted more than 18,000 families. And I hope that, this year – at a really tough time for many people – it provides even more households, with that little bit of extra support.
I will hand on to the Cabinet Secretary in a moment and then to the Chief Nursing Officer, but I want to end – as I usually do – by reminding you once again of Facts.
These are the five key things all of us must remember in everything we do:
Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport.
Avoid crowded places.
Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly.
Two metre distancing remains the rule, and
Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.
Following this advice is actually more important now than ever. Every step out of lockdown we take, the more opportunities there are for the virus to spread. So we have to be extra careful and extra vigilant.
Every day, we see the evidence of what can happen, if this virus gets out of control.
Around the world, across Europe, and in parts of England, we’re seeing significant flare-ups. And in many places, restrictions are having to re-imposed.
None of us want to see that here in Scotland, I certainly don’t. Incidents like the one in Aberdeen remind us of how fragile things are right now and it underlines why all of us have to stick to these rules. And it underlines why all of us need to continue to stick by the rules.
By doing that, we can all continue to play our part, in suppressing this virus. And we can ensure that – rather than having to go into reverse – we can continue to move in the right direction, out of lockdown.
So my thanks to everybody for their cooperation and compliance.
And please, as I said on Friday, just pause and think about how you are behaving in your own lives and if you have let those standards slip then please use this opportunity to tighten up because lives really do depend on it and we have all got a part to play.
The UK government must reconsider its position on people with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), says Scotland’s Housing Minister Kevin Stewart.
The move follows a letter from Minister for Immigration Compliance Chris Philp which again stated that there were no plans for the Home Office to suspend its approach to those with NRPF, despite the ongoing public health emergency.
More than £875,000 has been provided by the Scottish Government and local authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that people with no access to financial support are kept safe and secure. The Scottish Government and its third sector partners have repeatedly called for the UK government to lift these restrictions during the pandemic to enable everyone in our society to be treated fairly and equitably.
Mr Stewart said: “The Scottish Government is determined for our most vulnerable citizens not to be abandoned at a time when they need our help the most.
“The economic impacts of the pandemic are pushing thousands of people further into poverty and harming their work opportunities. However, thanks to a rapid and coordinated response in Scotland, we have been able to accommodate people who would otherwise be facing destitution, so they can protect themselves and others during the COVID-19 crisis.
“As a result, many people restricted by the UK Government’s harmful approach, who were previously sleeping rough or in unsuitable night shelters, are now being supported in hotels and other self-contained accommodation.
“I am therefore appalled at the UK government’s refusal to do the right thing and immediately lift the restrictions on those who currently have no recourse to public funds for the duration of this public health crisis and would again call for them to act.
“Their unreasonable and heartless restriction also affects women and children fleeing domestic abuse who have to leave with little resources or belongings and non EEA nationals who lost their incomes and found themselves far from their families and homes as a result of the pandemic.”
Millions of new rapid coronavirus tests will be rolled out across NHS hospitals, care homes and labs from next week.
Both tests will be able to detect COVID-19 and other winter viruses in just 90 minutes
New tests will hugely increase testing capacity ahead of winter, delivering fast results that will help to break chains of transmission quickly
Millions of ground-breaking rapid coronavirus tests will be rolled out to hospitals, care homes and labs across the UK to increase testing capacity ahead of winter. The tests will enable clinicians and NHS Test and Trace to quickly advise on the best course of action to stop the spread of the virus.
Two new tests – both able to detect the virus in just 90 minutes – will be made available to NHS hospitals, care homes and labs. The 2 tests will be able to detect both COVID-19 and other winter viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The tests do not require a trained health professional to operate them, meaning they can be rolled out in more non-clinical settings.
This will help to further strengthen the coronavirus response this winter, arming both clinicians and NHS Test and Trace with the ability to distinguish between COVID-19 cases, which have specific self-isolation requirements, and other winter viruses.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We’re using the most innovative technologies available to tackle coronavirus. Millions of new rapid coronavirus tests will provide on-the-spot results in under 90 minutes, helping us to break chains of transmission quickly.
“The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others.
“I am hugely grateful for the excellent work done by DnaNudge and Oxford Nanopore to push forward these life-saving innovations in coronavirus testing.”
