Tag: daily media briefings

First Minister: STAY AT HOME is the key message

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Tuesday 5 January 2021:

Good afternoon everyone and since this is the first media briefing of the new year let me wish all of you a happy new year. This year is having a very difficult start but we do hope that it will nevertheless bring better times ahead.

Now I’m going to say more in a few moments about the announcements that I set out in parliament yesterday. But as usual I will give you an update on today’s statistics first.

I can tell you that the total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 2,529.

That represents 14.8% of the total number of tests, and it means that the total number of confirmed cases that we now have in Scotland is139,027.

Analysis of PCR samples also shows that the new variant is now responsible for around 50% of new cases in Scotland – and that that is a proportion that is rising.

695 of the new cases today were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 388 in Lanarkshire, 322 in Lothian, and 210 in Tayside. The remaining cases are spread across eight other health board areas.

1,347 people are currently in hospital – now, we haven’t been reporting hospital and ICU figures over the New Year bank holiday period, but to give you some context for that figure today I can tell you that it is 255 more people in hospital now than was the case a week ago – exactly a week ago today.

And 93 people are in intensive care, and that is 28 more than a week ago today.

11 additional deaths have been registered in the past 24 hours, of patients who first tested positive in the previous 28 days. Of course, yesterday was a bank holiday so it is possible that this figure today is artificially low as a result of that.

But it means that the total number of deaths reported under this daily measurement, is now 4,633. And of course every single one of these deaths – I report them here on a daily basis as statistics – but every single one of those statistics represents a human being who has lost their lives to this virus and will have left behind grieving families and friends.

So again today, my condolences and thoughts go to every individual and family who is in that situation.

Now, I am joined today by the National Clinical Director, he is going to help me answer questions in a few moments. But before we get to questions, I would like to emphasise the key points that I set out yesterday in parliament.

Firstly, just to reiterate that the current situation that we face now in the pandemic is, in my view, more serious than it has been at any time since the spring. And that’s because this new more transmissible variant of Covid is becoming increasingly common as I said a moment ago.

And as a result of that, cases are rising much more steeply and rapidly than they had been in the latter part of last year; and as a result of that more people are likely to become seriously ill; and the health service will come under more severe pressure.

That of course is the negative – the worrying – position we face, and I don’t say it for exaggeration, I say it because we all must take that seriously right now.

But of course, there is a difference between now last spring, and that is a positive difference. And that of course is the fact that vaccines have been approved for use in the UK now and vaccines we know does offer us the way out of this pandemic.

More than a hundred thousand people in Scotland have already been vaccinated. And, as I set out in parliament yesterday, we expect – although these timetables are still tentative – that by May more than 2.5 million people will have received vaccination – at least the first dose of the vaccination.

That includes everyone on what is called the JCVI priority list – everyone over the age of 50, and people under 50 who have specific underlying health conditions.

Now we will do everything we can to speed that up to deliver vaccines as quickly as possible, and we will set out what our expectations are around that as the certainty we have on the flow of supplies becomes much firmer – I hope, in the days and weeks to come.

But in the race we currently face – and I am describing it deliberately as a race between the vaccine and the virus, because that really is in essence what it is – we can’t rely solely on speeding up vaccination.

That’s really important, but because this new variant is spreading so much more quickly we must also act as we vaccinate more people to slow the virus down so that the vaccination can get ahead and ultimately be in a position where it wins the race.

And, the new variant – because it is much easier to transmit, and spreads more quickly –means that slowing it down is more difficult and to achieve that takes much stricter restrictions than the ones that have been in place over the past few months.

And that is why we got to the position yesterday of announcing what is effectively a new lockdown.

And the key message we want to convey and are conveying and stressing very, very strongly is a simple message – not simple to abide by, but simple for me to communicate, and it’s a similar message to the one I communicated for much of last year and that is: stay at home.

Staying at home whenever possible is the best way now of protecting ourselves, protecting each other, protecting the NHS and – ultimately – saving lives.

There are of course specified essential purposes for which you can leave your house – these include exercise, essential shopping, providing care, perhaps for a vulnerable relative.

And because extended households are still permitted, to try and help us in some way tackle the loneliness and isolation of these restrictions, you can also leave your home to visit the other people in your extended household. 

But fundamentally, I’m asking everybody to really try hard to stay at home as much as possible – and only leave home if it is for a genuinely essential purpose.

And that means that you must work from home if you can.

In fact, it is only permissible to leave home to go to work if you cannot work from home.

Now, businesses, employers have a big part to play in ensuring we achieve that. The Economy Secretary spoke to business organisations yesterday to reinforce this message.

And I want to be clear that we really need businesses in this next phase – as they have been throughout – to be responsible, to help us fight this virus.

And that means – just as this is true for individuals for the stay at home message – it means not always looking for the loophole that allows you to stay open or have your staff physically at work. Instead it means thinking about how you as a business can maximise your contribution to the collective challenge that we all now face.

And in return, government must do – and we will continue to do – all we can to maximise the financial support available to you.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has just announced this morning additional financial support for businesses, and we are over the course of the day trying to get clarity of the detail on that so that we then know what that enables us to do in addition to the considerable financial support for businesses that is already in place.

Returning to what lockdown means for all of us as individuals, we have also introduced tighter restrictions on outdoor socialising, because this virus we know is spreading more easily. So it is still possible to meet someone outdoors – but only two people from two households can now meet up – previously it was up to six people from two households, but now only two people from a maximum of two households.

That rule applies to everyone who is aged 12 and over – and that means that outdoor exercise should also only take place in groups of two, and no more than two households.

Now we announced several other significant restrictions yesterday – you can find full details of these on the Scottish Government website. And where there is a  need for it we will put forward and publish additional guidance to help people navigate their way through this as well as we can.

