Tag: Covid-19

#FoodHeroScot launches to put sustainability at the heart of Scotland’s recovering Food and Drink industry

A dynamic new visual storytelling campaign #FoodHeroScot has been launched by Medialiciously and its partners, to create a platform for hospitality businesses in Scotland; showcasing the importance of sustainable products, services and initiatives, whilst shining a light on an industry significantly impacted by the Covid-19 Pandemic. 

The non-profit visual storytelling campaign, #FoodHeroScot, is supported by STV’s £1m Green Fund which aims to champion the efforts of sustainable Scottish SME businesses by raising their profile and communicating with consumers, whilst encouraging Scots to reduce their own carbon footprint. 

The campaign has attracted support from a number of business figures across Scotland including Alan Mahon, Founder of Brewgooder; Anna Lagerqvist Christopherson, Managing Director of Boda Bars; Nick Nairn, Owner of Nairns Ltd; Ayleen Gonzalez, Policy Advisor at Talk Aid; Carina Contini, Director at Victor & Carina Contini; Karis Gill, Co-Founder of Social Stories Club, Loral Quinn, CEO of Sustainably; Kelly Wright, Founder of The Refillery and Calum Haggerty, Managing Director of COCO Chocolatier.

Lee Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Medialiciously and key founder of #FoodHeroScot said: “We are excited to be launching this innovative campaign and to be working with such great businesses and ambassadors in the hospitality sector who have shown their resilience and willingness to lead by example in driving sustainable impact.

“We want to leave a lasting impression by creating an ecosystem of businesses, partners, sector organisations and like-minded consumers that care about sustainability and the immediate impact of business and buying decisions on the planet.” 

Alan Mahon, movement ambassador and founder at Brewgooder said, “The food and drink industry is one of Scotland’s most dynamic, purposeful and inspiring sectors. To be an ambassador for my peers and to help create a more inclusive, and more impactful industry is a genuine honour.”

Over the course of the next 12 months, the campaign will reveal ten powerful mini documentaries featuring businesses or social enterprises that will be shared on the #FoodHeroScot website and amplified through a media campaign delivered by STV, as part of their Green Fund commitment.  

There will be three nomination and voting phases to encourage a fair competition process. In total, there will be 10 winning businesses and each of them will be gifted a support package worth over £25,000 of in-kind support packages including marketing and PR with the aim of shedding light towards the sustainability efforts of the winning brands. 

Danielle Kelly, STV’s Director of Strategy and Sales Scotland said: “#FoodHeroScot is a fantastic campaign which will showcase the innovation and creativity of Scotland’s hospitality industry in responding to the climate emergency. 

“As Scotland’s Public Service Broadcaster, we are committed to raising awareness of environmental issues and helping to effect change.  Our Green Fund shines a light on the great work of Scottish sustainable businesses and through this exciting new partnership we look forward to championing sustainability across the food and drink sector to help to drive Scotland’s economic recovery.” 

The #FoodHeroScot campaign will also promote the positive contribution of partner food and drink brands through a directory style website, complemented by a growing collection of business leaders and global ambassadors adding their voice and influence on the campaign and providing a far-reaching legacy and change towards sustainability.  

Lee Fitzpatrick concludes: “The Food and Drink industry across Scotland has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic and it’s time to highlight their sustainable products, services and initiatives, supporting them in their recovery after such a devastating year for so many.

“We want this platform to spark important discussions and drive businesses to make a conscious change towards sustainability.”

Those interested in supporting the green recovery of the industry should visit www.foodheroscot.co.uk for more details around how to nominate businesses in the food and drink sector. 

Blackhall Library to open as temporary Covid testing centre

Blackhall Library will re-open as a COVID 19 testing centre next week (Monday 7th – Sunday 13th June).

Opening hours are 9am – 6pm. This is a drop in, just turn up service specifically for those people showing no symptoms.

Lothian Lockdown: Take part in the Lothian Video Diary Project

Are you a resident in Edinburgh? Would you like to take part in a project by telling us about your experience of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Researchers at the University are looking for participants to take part in their project Lothian Lockdown Diaries, which aims to find out how Covid-19 has impacted people living in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Take part

Scottish Covid-19 study launched

A study into the long term effects of COVID-19 on the people of Scotland

A major study into the effects of Covid on the health of Scotland’s population has been launched.