A new test that uses DNA to detect the virus will be rolled out across NHS hospitals from September, with 5,000 DNA machines, supplied by DnaNudge, to provide 5.8 million tests in the coming months.
Separately, 450,000 90-minute LamPORE swab tests will also be available across adult care setting and laboratories from next week, supplied by Oxford Nanopore.
DNA testing for coronavirus
5,000 DNA ‘Nudgebox’ machines, supplied by DnaNudge, will be rolled out across NHS hospitals in the UK to analyse DNA in nose swabs, providing a positive or negative result for COVID-19 in 90 minutes, at the point of care. The machines will process up to 15 tests on the spot each day without the need for a laboratory.
The DNA COVID-19 test machines are currently operating in 8 London hospitals:
St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington
Charing Cross Hospital
West Middlesex University Hospital
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Royal Hospital Chelsea
Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Maternity Hospital
the Renal Transplant Centre at Hammersmith Hospital
the Tower Hamlets Centre for Mental Health at Mile End Hospital
The machines are located in cancer wards, A&E and maternity wards to protect those most at risk.
The government is signing contracts with more companies to produce machines for DNA coronavirus testing.
Rapid LamPORE tests
The new rapid LamPORE test will be able to process swab and saliva samples to detect the presence of COVID-19 in 60 to 90 minutes.
The new test has the same sensitivity as the widely used PCR swab test, but can be used to process swabs in labs, as well as on-location through ‘pop up’ labs. The desktop GridION machine can process up to 15,000 tests a day, or the palm-sized MinION can process up to 2,000 tests a day for deployment in a near-community ‘pop-up’ lab.
450,000 of the new LamPORE tests will be available from next week across adult care settings, NHS laboratories and lighthouse laboratories, with millions more tests to be rolled out later in the year.
Details of positive test results will be shared with NHS Test and Trace, so close contacts can self-isolate in line with guidance.
Regius Professor Chris Toumazou FRS, CEO and co-founder of DnaNudge and founder of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London, commented: “The DnaNudge team worked with incredible speed and skill during the peak of the pandemic to deliver this highly accurate, rapid COVID-19 test, which requires absolutely no laboratory or pipettes and can be deployed anywhere with a direct sample-to-result in around just over an hour.
“We have been able to successfully adapt our in-store consumer DNA testing technology – which identifies genetic risks for chronic conditions related to obesity and type 2 diabetes – and validate it for detecting COVID-19 with gold-standard accuracy.
“We are extremely proud to be playing such a pivotal role in supporting the national effort on testing, as this major contract award signifies. With the ability to test not only for COVID-19 but also FluA, FluB and RSV on the same single COVID-19 Nudge cartridge, our multiplex test offers a vital solution to protect the NHS as we head into the flu season.”
Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore, said: “We are honoured to be playing a part in fighting COVID-19 in the UK, and preparing the country for the winter virus season. Ever since we founded Oxford Nanopore, our mission has been to create disruptive, high performance technology that has a profound, positive impact on society.
“LamPORE has the potential to deliver a highly effective and, crucially, accessible global testing solution, not only for COVID-19 but for a range of other pathogens. We are delighted to be working with the UK government to support and empower our communities to effectively manage testing at a national and localised level.”
We are extremely disappointed that the possible opening of gyms in Scotland has been delayed until September 14th.
We know that the majority of our Scottish members (over 120,000 of them across 24 gyms!) are desperate to get back to their gyms to improve their physical and mental wellbeing and they, and the whole gym and fitness centre industry in Scotland, will be as disappointed as we are.
We have a vital role to play in the fight against obesity which is a public health challenge in Scotland and right across the UK.
More broadly, it strikes us as truly extraordinary that, in the middle of a health crisis, the First Minister and her team have not ascribed any real priority to working with us and our sector to understand our capacity to help provide for the better health and well-being of the Scottish people at this time.
Her approach seems to be in direct contrast to other countries. For example, our gyms in Switzerland are in their 12th week of opening and in Denmark we are in our 7th week after opening.
Across those countries, we have welcomed over 3 million visitors since reopening. We have been audited and visited by police and authorities in those countries on dozens of occasions and passed every test.
As far as we know, there have been no incidents of transmission or infection in our facilities – and both Denmark and Switzerland have good “track and trace” systems and tracing Apps operating.