Now one thing I want to mention specifically, because I know it is very distressing for many people – and that was the announcement yesterday that places of worship will close over this next period as well  – except for funerals and weddings.

I know for people in faith communities who take great comfort from collective worship this is a particularly large restriction to bear. But we do deem it essential at the moment to help us with that overall task of keeping the virus, or getting the virus back under control.

But we will not keep these restrictions in place for any longer than necessary.

We have also, of course, regrettably decided that school and nursery buildings will only be open for children of key workers and vulnerable pupils until at least 1 February.

For that time, remote learning will continue for the majority of pupils, and this is without a doubt – I said this yesterday but it is worth repeating – the most difficult of the restrictions that we put in place yesterday. I know how tough it will be for pupils, who as well as missing education in the normal school environment will be missing your friends and the normal social aspect of growing up and enjoying your school life. And I am sorry about that and we will try and get you back to school as quickly as possible.

But this is also difficult for parents – particularly those who are working and who are trying to juggle online learning, and we are thinking about what more support we can put in place to help you through this difficult period.

The decision on schools will be reviewed fortnightly –  and we will do everything we can to get as many pupils as possible back to school as soon as it is safe to do so.

But at the moment, the community transmission of the virus is too high, and still rising – and also there is some uncertainty about the impact of the new variant on young people, and those two things together lead us to the judgement that it is not safe enough to have schools open right now for the majority of pupils as normal.

Now, the measures that were announced yesterday that I’ve just run through here today are of course not the start to this year that any of us would have wanted.

They are really tough for businesses, for individuals – and as I have said at a couple of occasions already, we will consider what further support we are able to provide.

But the current figures, including those I have reported today, tell us that action is needed.

This new variant is so much more easily transmitted that without these tougher restrictions, cases in Scotland would definitely continue to rise very, very sharply.

And that, of course, creates the likelihood that more people get ill and die than would otherwise be the case, but it also creates the real risk that our National Health Service – which is currently coping, although the pressure on frontline staff is considerable – but it creates the real risk that it would instead be overwhelmed and perhaps quite quickly.

So by acting now, instead of waiting until things get more severe, we give ourselves the chance to avert the more serious challenge that is currently being faced in some other parts of the UK right now.

I know that doesn’t provide any comfort, and nor does it create any comfort for me to say that we are not alone – but we are not alone. People in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are waking up today to similar restrictions, and many other countries across Europe are in similar positions.

But, while this is hard for everybody to take we must hold on to the fact – and it is a fact – that we now have, in a way that we didn’t have last year, a clear route out of this pandemic through the vaccination programme.

And the Scottish Government will be doing everything we possibly can to accelerate, speed up that programme, and get the maximum number of people vaccinated as quickly as possible. But while we’re doing that, we absolutely must – all of us – collectively work to slow down this virus

That’s why these measures are essential and it’s why again I must ask everybody to really rigorously abide by all of these restrictions.

That means following the FACTS advice: wear face coverings; avoid crowded places when you are out of your house, which you shouldn’t be unless it is essential; wash your hands, wash hard surfaces, even when you are staying at home it’s really important still to do that; keep a two metre distancing when you’re out, from people in other households; and, of course self-isolate and get tested if you have symptoms.

These steps all still work, in breaking chains of this new variant and remain as important if not more so.

But fundamentally the most important thing – and the most difficult thing – I am asking everybody to do again is to stay at home.

Staying at home helps us control this virus. It helps us protect ourselves and each other. It helps us protect our NHS. And fundamentally, and ultimately, it helps us save lives.

And that, as we have all known all along, is really important. So my concluding message is the as it was back in March – because the situation we face now is as serious as the one we faced back in March.

So, please – Stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives.

Thank you very much for listening.

Coronavirus: Scotland set to adopt tiered staregic approach

Statement given by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Monday 19 October):

Good afternoon, thanks for joining us again today. I will give you the usual report on the COVID statistics first of all. I can report that the total number of positive cases yesterday was 993.

That represents 17.1% of people who were newly tested and 6.4% of the total number of tests that we carried out and I am going to come on later to say a little bit more about these different measurements.

The total number of cases now stands at 47,708. 362 of today’s cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 294 in Lanarkshire, 122 in Lothian and 57 in Ayrshire and Arran. 

The remaining  cases are spread across the other seven mainland health board areas.

754 people are currently in hospital which is an increase of 40 from yesterday and 61 people are intensive care, that’s two fewer than yesterday.

Now for the eagle-eyed amongst you who  follow these figures very closely day-to-day and might have spotted that yesterday’s hospital and ICU figures and today’s don’t exactly tally,

I can tell  you there has been a small revision made to the figures reported by Ayrshire and Arran yesterday and that will be shown in the publication that will appear on the website later.

I also regret to say that in the last 24 hours 1 additional death has been registered of a patient who had tested positive over the previous 28 days.

We also reported 15 deaths on Saturday. So since I last stood here to give the daily update on Friday, 16 additional deaths have been registered. And the total number of deaths, under the daily measurement is now 2,610.

That figure is a reminder of the heartbreak that this virus is capable of causing and once again I want to pass on my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.

Now I have got a few things I want to briefly update on today. I am going to highlight two points about the daily figures that I have just reported and at the end of my remarks I will look forward to the week ahead and some of the decisions that lie ahead of us.

But briefly first of all, let me just look back. It seems clear from anecdotal reports that people overwhelmingly stuck to the rules over this weekend, including the rules on household gatherings.

And that’s really important – stopping households meeting up indoors is, as you know, crucial to slowing the spread of Covid.

But I am aware that it is also really tough, and it gets tougher with every week that passes.

I just wanted to take the opportunity today to say thank you  to everyone who has  played a part by following the rules and guidelines. You are making a difference and please be assured of that.

