Tag: daily press briefing

First Minister salutes carers and volunteers

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

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for joining us. I’ll start as always with an update on the current position in relation to COVID-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,471 positive cases confirmed – which is an increase of 53 from the figures I gave you yesterday. However, I need you to note today that this figure of 53 includes 40 older positive test results, which have only been received today and are being added to the overall total now.

A total of 1,168 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and that is an increase of 122 from yesterday.

However, please note that the number of confirmed cases in hospital actually decreased by 23 compared to the figures yesterday.

A total of 34 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is an increase of 7 since yesterday – all 7 of those are suspected cases at this stage, not confirmed cases.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,721 patients who had tested positive and required admission to hospital for the virus have now been able to leave hospital.

And unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 12 deaths have been registered of patients confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,375.

Of course, tomorrow we will have the weekly report from National Records of Scotland which includes confirmed and suspected deaths from the virus.

Each one of these of course is an individual whose loss is being grieved and mourned by many. I want again today, to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.

Lastly, on statistics I can confirm that the latest report on delayed discharges has been published today. That includes details on the number of older people discharged from hospitals – where they had no clinical need to be – to care homes. In April that figure was 510. An additional 600 were discharged during April to their own homes.

In addition to thanking our health and care workers – as I do again today from the bottom of my heart – there are two other groups I want to pay tribute to and these groups are relevant to the two substantive issues I want to cover today.

The first group is our unpaid carers, who of course provide vital support to family, friends and neighbours at all times. This pandemic has been an especially stressful time for many of them, and I want to thank each and every one of them, you if you are watching, for your efforts.

One of the ways in which the Scottish Government has already acted to support carers, is by establishing a Carer’s Allowance Supplement – worth £460 a year. The supplement is paid to around 83,000 people across the country who receive Carers’ Allowance – people who are on low incomes, and who provide 35 hours or more of unpaid care to a child, or to an adult on disability benefits.

Last month, we announced that these carers will receive a further Coronavirus supplement of £230. Parliament approved our plans two weeks ago, and so people who are eligible will receive this payment at the end of this month, together with their normal Carer’s Allowance Supplement.

The specific date of payment will be confirmed in the next few days. Let me stress now, if you are eligible, you don’t need to do anything to receive this Coronavirus supplement – it will be paid to you automatically at the end of the month.

I know that this pandemic has been really hard for everyone but it has been very hard for carers emotionally – you are inevitably concerned about your own health, and the health of the people that you are caring for.

However in many cases, it has also been very difficult financially. This extra payment is one way of providing you with some additional help – but is also an important way of us acknowledging the help and care that you provide to others.

I also want to acknowledge that this week is Volunteers Week – that’s an opportunity for all of us to highlight and celebrate the service of volunteers in communities the length and breadth of the country.

Of course, like unpaid carers, the efforts of volunteers are important at all times, but the Covid outbreak has demonstrated once again just how much they contribute.

The Scotland Cares campaign, which you will recall we launched at the end of March, received more than 80,000 sign-ups in total. More than 60,000 of those were from people who wanted to volunteer through the British Red Cross or through Volunteer Scotland.

Some have been shopping for their neighbours – making sure people get the food and prescriptions and other essentials they need – others have been making befriending calls, or providing emotional support, to isolated or lonely people.

Some are directly helping with the response to COVID-19, and others are volunteering through long-standing community organisations.

There are also some people who signed up who may not have been asked to volunteer yet, but you may well be needed in the future – for example in supporting people who are asked to self-isolate under the “test and protect” system.

And of course, alongside the tens of thousands of people who have signed up under the Scotland Cares campaign, there are hundreds of thousands of people and many of you watching will be amongst that number who have been volunteering for years and in some cases for decades.

There are also, I know, many of you who are maybe not formally recognised as volunteers, but who have been performing important acts of kindness for neighbours and friends for a long, long time. I want to say how grateful I am, and how grateful the Scottish Government is to each and every single one of you.

Our national response to Covid depends on people being prepared to look out for each other and show solidarity with each other. Volunteers are an essential and highly valued part of that collective national effort.

Of course, each and every one of us has a part to play in that effort. And it remains the case, that the best way in which each of us can show solidarity with each other, is by sticking to the rules and the public health guidance.

That is the point I want to end on this afternoon.