The Covid in Scotland Study aims to identify the effects of Covid-19 on the health of people in Scotland. We want to find out how many people continue to be unwell after having Covid-19, what their symptoms are, and how it affects their lives.

Why is the study being done?

Most people with Covid-19 recover within three weeks. Some people don’t because they get ‘long Covid.’ We need to understand the long-term effects of Covid-19, the number of people who have long-term problems and the nature and impact of these.

Hasn’t this already been done?

There have been some other studies looking at long Covid but they have been done on particular groups, such as people who were admitted to hospital. In the Covid in Scotland Study, we are contacting everyone in Scotland who had a positive Covid-19 test as well as a comparison group of people who tested negative.

How will this study help people with long Covid?

Our study aims to help health and social care services make informed decisions about treating and supporting people with long Covid.

How can people take part

We are sending invitations via SMS to all adults in Scotland who have had a positive Covid-19 test and a sample of people who have only had a negative test(s). These messages are automated. We don’t have names, phone numbers or other identifiable information.

Are people who have had Covid-19 involved in designing and running the study?

Yes. People who have had Covid-19 symptoms are on the study steering group. They are providing advice throughout the study, helping to develop the information material and will help to share the findings.

Who is funding the study?

The study is funded by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office.

Where will the study be published?

Our results will be shared with the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland and patient groups. The results will be published in a medical journal and shared through social media and a press release.

Taking a free COVID test ‘helps keep your community safe’

Residents living close to Wester Hailes Library are being urged to come forward and get a free, rapid COVID test at the temporary community testing centre if they don’t have symptoms of the virus. 

The Asymptomatic Testing Centre (ATC) is open until Sunday 9 May from 9am to 6pm daily and is the second ATC in the Capital, following the first one which operated from Craigmillar Library until 2 May. 

Local resident Sas Martinez popped into Wester Hailes Library for a quick COVID test, to check if he was carrying the virus despite feeling fine. 

Sas said: “I think it’s really important to get tested as you don’t really know if you are a carrier of COVID.  People are unwittingly spreading the virus as they don’t have any symptoms and they don’t know they could be spreading it. 

“If more people get the test they will know for sure they are ok and people who do test positive can self-isolate, which will help stop the spread and keep their families safe – and, in turn, their local community.

“We all want to get back to normal as soon as possible and taking this test will help us achieve that.”

When Sas went to the community testing centre, he also met Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Leader Cammy Day, who had come along to visit the centre and meet the staff working so hard to help identify symptomless cases in the local community and limit the spread. 

Cllr McVey said: “These community testing centres are vital in keeping the pandemic under control and getting back to something like normality again.

“If we can identify positive cases, even though there may be no symptoms, we can better keep the spread under control and keep people safe.

“It was great to meet Sas and all the staff doing such a great job to run the centre safely and efficiently.”

Cllr Day said: “If we don’t know where all the cases of COVID are, we’re in a much more difficult position when it comes to stopping the virus in its tracks if outbreaks do occur, so it’s really important as many people as possible come forward for a free and very quick test when there’s a community testing centre in their area.

“Hats off to all the centre staff here in Wester Hailes Library, they’re working incredibly hard on such a valuable project.”

Community testing information, including guidance on support available for anyone who has to self-isolate, is available on the council website. 

Asymptomatic testing centres are run in partnership with the Scottish Government. The next ATC in Edinburgh will open at Gilmerton Library from 10 to 16 May.

Residents who do not have any of the three COVID symptoms (a new continuous cough, temperature, loss or change in sense of taste or smell) are encouraged to get tested.

There is no need to book and testing is available from Wester Hailes Library until Sunday 9 May 2021, open 9am to 6pm daily. 

The centre is only for people without symptoms.

Anyone with COVID 19 symptoms should self-isolate and book a test in the usual way via nhsinform.scot or by calling 0800 028 2816.

Residents will be tested using lateral flow devices (LFDs), which can give people their results in around 45 minutes. Any positive cases will then be confirmed by PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test.

Anyone who receives a positive LFD or PCR test result will be asked to self isolate. Dedicated support is available to anyone who needs to self isolate, including food packages and financial support.