Let me now cover a couple of issues relating to the daily statistics. We reported only 316 new cases yesterday and as you can see that’s far lower than the numbers we have been reporting on previous days.

Now, we are still exploring this with the UK Government but we think this might be because from Friday onwards, quite a large number of tests were diverted from the Lighthouse laboratory in Glasgow, to  be processed in other laboratories in the Lighthouse network.

Our understanding  – although we do not control this process –  is that this was to ensure that the Lighthouse lab in Glasgow didn’t handle more tests, from across the UK, than it had the capacity to deal with promptly.

We also understand that the tests diverted included those of people with symptoms, who had gone to drive-through or walk-in testing centres. 

And it stands to reason these people are more likely to test positive than asymptomatic people who are being tested as part of routine care home testing, for example. And that might help to explain why yesterday’s number of positive cases was probably artificially low.

The rerouting of cases was due to stop yesterday and  my expectation is that any new cases which we would have expected to see yesterday, will be included in the figures for today and tomorrow, although we continue, as I said earlier, to explore whether there might be any other issues at play here.

Of course this is one reason why – when we consider the number of positive cases – we always look at the trends over a number of days, rather at any single day at a time.

And of course our Test and Protect teams will be working to identify contacts of positive cases as soon as the information about them comes into our case management system.

And I would remind anyone who may be waiting for a test result, that you should of course be continuing to self-isolate while you wait for that. That is a really important part of our collective effort to control the virus.

Now, the other point about our statistics that I want to cover, relates to the percentage of people who test positive for Covid.

And I’m afraid that – as occasionally happens – I’m going to discuss an issue now which is quite technical, but which is important, so please bear with me as I always like to try and give you an understanding of what lies behind our statistics and the reasons for any change in how we are calculating any aspect of them.

For some time now, as you know, I have reported here a daily figure for the proportion of people who test positive for Covid – that’s an important metric that allows us, amongst other metrics,  to determine whether the virus is spreading more rapidly  or going into decline.

To arrive at that figure what we have done so far is measure the number of people

testing positive, as a percentage of the total number of people being tested, who had never been tested before. That’s why you hear me say every day that it is a percentage of people newly tested.

That ensures that we don’t count people who are tested twice in a very short period of time – for example if a test result needs checked, or perhaps some days tested both on admission to hospital and then a few days later.

Now the current measure has been helpful so far in assessing how the virus is spreading.

All of you will have seen in recent weeks in the percentage of positive cases that we have reported the rise in that has been consistent  with the rise in case numbers, in hospital admissions and increasingly, unfortunately, in people dying.

However the way in which we currently calculate  this becomes less reliable over time as more and more people in the population have been tested.

We are now more than 7 months into the pandemic and already more than 1/7 of the population of Scotland has already been tested for Covid. Under our existing measure, none of those people will ever count again as a newly tested person – someone who has not been tested before although if they test positive their positive result will be counted.

Let me illustrate that with an example – if you had a fever in August, if you got a test then and you didn’t have Covid – and then you have a cough now, you get tested again, and it turns out you do have Covid – your positive test will be counted, but you will not count as a “newly tested person”, when we work out the percentage.

So, as you can see, over time as more and more people who have already been tested go for further tests – and remember almost 40,000 care home workers are tested every single week – what happens is that the percentage of positive test that we report is artificially high and gets more and more artificially high as time goes on.

So we have been discussing this issue in some detail with the UK’s Office for Statistics Regulation. We have taken their advice into account in deciding a new measure, and will continue to engage with them on future improvements.

Instead of relying only on people who have been newly tested, we will now calculate the percentage of positive tests, based on the total number of test results which have come in on that day.

Now that measure is simple to calculate. And it does come closer to matching the methodologies used by the World Health Organisation, for determining whether the virus is out of control.

It is worth stressing though that although it is a better measurement for this stage in the pandemic for the reasons I have tried to set out as clearly as possible , it’s still not perfect so we’ll continue to look at further improvements. And the imperfections are these – if you need to be tested more than once in the same day or the same week, all of those samples will now be counted.

And in addition, the new measure – to a much greater extent than the old measure – combines test results from different groups of people.

The majority of our tests are of people who have symptoms of Covid.

But we also test lots of asymptomatic people every week as well, principally people who work in care homes.  And those tests are much less likely to be positive than tests of people with symptoms, so in a day-to-day basis that could lead to some fluctuations in the daily percentage.

But on a weekly or monthly basis that the trend in test positivity will be clear.

And our view is that the new measure will give us a better picture of the course of the virus over the weeks and months ahead. The old measure was the most accurate for the early phase of the pandemic, we think this one is more accurate for the next phase.

Now, as you have just gathered, that is quite a technical change, and thanks for bearing with me if you have managed to do so. But we also want to give you a bit of time to see the effects of the change in methodology. So, for that reason, and also to be completely transparent, to avoid any suspicion, what we are trying to do here is change methodology to result in a lower  number, every day  for at least the rest of this week I will am going to give you both our old and our new measurements  when I give you the daily figures. Eventually though, I will start to report the figure under our new measurement only.

So to remind you of what I said earlier on, on the old measurement taking people just newly tested, our test positivity rate today was 17.1%, on our new measurement taking  all tests it was 6.4%.

The final point I want to cover is to look to the week ahead as I indicated last week  we will publish this week detail of our new strategic approach to tackling the virus. I hope to discuss the outlines of this tomorrow with leaders of the other parties in the Scottish Parliament.

And we will then publish a strategic framework at the end of the week, before debating it in parliament next week.

One of the things the framework will set out are the different tiers or levels of intervention and restrictions which may be applied in future – either locally or nationally across Scotland – depending on how the virus is spreading.

We will also indicate –  based on the latest advice from the National Incident Management Team and our clinical advisers – what levels should apply to different parts of the country or potentially all of the country once the current temporary restrictions on hospitality come to an end on 26 October.