Furthermore, we reopened gyms in Northern Ireland 3 weeks ago and in England this week and these re-openings have met with strong local support for the access to exercise and much consumer praise for the protocols, standards and safety processes that have been implemented.
In prior speeches the First Minister has alluded to “evidence” that gyms are a problem and in her speech she referenced “clinical advice” that gyms pose a “particular risk”.
We acknowledge that there are problems, challenges and risks in all areas of society at the moment – and gyms have their own specific risks of course. That is precisely why we and the entire gym and fitness industry have invested huge effort and rigour in devising safety protocols and procedures that materially reduce the risk of viral transmission.
These protocols are now allowing hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and across Europe to reap the mental and physical benefits of exercise without exposing themselves to undue risk.
We urge the Scottish authorities to share openly relevant evidence and the cited clinical advice but above all to work with our sector to understand the approaches to risk mitigation which we have successfully implemented in other countries and which stand ready to benefit the people of Scotland.
Our gyms at PureGym are, on average, the size of five or six doubles tennis courts and are exceptionally well ventilated, enabling people to work and exercise safely and securely.
Through our existing electronic entry system, we know the names and details of every single member in our facilities at any moment so can exercise tight control over attendance. As well as being staffed at all opening times we also monitor behaviour inside the gyms on CCTV so we are well prepared to oversee and enforce social distancing.
We have developed detailed, industry-agreed guidance and are confident gyms are safe places to work and safe places to workout. The protocols which have been developed with the input of recognised medical experts – cover all aspects of hygiene, disinfection, access control, physical separation, number limitations per venue, monitoring and oversight, education and training.
In summary, we urgently call on the First Minister to re-examine the current, factual evidence, engage with us and our industry bodies, and allow the Scottish people back into gyms as soon as possible so that we can support them in living happier and healthier lives.
Demand for food packs highlights impact of the pandemic.
Homeless people and others affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are to receive further support through the Scottish Government’s emergency funding for communities.
In March, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell announced a £350 million package of funding to help tackle harms caused by the pandemic, including a £70 million Food Fund. More than £40 million extra funding has since been committed for food initiatives, increasing the total to £110 million.
Social enterprise Social Bite has been awarded an additional £48,500 for its COVID-19 response, with its funding since April now totalling £700,000. Its team have delivered 500,000 food packs and meals to people in need in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow since April.
Speaking following a visit to Social Bite’s central kitchen in Livingston, Ms Campbell said: “Like many community groups and charities, Social Bite’s team have worked hard making and delivering meals as well as offering a free takeaway service for those most at risk. I want to thank everyone who has supported people through this time.
“Sadly, the demand for such services highlights the terrible impact of the pandemic on people from all walks of life.
“We have provided flexibility through our £110 million funding to tackle food insecurity so people can access both cash and food-based support. This includes funding for free school meals over the summer holidays, food boxes for those who were shielding and support for people facing financial hardship. We have also more than doubled the Scottish Welfare Fund.
“Anyone worried about being able to access food should contact the National Helpline on 0800 111 4000.”
Josh Littlejohn, co-founder and CEO of Social Bite, said: “As soon as the pandemic hit, we saw that food poverty was going to be a major issue for our most vulnerable communities, so we re-purposed Social Bite’s entire infrastructure to provide free food for those who needed it.
“Thanks to support from the Scottish Government, the business community and the public, we were able to mobilise extremely quickly. Since the pandemic began, we have distributed more than 500,000 food packs. This funding will help us provide further support for homeless people and other vulnerable groups in our communities amid the acute challenges of COVID-19.”
But Which? says the CAA is failing the consumers it is supposed to protect
Review considered actions by airlines during the coronavirus pandemic
Civil Aviation Authority action has led to airlines making commitments to improve performance without requiring formal enforcement action
Quality of service and performance from most airlines has improved in response to bilateral engagement and the review, leading to refunds now being paid out faster
Civil Aviation Authority warns other European and international airlines that the consumers right to a refund must be protected
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has been reviewing the refund policies and performance of UK airlines and three of the largest international operators to the UK. A further five international airlines were included due to the level of consumer feedback and concerns that refunds were not being paid during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Civil Aviation Authority review is based on its own investigations, as well as information provided to us by consumers across email and social media, as well as through consumer bodies including the Competition and Markets Authority, the Northern Ireland Consumer Council and Which?.