PM must set timetable for Covid-19 public inquiry, says TUC

The TUC is calling for an immediate public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The call came as workers around the world marked International Workers’ Memorial Day yesterday, in memory of those who have died, been injured, suffered work-related ill-health or been infected at work.

Official figures show more than 11,000 working age people have died of Covid-19 since the pandemic began.

The TUC says that alongside scrutinising the quality of decision-making across the pandemic response in government, the public inquiry must specifically look at infection control and workplace safety, including the failure to provide adequate financial support to self-isolate, PPE availability for health and care staff and other frontline workers throughout the crisis, the effectiveness of test and trace, and the failure to enforce the law on workplace safety.

It adds it should examine the unequal impact of Covid-19 on different groups of workers, specifically Black and Minority Ethnic workers and insecure occupations among whom Covid mortality rates are disproportionately higher.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Any public inquiry must look at why workers were put at risk – be it through inadequate PPE or being unable to afford to self-isolate.

“This isn’t about settling scores. It’s about getting answers and learning the lessons to save lives in future. On International Workers’ Memorial Day, we remember those who have died, and pledge ourselves to fight for safe workplaces for everyone.”

Jo Goodman, co-founder of Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice said: “An independent, judge-led statutory public inquiry is vital to making sure we learn lessons and save lives during the pandemic and for any future waves.”

The families of Unite members who lost loved ones to Covid-19 walked the memorial wall in London ton International Workers’ Memorial Day.

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey and the families also joined with TUC representatives to observe the minute’s silence at midday on 28 April.

Unite said it is throwing its weight behind calls for a statutory public inquiry into the government’s handling of the pandemic, recently rejected by ministers, and is backing the campaign for the National Covid Memorial Wall in Lambeth, south London, to be made permanent.

The memorial wall is made up of 150,000 individual painted hearts, one for every UK person who lost their life to the disease in the past year. The wall is around half a kilometre long and takes around 10 minutes to walk.

Len McCluskey joined Hannah Brady and Leshie Chandrapala, who both lost their fathers to the disease last year. Hannah’s father caught the virus while travelling to his work in a factory, while Leshie’s father was one of 27 London bus drivers who died of the disease between March and May last year.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Len McCluskey said: “Unite offers the bereaved families our full support in securing a permanent home for this incredible wall, and in the continued battle for the full and frank public inquiry the country needs.”

UK aid and Unilever reach one billion people with global hygiene campaign to tackle Covid-19

A hygiene campaign launched by the Government and Unilever to tackle Covid-19 has now reached one billion people.

  • The world’s largest hygiene campaign aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19 has reached one billion people.
  • The UK Government and Unilever partnered to provide soap, sanitiser and surface disinfectants to developing countries, where there is little or no sanitation.
  • This comes as the UK-backed COVAX scheme reaches deliveries of vaccines to 100 countries and territories.

One billion people in developing countries have now been reached with advice, hygiene products and access to handwashing facilities in a campaign launched between the UK government and British business Unilever to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Working through the UN, charities and other partners, the campaign has:

  • Trained 140,000 staff, including community health workers and teachers, to deliver hygiene skills, including deep cleaning of public buildings and effective handwashing.
  • Installed over 500,000 handwashing stations around the world, including in Bangladesh, as well as health care facilities in Iraq.
  • Run information campaigns across TV, radio and social media in 37 countries to increase understanding of the benefits of handwashing with soap regularly and disinfecting surfaces to prevent the spread of Covid-19. These campaigns have also reached refugees living in some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, such as South Sudan and Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
  • Delivered 75 million Unilever hygiene products, more than three times the original target, to 60 countries, covering South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, South East Asia and the Middle East. These have been donated by Unilever’s leading hygiene brands, including Lifebuoy and Domestos.

The UK has been leading the international response to the Covid-19 pandemic, helping to develop and distribute vaccines support the global economy and bolster health systems around the world.

As one of the largest donors to the COVAX AMC, the UK is also helping stop the spread of the disease through global vaccinations. The scheme has reached 100 countries so far.

The Prime Minister has also confirmed the UK will share the majority of any future surplus coronavirus vaccines from our supply with the COVAX procurement pool to support developing countries.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Minister Wendy Morton said: “This global hand washing campaign has saved lives and protected some of the most vulnerable communities around the world against Covid-19 and other diseases.