The framework will also summarise our work to improve the effectiveness of existing measures to curb Covid – for example how we will work to improve compliance with FACTS advice and all of the other guidelines; the review of our testing strategy and how we will continue to support Test and Protect; and also how we will provide support for businesses and individuals so that they can comply with all that they are being asked to do, either now or in the future.

Publication of the framework is an important step, as we look ahead to the winter and prepare to manage the virus over, what may well be and I would expect to be, a very challenging period.

We hope that the framework can command broad support both politically in parliament and across wider society.

But this is where I will end, it is worth stressing that – although the strategic framework will update our approach to tackling the virus – many of the basic elements of that approach will not change.

In particular, it will continue to be vital that to slow the spread of the virus, all of us as individuals stick to all of the essential rules and guidelines on hygiene, physical distancing and limiting contact  with other households.

Let me just briefly remind everyone of what those current general rules and guidelines are.

As I said earlier, except for very specific purposes – such as childcare – none of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now.

When we do meet – outdoors, or indoor public places that are open like cafes –  we shouldn’t meet in groups of any more than six people from a maximum of two households.

Only car-share if it is essential to do so

Work from home if you possibly can and again I would appeal to employers to facilitate that for your workers.

Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t done so already.

And finally, remember FACTS.

  • Wear Face coverings, it is now the law, as of today, to wear them in communal areas in work places, like corridors
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Clean your hands and hard surfaces
  • keep two metres distance from people in other households.
  • and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.

These are the basic things, no matter the other rules in place at any given time,  these are the basic things  that if all of us do all of them all of the time  then we give ourselves the best chance of keeping the spread of the virus  under control

It’s the best way to look after ourselves, to look after our loved ones and our communities.

And ultimately it is the best way to protect our National Health Service and save lives.

Thank you again for listening today and thank you particularly for bearing with me through quite a long, laborious and technical update on how we will calculate the percentage of people testing positive.

FM urges Old Firm fans: ‘resist temptation to bend the rules’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Friday 16 October):

Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the usual run-through of today’s COVID statistics.

The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,196. That is 16.9% of people newly-tested, and the total number of cases now stands at 45,232.

416 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow & Clyde, 309 in Lanarkshire, 161 in Lothian and 104 in Ayrshire & Arran. The remaining cases were spread across 9 other health board areas. Only Shetland today has no reported cases.

I can also confirm that 629 people are currently in hospital, that is an increase of 27 since yesterday. And 58 people are in intensive care, that is 6 more than yesterday.

I’m also very sad to report that in the past 24 hours, 9 additional deaths were registered of patients who had first tested positive over the previous 28-day period. That means that the total number of deaths under the daily measurement is now 2,594.

Again, I want to send my deepest condolences to all those who have lost a loved-one to this virus at any point during this pandemic, but obviously of course, in particular to those who have more recently been bereaved.

There are a few items I want to briefly cover today before the Chief Medical Officer and I take questions from the media.

As I often do on a Friday, I will shortly give an update on the quarantine requirements for international travel. I will then say a word about the opening of two new walk-through testing sites.  And finally, I want to say something about this weekend. Before that, though, let me start by saying a special word about schools.

Obviously many schools will soon be returning from the October break while others are just now preparing to start the half-term.

I wanted to take this opportunity today to say a very big and a very heartfelt thank-you – to teachers, to other school staff, to pupils and to parents across the country.

I know that you have faced many challenges over the past few months. I also know that, because of the restrictions, the October break will not be all that you might have hoped that it would be.

But we must not lose sight of what you have achieved during this first half term.

It is down to your efforts and your ability to adapt in extremely difficult circumstances that schools have been able to return.

As a result, the vast majority of pupils are now able to have the classroom, and the wider school experience that was lost back in the Spring. And I don’t think we should underestimate that it is a real achievement that young people have been able to have that normal schooling experience for the last number of weeks that they lost out on for much of this year.

So that, I think, is something important, and something positive in this difficult period for all of us to mark and reflect on.

Now, I know there will be further challenges ahead; I think that is almost inevitable.

And I don’t want to stand here today and give any sense that I am under-estimating how difficult it will have been so far, not least for teachers.

However, I just wanted to put on record my thanks to all of you for the really important work that you’ve done and, so that you know, that in spite of all of the difficulties it is hugely appreciated, and it is very important for, not just the wellbeing of our children and young people now, but I think, for their future prospects as well.

So thank-you to everybody for that.

Let me now turn to my first update of today. That concerns the list of countries that are subject to quarantine requirements.

We announced last night that Italy, San Marino and the Vatican City state will now be added to the list of countries with quarantine requirements.

That means that, from 4 am on Sunday, people travelling to Scotland from these places must self-isolate for 14 days on their arrival or return here.

We’ve also announced that Greece and all of the Greek islands, apart from Mykonos, will now be removed from the list.

So from Sunday people arriving from Greece, or a Greek island other than Mykonos will no longer have to self-isolate.

However, if you have arrived from these places in the past two weeks – or if you arrive later today or tomorrow – you will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

These changes are just an example of how quickly levels of the virus in any country or area – here at home and of course overseas – can change.

That is nature of an accelerating global pandemic. And that, of course, underlines why we are continuing to advise all of you against any non-essential travel overseas right now.

That’s not an easy or a welcome thing to be doing, I know, but it is a reflection of the uncertainty and volatility that all of us continue to live through.

My second update for today is about the opening of two additional walk-through testing centres.

One of those sites opened in Dundee city centre today. Another will open in Sighthill in Edinburgh tomorrow (Saturday). 

These add to the seven walk-through centres already open – two in Glasgow, one already in Edinburgh, and one each in Aberdeen, St Andrews, West Dunbartonshire and Stirling.

A number of others are due to open in the coming weeks.