At the start of the review, some airlines were not paying refunds, with others facing potential backlogs of numerous months.
We investigated airlines’ policies and practices to establish whether they were placing barriers in the way of consumers requesting refunds, through unclear messaging, difficult to navigate customer services and under-resourced call centres.
While we recognise that the coronavirus pandemic was an unprecedented situation for the aviation industry, our consumer team has worked to protect consumer rights and to influence airlines to change their processes and practices in order to improve performance in providing refunds.
The Civil Aviation Authority now has evidence that shows that since it launched its review, and its wide-ranging engagement programme with airlines, all UK airlines are now paying refunds. Call centre wait times have reduced, in some cases significantly, and customer service messaging has provided greater clarity on consumers’ rights to a refund for cancelled flights.
Our review found that a number of airlines were not performing adequately. We have gained immediate commitments from these airlines to improve their performance and the time taken to provide refunds to consumers, without requiring enforcement action.
This is the most immediate way of providing benefits to consumers as enforcement processes can take a considerable amount of time to complete given the potential for legal proceedings. We have previously called for stronger, more immediate, powers to act to protect consumer rights.
Other European airlines were not initially within the scope of our review due to discussions taking place between National Enforcement Bodies, European governments and the EU Commission. Engaging with these other EU airlines at that point would have potentially cut across these other discussions.
However, we have today written to a further 30 major European and international airlines that operate services to and from the UK to highlight the results of our review, and to warn them not to deny consumers their right to a refund. We will not hesitate to take further action against any airlines where necessary.
Commenting on the review, Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “The airlines we have reviewed have responded by significantly enhancing their performance, reducing their backlogs, and improving their processing speeds in the interests of consumers.
“Although we have taken into account the serious operational challenges many airlines have faced, we have been clear that customers cannot be let down, and that airlines must pay refunds as soon as possible.
“There is still work to do. We have required commitments from airlines as they continue the job of paying customer refunds. Should any airline fall short of the commitments they have made, we will not hesitate to take any further action where required.”
Summary statements for each airline are available on CAA website at the link below:
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“The regulator is failing the consumers it is supposed to protect. The reality is that people are still owed millions of pounds in refunds, are facing financial and emotional turmoil, and continue to be fobbed off by a number of airlines who have been brazenly breaking the law for months.
“These airlines will now feel they can continue to behave terribly having faced no penalty or sanction.
“It is obvious that the CAA does not have the right tools to take effective action against airlines that show disregard towards passengers and the law, but more worryingly, it’s not clear the regulator has the appetite to use them.
“The government must use this opportunity to bring in much-needed reforms, including giving regulators greater powers to take swift and meaningful action, but consumers need assurances that these will actually be used against lawbreaking companies.”
We are pleased to announce the second half of Edinburgh Culture Conversations, a series of live, online events staged in conjunction with the Edinburgh Futures Institute debating the future role of arts and culture, and examining how the arts and creative sectors can help society recover from the effects of Covid-19.
The events bring together members of the public, artists, academics and cultural leaders to discuss how culture contributes to our lives and what it could do in the future.
Join us at 6pm over the next five Mondays, 03 August to 14 September, for weekly conversations to debate the value of creativity, not only to the arts, but also to society and the wider economy.
Hosted by Janet Archer, the University of Edinburgh’s Director of Festivals, Cultural and City Events, each panel features distinguished guests with a truly diverse range of professional, expert and practitioner experience and knowledge.
They include:
Lesley McAra, Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Futures Institute Dorothy Miell, Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Edinburgh Simon Brault, Director and CEO Canada Council for the Arts and Chair IFACCA: International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies Jackie Wylie, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the National Theatre of Scotland Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director and Lead Principal Dancer of the English National Ballet David Greig, Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive, Royal Lyceum Theatre Leonie Bell, Strategic Lead for Future Paisley and Director Designate, V&A Dundee Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Macdonald Chair of Neurology, Centre for Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh Imam Razawi, Director General and Chief Imam, Scottish Ahlul Bayt Society Amanda Parker, Director Inc Arts and Editor Arts Professional.