“No one is safe until we are all safe. That is why the UK has also provided £548 million for COVAX to deliver more than one billion vaccines around the world, as well as lobbying international partners to increase their funding.”

As well as the UK Government and Unilever, the campaign, funded by UK aid and Unilever, is also supported by experts from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and 21 partners including UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who are helping governments around the world on their own Covid-19 responses.

Charities and international organisations have developed new tools to communicate how Covid-19 is spread. Population Services International developed a WhatsApp chatbot to send new training to health workers while remaining socially-distanced and safe.

Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer at Unilever, said: “Our business has a century-long history of promoting hygiene through our brands, but this unprecedented crisis called for an unprecedented response.

“Public-private partnership has been critical, allowing us to leverage the influence, expertise and networks of both government and business, and our strong network of NGO and UN partners, at home and overseas. We’re pleased to work together with partners to implement initiatives to address the pandemic at scale.”

Robert Dreibelbis, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “Handwashing and hygiene are among the most effective ways to help prevent the spread of many diseases.

“The COVID-19 crisis has shown the important role that hygiene plays in health. Our hope is that this recognition of the vital role of hygiene continues at scale as a key part of COVID-19 recovery.”

Project investigating the effects of COVID-19 on blood vessels and blood pressure receives Heart Research UK grant

A University of Glasgow project that is aiming to better understand the effects that COVID-19 infection has on blood vessels and blood pressure has received a grant of £250,000 from Heart Research UK.

Research has shown that people who are older, obese, male or those who have other medical problems including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or chronic lung conditions, have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is very common with more than one quarter of adults in the UK affected.

The virus causing COVID-19 enters the body’s cells through a receptor called ACE2 which is found in the lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver, and bowel. ACE2 is very important for maintaining many of the body’s important processes including blood pressure, inflammation, and wound healing.

COVID-19 can also cause damage to the walls of the blood vessels which makes the risk of blood clots higher and this has been seen more often in people with high blood pressure. The reasons for this are not yet known which is why we need to understand more about the links between COVID-19 and high blood pressure.

This study, which will be led by Professor Sandosh Padmanabhan, Professor of Cardiovascular Genomics and Therapeutics, aims to answer whether:

  • High blood pressure makes COVID-19 infection worse and if so, why.
  • COVID-19 infection makes high blood pressure worse and if so, why.
  • Monitoring and management of high blood pressure needs to be a greater priority during the pandemic.

The study will look at routinely collected health records for people in the West of Scotland who attended hospital or had a positive test for COVID-19 between April 2020 and April 2021. This will be compared to the records of patients who attended hospital during 2019, for another reason. They will also look in detail at a group of people with high blood pressure.

Prof Padmanabhan’s team will also study a group of people that have recovered from COVID-19 infection. They will undergo blood pressure monitoring, and tests of heart and blood vessel health. These tests will be repeated after 12 and 18 months to see if there have been any changes. They will be compared to a group of people who have not had COVID-19.

Finally, the study will look at markers in the blood (biomarkers) with the aim of identifying any which are linked with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or death in COVID-19.

This study will give us a better understanding of the links between COVID-19 infection and high blood pressure, and help to improve the long-term outcomes for survivors of COVID-19. Also, the findings may lead to recommendations on the monitoring and management of blood pressure during the pandemic.

Prof Padmanabhan said: “The current COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has exposed unexpected cardiovascular vulnerabilities at all stages of the disease.

“The mechanism by which the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes infection is believed to directly and indirectly affect the cardiovascular system potentially resulting in new-onset hypertension, heart failure and stroke and represents an insidious feature of long-COVID.

“The burden of hypertension as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown, but given the scale of the infection especially among the young this will be a major concern for the future. In this project, we plan to generate valuable evidence that will inform hypertension management strategies and reduce cardiovascular risk for survivors of COVID-19.”

Kate Bratt-Farrar, Chief Executive of Heart Research UK, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the work of ProfessorPadmanabhan and his team, who are conducting vital research into one of the biggest medical challenges the world has ever faced.