Many of these centres are within walking distance of student campuses – deliberately so – and so are particularly useful for our student populations. But it is important to note that they are open to all members of the public and you can book a test by going onto the NHS Inform website should you experience any of the COVID symptoms.

There are of course a few points that I would ask everybody to remember if you experience symptoms and book a test.

Firstly, please don’t use public transport to travel to any testing centre.

If you don’t have a car and if you’re not able to walk or perhaps cycle to a testing centre, please book a home testing kit through NHS Inform.

In addition, you should start to self-isolate from the moment you start feeling the symptoms of COVID.

You shouldn’t wait to get a test or to get your test result back before you start self-isolating.

That means staying at home with the sole exception of, if you need to, going to a testing centre for your test.

Finally today, I want to say just a word or two about this weekend.

I appreciate – I think probably we all feel this – that it’s at the weekend when the temptation to bend the rules a bit will be at its strongest, whether that’s about meeting up with others, or going round to somebody else’s house, a member of your family or a friend.

I also know that for football fans, and this weekend in particular perhaps for Celtic and Rangers fans, that temptation might be even greater.

Tomorrow, of course, sees the first of these Glasgow derbies to be played without fans in the stadium.

It is also taking place at a time when we have additional restrictions on household visits and hospitality.

So with that in mind, I want to underline a few key points, ahead of the match.  And I should say that both clubs and the SPFL are also emphasising these points to supporters, and I’m very grateful to them for that.

The first thing to say is that you mustn’t go round to somebody else’s house to watch the match.

None of us – not just football supporters but none of us – should be going into each other’s homes at the moment unless it is for an essential purpose such as childcare or looking after a vulnerable person.

And I’m afraid – and I know that this statement is possibly a controversial one in Scotland, I readily acknowledge that – I’m afraid that watching football, no matter how essential I know it might feel to some, does not fall into that ‘essential’ category.

In addition, people should not be gathering outside or around the stadium.  There will be nothing to see there so there is no point at all in turning up.

Finally, please don’t travel in order to try to watch the match.

I know there might be a temptation to try to get around local or national restrictions in this way.  But it’s really important that you don’t do that.

In general right now, people in the central belt should be avoiding travel to other parts of Scotland, and all of us should be avoiding travelling to areas in England that have high infection levels.

So please, don’t travel to other parts of Scotland or across the Border just in an attempt to watch the match in a pub.  It’s really not worth the risk.

Nobody likes the fact that these restrictions have to be in place but they are vital to protecting all of us, and keeping us safe. 

So please comply with the restrictions. By doing that, you will be playing your part in helping us to get the virus under control. And you will be helping to hasten the day when we can all watch and enjoy the things we love doing – whether that’s football or the many other things that we find ourselves not able to do normally right now.

I’ve spoken about some of the restrictions as they relate to football but I want to close today with my usual reminder to everybody – because this is not just about football supporters, this is about all of us right now.

So let me give a general reminder of all of the rules and guidelines. 

As I said earlier, except for very specific purposes like childcare or caring for somebody who is vulnerable, none of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now.

That is really tough. I feel that just as all of you find that tough – not being able to see family and friends at their homes, or in our homes. But this is perhaps the single most important thing that all of us can do to limit the risk of transmission, to make sure it doesn’t jump from one household to another. Because we know, once it gets into a household the risk is that it infects everybody in that household.

When we do meet up outdoors, or in indoor public spaces where they are still open, we shouldn’t meet in groups of any more than 6 and those 6 people should be from no more than two households.

Please only car-share if it is essential to do so. And if you must car-share, remember to take sensible precautions – wear face coverings and keep the windows open to allow ventilation.

Work from home if you can – that has been our consistent advice and that remains the advice. My plea to employers is to facilitate your workers working from home if it is at all possible.

Download the Protect Scotland app if you haven’t already done so. That’s an important way of extending the reach of Test and Protect.

And finally, remember FACTS

  • Wear face coverings when you are out and about, particularly in enclosed spaces. The law mandates that. As of today that law extends to staff canteens. From Monday it will be extended to communal areas like corridors in workplaces but already in shops and public transport it is the law to wear a face covering. But try to wear one wherever you are when you are out and about because it does help protect against you passing on the virus or other people, if they’re wearing face coverings, passing it to you.
  • Remember to avoid crowded places – indoors in particular, but even outdoors where there can be a risk of transmission.
  • Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly, and clean hard surfaces that you’re touching, because we know that from hands and also from surfaces, that’s a way of the virus spreading from one person to another.
  • Keep two metres distance from people in other households because the farther apart you are, the less risk there is of the virus hopping from one person to another.
  • And as I’ve already covered today, self-isolate and get tested if you have any of the symptoms. Remember, those symptoms to look out for are a new continuous cough, a fever, high temperature, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell. With any of these, please act immediately to isolate and book a test, don’t hang around and wait to see if you feel better in a day or two.

All of these rules take a lot to remember, they take even more effort to abide by every day, but it’s really important now that we do.

We are in a precarious position, many countries across the world are facing the same challenges right now.

The position we are in requires some really tough restrictions from government, such as not going into other people’s houses, pubs and bars, not being able to open as normal.

But our best defence, our first line of defence against this virus – and this is as true today as it was back in the spring – is me, you and everybody else complying with all of this basic hygiene advice.

As I said yesterday, and it’s important to remember as we head into winter we’re all feeling, I think, more and more fatigued and in despair at this pandemic and everything it’s doing to our lives, but remember, we are not powerless. None of us are powerless; by following the FACTS advice, all of us can strike a blow against this horrible virus, so please remember to do that.

Thank you again for listening.

Ahead of the Old Firm match, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Director of Public Health has issued a plea to football fans to abide by the restrictions in place to avoid increasing pressure on hospitals which have seen a significant increase in COVID-19 hospitalisations.
 