We are recording and uploading each event to our website so you can watch at any time. Ask us questions at the Live Events, comment on our Facebook page or write to us at festivals@ed.ac.uk with your responses, we’d love to hear from you on any of the topics we’re discussing.
The conversations have been organised by the University of Edinburgh Festivals Office and are being staged in conjunction with the University of Edinburgh’s new centre for interdisciplinary learning and research, the Edinburgh Futures Institute.
A new report has been produced by the Just Transition Commission for the Scottish Government, providing recommendations for Scotland’s green economic recovery.
This report follows the Edinburgh Climate Commission’s inaugural report, Forward Faster Together, which was published and presented to Councillors earlier this month, with the Council agreeing a green recovery is the only way forward for our City.
Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh Council Leader, said: “Having committed to working for a green recovery we very much welcome the report and recommendations from the Just Transition Commission. These are very well aligned to those of the Edinburgh Climate Commission and to Edinburgh’s 2050 City Vision of a thriving and fair city.
“We need to ensure that we build our city and our country back in the right way, focusing on action that contributes to our net zero carbon by 2030 ambition and prioritising initiatives that make a positive impact on climate change.”
Cammy Day, City of Edinburgh Council Depute Leader, said: “With the dual crises of COVID-19 and climate change it’s clear that we must deliver a green recovery that is just, fair and sustainable in the long-term by enhancing job creation, empowering Edinburgh’s residents, improving public health and driving innovation while tackling climate change.
The Just Transition Commission’s report recommends a green recovery that looks out for both people and planet. This will require action at both national and local government levels, and we look forward to working with the Scottish Government to making this central to the economic recovery of Edinburgh.”
Read the Just Transition Commission report at the Scottish Government website and find the Edinburgh Climate Commission report, Forward Faster Together, here.
Two further cases have tested positive for COVID-19 as part of an existing cluster of cases in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. Both of these individuals are linked to known contacts of the earlier cases.
This now takes the total to 13 and an Incident Management Team (IMT) are contacting anyone who may be affected.
The cases are linked to the M&D Green pharmacy in John Wood Street, Port Glasgow and Amazon in Gourock. Some of the cases visited the following locations during the period in which they may have been infectious to others: The Botany on Maryhill Road in Glasgow City, and The Queen of the Loch by Marston’s Inn, Lomond Woods Holiday Park and Sweeney’s Cruises in West Dunbartonshire.
We can also confirm that a case has a link to the Sitel call centre in Lanarkshire.
Health and local environmental health staff are working closely with all the businesses to trace any close contacts of the cases, and appropriate advice is being given to these individuals including on self-isolation.
All the businesses continue to operate including the pharmacy where precautions have been taken to keep customers and staff safe.
None of the cases or their contacts who are linked to the pharmacy are currently working there, and infection control measures in the pharmacy have been carefully reviewed. Anyone using the pharmacy or getting their medication from the pharmacy can be reassured that it is safe.
Dr Daniel Carter, Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Chair of the IMT, said: “All those who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been given appropriate advice and are self-isolating.
“We are working with a number of businesses including a local pharmacy to trace any close contacts.”
“We would like to take this opportunity to remind local residents of the importance of continuing with the general measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19 to themselves and to others. These include social distancing, regular handwashing, and being vigilant for symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should immediately self-isolate and seek a test.
“Anyone who needs to do anything over and above these general measures will be contacted by the Test and Protect service and given specific advice.
“We would also ask that anyone who has been in any of these businesses should stay vigilant and alert to any symptoms suggestive of Covid-19. If symptoms arise people should immediately self-isolate and seek a test otherwise they do not need to do anything additional to these general measures unless they are contacted by the Test and Protect service.”
Dr Linda de Caestecker, Director of Public Health, NHSGGC added: “None of the cases are experiencing anything but mild symptoms and to maintain patient confidentiality we are unable to give any further information on the cases.
“Everyone who may have been exposed to these cases is being followed up and given appropriate advice.
“We want to reassure community pharmacies and general practices in the area that no additional precautions are required beyond those already in place to protect patients and staff.
“The pharmacy named continues to provide a valuable service to the community and is following all the correct infection control protocols to ensure customers are safe.”