“We have known for some time that those with pre-existing cardiovascular conditions are more susceptible to developing severe complications from COVID-19. We hope that this research will help to explain why this is the case, reduce the risk for this vulnerable group and, ultimately, help to save more lives.

“Our grants are all about helping patients. They aim to bring the latest developments to those who need them as soon as possible.

“The dedication we see from UK researchers is both encouraging and inspiring, and we at Heart Research UK are proud to be part of it.”

Impact of Brexit likely to intensify, says Holyrood committee

The Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee has stated that the societal and economic impact of Brexit is likely to intensify as Scotland begins to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a legacy report published on Friday, the Committee says scrutiny of the UK’s evolving relationship with the EU should be an early and urgent priority for a successor Committee.

The report highlights that alignment with the EU regulatory regime will be a key scrutiny challenge going forward. Monitoring EU policy and legislative developments will be necessary to determine how aligned future Scottish Governments will remain with the EU. 

The Committee considers that Brexit has resulted in UK legislation re-shaping devolution and increased the complexity of the devolved settlement.

Evidence taken by the Committee in 2021 also reveals the substantial impact on key sectors of the economy due to the new trading relationship and this is likely to intensify in the coming months.

The combined impact of Brexit and Covid-19, the report says, has created significant challenges across the economy with the impact felt hardest by small and medium-sized businesses.

The report also highlights the significant impact of the pandemic on the cultural sector, specifically the viability of cultural venues and the need for a strategy to ensure they emerge sustainably from the pandemic. The Committee recognises the increased financial pressures facing the arts and recommends further monitoring to make sure funds are adequately supporting the sector.

The February 2021 announcement of an extra £9m for the Creative Freelancers Hardship Fund was welcomed but the Committee has stressed that more support is needed.

Another key area of scrutiny within the Committee’s culture remit was the Glasgow School of Art inquiry, which determined that the school did not specifically address the risk of fire to the Mackintosh building despite risks being identified.

The Committee understands work is ongoing by the Scottish Government to carry out a fire mitigation review of publicly-owned A listed buildings and recommends its successor seek an update on the progress of this work. 

The Committee repeated its call for the Scottish Government to establish a public inquiry with judicial powers into the 2014 and 2018 fires at the Glasgow School of Art.

Speaking as the report was published, Committee Convener Joan McAlpine MSP said: “The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union has been a key area of focus for the Committee in Session Five.

“It has become abundantly clear that, although we have left the EU, there are still very real concerns and issues that will continue to affect Scotland in the years ahead.

“Moving into the post-Brexit reality, the Committee wants to see the Scottish Parliament and Government represented in the governance structures established by the new EU-UK relationship in order to ensure that Scotland’s voice is heard, especially when it comes to the impact of the Agreement on devolution”.

Ms McAlpine added: “The 2014 and 2018 Glasgow School of Art fires were of significant concern to the Committee because of the global, architectural significance of the Mackintosh building.

“We urge the Scottish Government, once the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service investigation has been completed, to undertake a public inquiry with judicial powers to understand what went wrong in Glasgow, explore the risks posed by fire to historic buildings and the ability of custodians to effectively manage properties to prevent such tragedies happening again in the future.”

Deputy Convener Claire Baker MSP said: “It is difficult to overstate the immense impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Scotland’s cultural sector.

“The Committee is acutely aware that this sector depends upon an extensive network of freelancers, many of whom could not access government support during the pandemic as they did not meet the eligibility criteria.

“Additional financial support announced by the Scottish Government in recent weeks is welcome, but it is clear that more needs to be done to support this important but vulnerable group.”

You can read the full report here.

One Year of Furlough

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the furlough scheme being introduced. TUC’s ALEX COLLISON takes stock

The scheme, a big win for the union movement, guarantees that employees working for businesses that have been closed due to social restrictions, who may have otherwise lost their jobs, receive at least 80 per cent of their wages while they’re unable to work.

Numbers using the scheme

The furlough scheme has undoubtedly protected millions of jobs throughout the pandemic, making it one of the few big successes in the government’s response to the pandemic.

Between the scheme’s introduction and the middle of February 2021, 11.2 million jobs have been furloughed at some point, with 1.3 million employers making use of it.