There are currently 289 patients with a positive test in last 28 days in hospitals across Greater Glasgow and Clyde and staff at acute sites are working extremely hard to manage the increase, with appropriate red and green pathways established to minimise the spread of the virus.


Dr Linda De Caestecker, said: “I am directly appealing to football fans ahead of the weekend to ask them please do not to go to anyone else’s house, or travel outside of Greater Glasgow and Clyde to watch the football.
 
“If you do, you are putting others at risk. The current restrictions are in place to minimise the spread of the virus. If you do not follow them, this will increase the rate of transmission of COVID-19 in the community and in turn, the number of people who being hospitalised by the virus. Sadly, this will also mean more people will die.”
 
Greater Glasgow and Clyde currently has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Scotland. Any unnecessary travel, meeting indoors with other households or meeting more than one other household outside, significantly increases the spread of the virus and reduces the impact of the measures in place.
 
Dr De Caestecker added: “Cases across Scotland are on the rise, and the more the public can do to follow the rules now, the lives will be saved.”

First Minister: ‘A happier and sunnier weekend’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Friday 29 May):

Good afternoon – and welcome to today’s briefing.  I am joined today by the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture, Fiona Hyslop; and our National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch.

I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,327 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 39 from yesterday.

A total of 1,216 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 22 from yesterday, including a decrease of 28 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 40 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is an increase of 3 since yesterday.

We shouldn’t read anything into that increase  – these figures will fluctuate day to day. But nevertheless it is a reminder that the virus has not gone away.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,640 patients who had tested positive for the virus and required hospitalisation have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

And unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 15 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,331.

We must never lose sight of the fact that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent individuals whose deaths are being mourned by friends, family and loved ones. I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers. For the tenth Thursday in a row last night, people across the country joined together to applaud your efforts and show our gratitude.

There are two items I want to cover today. Firstly, I want to recap on the changes to the lockdown restrictions on social interaction and leisure that have taken effect today.

I’m very conscious that this weekend will be the first – in quite a while – that people will be able to meet up.  And so I want to take the time to outline, once again, what the changes are…and the rules you must follow to stay safe and avoid a resurgence of the virus.

From today, you and your household can meet with another household out of doors – for example in a park or in a private garden.

However, you should limit the total number of people meeting up, to a maximum of 8.   Ideally it should be less than that.

You should not meet with more than one household at a time.  And don’t meet with more than one other household per day.

If you do meet up, you need to be outside – and you need to stay at least 2 metres away from people in the other household.  You should also avoid touching the same hard surfaces.

For example, if you are having a picnic or barbecue this weekend – not only should you stay 2 metres apart from members of the other household, but each household should also bring its own food, cutlery, plates and cups.

And please – don’t go indoors. Being in someone else’s house should still be avoided, unless you are providing support to someone who is vulnerable.

We are not putting a legal limit on how far you can travel to meet another household.  But if the distance is so far that you would have to use someone else’s bathroom, please don’t go.

Again, to be clear, these rules are for a reason. If you go inside a house, or come within 2 metres of each other, or if you touch the same surfaces as another household, that creates an opportunity for the virus to spread.

And we must do everything we can to avoid that.

From today, you are also able to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas.

You will be able to travel – preferably by walking or cycling – for recreation. However, please stay within, or close to, your own local area.  Don’t travel more than around 5 miles from your home.

We do not want to see large numbers of people at tourist hot spots or local beauty spots. So if you do go somewhere and find it is crowded, please change your plans and go somewhere else.

If you haven’t done so already, please go to the Scottish Government’s website and read the guidance we are asking you to follow.

I hope that these changes will bring some improvement to the quality of our lives.

But they are deliberately and by necessity cautious – and they have been carefully assessed.

I said yesterday I was nervous ahead of these changes and that’s still the case.

If too many of us change our behaviour a bit more than these changes are designed to allow, we could see the virus spread quickly again and we will be back to square one.

And the consequences of that will be measured, not just in more time spent in lockdown – it will be measured in lost lives too.

So I’m not trying to cramp anyone’s fun this weekend. I want everyone to enjoy these changes – you have more than earned it.

But I am asking you to please do so responsibly. I am appealing to your judgment and your sense of solidarity to each other.

Please stay within the rules.

Apply judgment. We can’t give bespoke guidance for every individual circumstance – but remember that the purpose of the rules is to deny the virus bridges to jump across.

So continue to limit the people from other households you see.

Stay distant.

Be rigorous in your hand hygiene.

And don’t allow the virus to spread from you to someone else via a hard surface.

And generally, if you’re wondering whether or not it’s ok to do something this weekend, consider whether you might be providing that  bridge.

And if you are in doubt about whether your plans are within the rules or not, err on the side of caution.

Because however harsh these rules might feel right now, abiding by them will never be as harsh as grieving the loss of a loved one.

So please, before you make any plans, stop and think to protect you and your families.

The second item I want to cover today relates to the economy.   This morning, as I do every Friday morning, I chaired the Cabinet sub-committee on the economy. Among the items we discussed was our support for business – and particularly for those industries which are not yet able to reopen. 

One of those is – of course – our manufacturing sector.  And that’s what I want to focus on today.

We know that manufacturing is vital to Scotland.  And that fact has been underlined over the past couple of months.

In that time, manufacturers across country have stepped forward, to help Scotland’s response to the crisis.  Many have repurposed or scaled up their operations, to meet the demand for things like hand sanitizer and PPE.  In doing so, they’ve helped us to provide our frontline services, with the supplies that they need.

So I want to thank everyone who has contributed to that effort.  I also want to thank the many manufacturing businesses – not involved in that essential work – who have remained closed.   I know how tough things are at the moment – and I appreciate the sacrifices you are making.

Unfortunately, most of Scotland’s manufacturing businesses will not be able to reopen until phase 2 of our route map.  However, during this first phase, they will be able to start preparations, for a safe return to work.

Earlier this week, the Scottish Government published guidance for the sector, on the measures that will need to be put in place.

We are determined to support our manufacturing industry, as it prepares for that restart.  We also want to do everything we can to ensure its future success.  That was already a priority for the Scottish Government.  But it becomes even more important, as the industry recovers from this crisis.

That’s why I am announcing today that we will provide an additional £20 million of funding for Scotland’s new National Manufacturing Institute.  That brings our total investment to £75 million. 

I can also confirm today that the contract to build the new Institute has been awarded, though work will only commence when it is safe to do so.

The National Manufacturing Institute will be operated by the University of Strathclyde – and it will bring together expertise from academia and industry.

It will allow businesses – of all sizes – to access research and development.  And it will ensure that  Scotland remains at the very forefront of advanced manufacturing.

Of course, we also want to improve the support available to manufacturers – at a local level – right across Scotland.  So today, we’re also announcing investment in 12 new projects, as part of our Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund.

Each of the projects is designed to help small and medium sized businesses.  And the Cabinet Secretary will set out more detail on them, shortly.

We know that a strong manufacturing sector is vital to our economic success.  So by investing now, we are preparing our economy, for the challenges – and the opportunities – of the post-Covid world.

Of course, for now, the Scottish Government’s primary focus is on dealing with this crisis.

Our country has made significant progress over recent weeks.  But make no mistake, this virus has not gone away.

So before I hand over to the Cabinet Secretary, I want to set out for you – once again – what the new rules are.

Let me be very clear – you should still stay home as much as you can. Lockdown has been modified slightly – but it is not over.

You should still be seeing far fewer people than you might normally do.

Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day and keep to a maximum of 8 people in a group.

Stay 2 metres apart when you do meet. That will be difficult, I know. We all want to hug our loved ones. But please, don’t put them or yourself at risk.

Wash your hands often. Take hand sanitiser if you are out and about.

Avoid hard surfaces – and clean any you  do touch.

And if you have symptoms, get tested and follow the advice on self isolation.

Above all, remember that each individual decision we take, will affect the safety and wellbeing of everyone.

Recent weeks have been tough – and tough times still lie ahead – but I have never been prouder of this country than I am right now.

So let’s continue to stick together and do right by each other.

And remember, at all stages – stop, think and protect.

So I want to thank all of you in advance for doing that – and wish you all, within the rules of course, a happier and certainly a sunnier weekend than we’ve had in a while.

FM reminds Scotland: lockdown restrictions remain in place until Thursday

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Friday 22 May):

Good afternoon. I’m joined today by Iain Livingstone, Chief Constable of Police Scotland and Professor Jason Leitch, our National Clinical Director. I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 14,969 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 113 from yesterday.

A total of 1,257 patients are in hospital with COVID-19 – 874 of them have been confirmed as having Covid, and 383 who are suspected of having it. That represents a total decrease of 61 from yesterday and that includes a decrease of 35 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 50 people last night were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of one since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,508 patients who had tested positive and been hospitalised with the virus have been able to leave hospital. Which is, of course, very good news.

And unfortunately though I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 24 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,245.

Let me emphasise once again that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent individuals who are being mourned by friends, family and loved ones. I want to send my deepest and heartfelt condolences to everyone who has suffered a loss to this virus.

I also want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers for the extraordinary, incredible work that you continue to do each and every day.

There are two items I want to briefly cover today.

The first is about the routemap we published yesterday, on how and when we might ease the current lockdown restrictions, while continuing to suppress the virus which is so, so vital.

As of 10 o’clock this morning, I can tell you, more than 100,000 of you have viewed that document on our website.  My apologies to those who tried to do so yesterday and found that the demand had made the website struggle. I’m glad that so many people have managed to do so and my thanks to you for doing that.

And I would encourage those of you who haven’t yet had the opportunity, to go online and read it – and if you have any views about it you want us to know please feel free to send them to us.

The document set out the different phases in which we will aim to ease lockdown.

The steps it sets out are by necessity gradual and incremental.  And we will monitor them carefully as they do take effect.

And our plans will change if the data, evidence or our knowledge of the virus changes.

Let me stress though that that could include lifting restrictions more quickly than we otherwise think we can do.

I want to stress – and this is a really important point – that none of the changes are yet in place.  During this Bank Holiday weekend – and into next week – the current lockdown restrictions are still in place.

That’s important for me to stress. The one thing that will slow down the lifting of lockdown is us taking our foot off the brake too quickly and allowing the virus to spread rapidly again.

However, on a more optimistic note, as things stand, we intend to enter the first phase of easing restrictions, from next Thursday 28 May – now less than one week away.

By then, I hope we will still be seeing progress against the virus, but also by then we will also be ready to start with our Test, Trace and Isolate programme – Test and Protect we’re calling it – as  you’ve heard me say before, that is a key tool for us in continuing to keep the virus suppressed as we start gradually easing these restrictions.

As I said yesterday, not all of the Phase 1 measures will necessarily be introduced immediately next Thursday  – though I hope most will be. But we’ll have to make a judgement at the time.

But I want to reiterate some of the changes that I hope we will see from next week so that you know what you’re able to look forward to.

As the document sets out, more outdoor activity will be permitted. There is a strong emphasis in the first phase on outdoor activity because one of the things we are learning about this virus is that the risks of transmission outdoors, although not zero, absolutely not zero, are nevertheless lower than the risks of transmission indoors.

So You will be able in this first phase to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas.  And as long as you stay two metres apart, you will be able to meet outside, with people from another household, including in private gardens.

Let me be clear because I know it is a question that has been asked, that doesn’t limit you to seeing just one specific household during this phase – you can see different households, but we are asking you only to meet one at a time.