Use of the furlough scheme peaked in early May 2020, when 8.9 million jobs were furloughed. 4.7 million jobs were still furloughed at the end of January 2021, the latest available day that HMRC figures cover. A business survey from the ONS provides more up-to-date information, showing that 19% of the private sector workforce was furloughed in early March. This has been the same since January, and suggests the number of people furloughed has likely stayed around the same since January.

The number of people furloughed in January 2021 is the highest it’s been since July.

As you’d expect given the sectors most impacted by social restrictions, use of the scheme has been much higher in some industries than others. At the end of January, 44% of all furloughed jobs are within two industries: accommodation and food services (24%) and wholesale and retail (20%).

This equates to 1.1 million jobs in accommodation and food, and 940,000 jobs in wholesale and retail.

Chart 1

While the arts and entertainment sector has less jobs furloughed (315,000), this constitutes a large percentage of its workforce. 55% of the workforce was furloughed at the end of January 2021. This is a similar rate to accommodation and food (56%).

Across all industries, the number of jobs furloughed at the end of January was 47% lower than it was when furlough was at its peak. But, again, this varies by industry.

Construction and manufacturing, for example, both had large numbers of jobs furloughed in May 2020. While there’s still a significant number of jobs furloughed in these industries, the number has fallen by around two-thirds. In contrast, the number of employments furloughed in accommodation and food and arts and entertainment has fallen by 30%.

And it’s worth noting where these jobs may have gone. HMRC data on the number of payrolled employees shows that accommodation and food and arts and entertainment saw the most job losses between April 2020 and January 2021.

It therefore seems likely that some workers in these industries are losing their jobs rather than returning from furlough.

Chart 2

The scheme hasn’t been perfect

While the furlough scheme has undoubtedly saved millions of jobs, it hasn’t been perfect. A key flaw of the scheme is that there’s no protection to ensure no one is paid below the minimum wage while furloughed. While employers can choose to top up the wages of furloughed workers, not all do.

Low-paid workers are more likely to not to have their pay topped up. Because of this, in April 2020, around the peak of the scheme, just over two million employees were not being paid the legal minimum.

This means that the household finances of many low-paid workers, already being paid an insufficient minimum wage, have been hit hard.

Young workers, part-time workers and workers in the hospitality sector have also been more likely to be affected. Shockingly, a third of all accommodation and food workers were not earning the legal minimum wage in April 2020.

As well as this, the government’s attempts to wind down the scheme have often proved premature. The number of jobs furloughed hit its lowest point on October 31st, when it dropped to 2.4 million. The scheme was due to end on this day, but was extended at the last minute.

The number of employments furloughed went up to 3.7 million on November 1st, and then increased further a few days later due to stricter lockdown measures being introduced. This uncertainty around the future of the furlough scheme seems to have led to unnecessary job losses.

And the government has struggled to reach those in non-conventional work, whether self-employed forced to operate through companies, zero-hours workers, and those mixing employment and self-employment.

The government introduced the Self Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) alongside the furlough scheme, but the two didn’t seamlessly interact to cover all workers, and the requirements of the scheme have meant that millions of workers have fallen between the cracks, unable to get support.

What next?

The government has committed to keeping the furlough scheme running until the end of September. The amount the government contributes to the wages of furloughed workers will begin to reduce before then, dropping to 70% in July and 60% in August and September.

The current roadmap out of lockdown provisionally plans for all areas of the economy to be up and running months before the end of furlough. However, the September end date creates a cliff edge, especially as it comes alongside the end of the Universal Credit uplift. The government must ensure it adapts the scheme to any changes of the roadmap. If business closures last longer than expected, so too should the scheme.

It’s also urgent that the government overhauls our broken social safety net so that it properly supports for those who need it. This includes raising both Universal Credit and legacy benefits to at least 80% of the national living wage (£260 per week), ending the five-week wait by converting advance payment loans to grants, and scrapping the two-child limit, benefits cap and no-recourse-to-public-funds rules.

Finally, it’s important that the government begins to look beyond the scheme. Investing now in good, well-paid jobs will help to replace any jobs lost when the scheme ends.

Fast tracking spending on projects such as broadband, green technology, transport and housing, for example, could deliver a 1.24 million jobs boost by 2022, and the TUC has set out plans to fill and create 600,000 jobs in the public sector.