We’re also not intending to put a five mile limit on the distance you can travel to, for example, sit with your parents in their garden.

But we are asking you to use judgement. And increasingly as we come out of lockdown, I’m going to be relying more and more on you to exercise the good judgement that I know you will.

If, for example you travel a long distance to see a relative outside, you’ll be more likely to go inside the house to use the bathroom, for example.

And we don’t want you to go inside others’ houses in this phase because if you are infectious, maybe without knowing it, you risk leaving the virus on surfaces inside the house and that would pose a risk to other people, particularly if you’re visiting elderly relatives – that is a risk we don’t want you to take.

So please use your judgement and have uppermost in your mind the need to protect those you care about – even if that might mean staying apart from them for just a little a bit longer.

As well as those changes, some non-contact outdoor leisure activities will be allowed to restart from the end of next week – such as golf, tennis, bowls and fishing – croquet as well, as I was asked about in Parliament – subject to appropriate hygiene and physical distancing.

People will be able to travel – preferably by walking or cycling – to a location near their local community for recreation. But here we are asking you to stay fairly local. Five miles will not be a strict limit but it is a guide. We don’t want, in this phase, people congregating at tourist hot spots – because crowds of people – even if they’re trying to socially distance – brings more risk than we judge is safe to take at this time.

Waste and recycling services will resume, as will many outdoor businesses.

The construction industry will be able to carefully implement the first steps in its restart plan.

Other industries, that might not resume straight away but in the next phase, will be permitted in phase 1 to start to prepare workplaces.

Outdoor retail outlets such as garden centres will be allowed to reopen.

And, very importantly, we will also start, albeit gradually and carefully, to resume NHS services which were paused as a result of the pandemic.

Schools will not reopen until 11 August.  But, during June, teachers will return to prepare for the new term and for a different model of learning. 

Over the summer, an increased number of children will have access to critical childcare.

And we intend to provide, where possible, transition support for children going into primary 1 or moving from primary 7 to secondary school.

Childminders can re-open during phase 1. And over the summer all early years childcare providers will open again subject to necessary health measures.

The routemap provides more detail on these steps – and on each subsequent phase.  It also outlines how they will work alongside our ‘Test and Protect’ approach – which as I said a moment ago, will be vital, in helping to control the virus.

In the days ahead we will publish more detailed advice and information for you the public, as well as guidance covering key sectors of our economy, travel and transport. That’s a really important part of preparing for the move to phase 1. So that there is as much clarity as possible about what we are saying and what we are asking you not to do at this stage.

However, I want to emphasise a key point.  None of the changes I’ve talked about today, are yet in place.  We can only begin to implement them if we continue to suppress this virus. And that’s why – for the moment – the current lockdown restrictions remain in place.

That brings me to the final item I want to cover.  It’s about our support for people, in dealing with the lockdown.  And it has particular relevance, as we mark the end of mental health awareness week.

We know this crisis is causing increased anxiety and stress for probably everybody in the population.  We also know that – because of the lockdown – many people are cut off from their usual support networks – be that family, friends, or the wider community. That problem is – of course – particularly acute for those of you who are isolating or shielding.

The Scottish Government has been trying to take action throughout this, to address this issue.  Today, I can tell you that – since the lockdown began – we have provided more than £8 million to projects aimed at tackling social isolation.

That money comes from our Wellbeing Fund.  And it is now supporting around 350 projects, in every part of the country.

The services they are providing include phone calls for older people who are self-isolating; food parcels and special packs for families; help with digital technology for those who need it; and respite care for parents of children with additional support needs.

So I want to take the opportunity today to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone working across the third sector organisations and volunteers who are involved in providing these services. Your willingness to help others – at what will also be a difficult time for you, as well as for others – is hugely appreciated.

And I want to stress one of the key messages of mental health awareness week is that it’s okay not to feel okay – and that help is available if you need it.

I would encourage any of you to look for help if you do feel you need it

The Clear Your Head website – clearyourhead.scot – brings together all of the different information about support that is available.

I want to close today by just emphasising the point I’ve made a couple of times already, that for the time being, the current lockdown restrictions remain in place.

The Chief Constable will say a few words in a moment, for now I just want to reiterate – once again – what those restrictions are.

Except for essential purposes – exercise, going to essential work that can’t be done at home, or getting food or medicine you should stay at home.

You can now exercise more than once a day – but please stay more than 2 metres from other people. And don’t yet meet up with people from other households.

Please wear a face covering if you are in an enclosed space like a shop or on public transport. And you should wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

Finally, if you have symptoms, or someone else in your household has symptoms of COVID-19, isolate completely.

I know how hard these restrictions are.  And I know that hearing me talk about easing them as we head into a bank holiday weekend, will make all of this seem even tougher.

But we need to stick with it for a few more days.  And if we do, I really hope that this time next week when I’m standing here telling you all to have I nice weekend, I’ll also be telling you to enjoy, for the first time in a long while, seeing some family or friends over the weekend – as long as you do it outdoors and remember to stay physically distanced.

Everybody’s been magnificent so far, please stick with it for a few more days and we can take that first step on the road back to some kind of normality.

Thank you all very much for your co-operation and I’ll now hand over to the chief constable to say a few words before handing over to Professor Leitch.

The routemap has been welcomed by SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald. He said: “We all know that we can’t live this way forever and we all want to get back some sense of normality. 

“While we need to move carefully and gradually, the route map laid out today by the First Minister clearly sets out the steps that will take us there. 

“Too many people in Edinburgh and across Scotland have lost their lives to this disease and we can’t risk another peak – so we must move in line with our own circumstances. 

“We will get through this by working together by sticking to the advice to suppress the virus further and get back a way of life that is as close to normal as possible.”