You should still be staying at home most of the time right now, and you should still be meeting fewer people than normal.

I’d ask all of you to consider whether or not your life feels as if it is going back to normal? I’m sure that’s not the case but if it is, perhaps you should think about whether you are following all of the public health guidance because unfortunately, and regrettably, our lives shouldn’t feel completely normal right now.

When you do meet people from another household, when you are away from home,  you should stay outdoors at all times, and you should stay 2 metres apart from people in other households.

Now you might be reading or hearing in the media today some voices saying that 1 metre is sufficient – so I want to take the opportunity today to stress that the clear and strong advice from the Scottish Government is to stay 2 metres apart from those in other households.

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

Remember to wash your hands often. That is actually more important as you start to meet, albeit at a physical distance, with people from other households. So wash your hands often and thoroughly. If you’re away from your home, out and about, please remember to take hand sanitiser with you.

Wear a face covering when you are in shops or on public transport. And again, I want to make a direct appeal to you here, if you haven’t been wearing a face covering so far when you’re in a shop or on public transport or in other enclosed spaces, I’m asking you to please think about doing so now.

Because it can offer some protection to other people, it protects them from you transmitting the virus to them if you have it perhaps without knowing it and other people who wear a face covering are offering you some protection as well. So again, it’s something all of us can do to protect each other.

Remember to avoid touching hard surfaces – and when you do touch a hard surface remember to clean it.

And if you have symptoms of COVID-19 – a new, continuous cough; a fever; or a loss of, or change in, your sense of smell or taste – you should get tested, and follow the advice on self-isolation.

I want to underline that point today as well. The success of our test, trace and isolate system – Test & Protect – depends on everyone with symptoms coming forward and getting tested.

So if you do experience symptoms – please do not delay – do not do that thing that sometimes in normal times all of us do, wait to see if we feel better after a day or so. The moment you start to experience these symptoms, book a test at nhsinform.scot or you can phone NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.

It is really important that if you experience those symptoms, a cough, fever, a loss or change in sense of taste or smell then you come forward and book a test.

Above all else, and this is my final point, please remember that the individual decisions that all of us take right now have an impact far beyond our own health and wellbeing – our individual decisions right now affect the wellbeing of our families, our communities, indeed they affect the wellbeing of the entire country.

The Scottish Government’s responsibility to lead the country through this pandemic and to take all of the appropriate practical steps we need to take is a responsibility we and I, personally take very seriously.

But the truth is that our success or failure in suppressing this virus and keeping it suppressed will also depend on all of us as individual citizens and it will depend on our collective efforts as a society.

We must all continue to do the right thing by each other – by following all the rules and following all of the public health guidance.

I want to stress today that if we all do that, we will continue to slow down the spread of this virus and we will save lives. So my thanks to each and every one of you for doing that so far and I ask you to continue to do the right thing.

First Minister: ‘virus has not gone away’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday, Monday 1st June:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start by providing provide an update, as I always do, on the current position in relation to Covid-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,418 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 18 from yesterday.

A total of 1,046 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 27 from yesterday, including an increase of 3 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 27 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is the same as the figure yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,695 patients who had tested positive and required hospital treatment for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

And unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 1 death has been registered of a patient who had been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,363.

That figure should be treated with some caution.  Although deaths can be registered at weekends, registration numbers are usually relatively low at the weekend and they can be especially low on a Sunday.

For example, just to illustrate that point, last week I reported 3 deaths on Monday, but then reported 18 deaths on Tuesday. That should be taken into account when looking at today’s figure.

And of course we must always remember that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent unique and irreplaceable individuals whose loss is mourned by many. I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express once again my deep thanks to our health and care workers. You are doing incredible work in exceptionally challenging circumstances, and all of us owe you a debt of gratitude.

The statistics that I have just read demonstrate the real progress we have made together against the virus.  There are now far fewer people in hospital and in intensive care than at the peak of the outbreak.

But these statistics also demonstrate how fragile that progress is. There are still hundreds of people in hospital and suffering from this virus. There are still new infections in many health board areas. And it is still the case that every day, I have to stand here and confirm further loss of life.

The fact is the virus is being suppressed – but it has not gone away, and it is still extremely dangerous. Indeed, our routemap out of lockdown expressly recognises that during phase 1, which we entered on Friday, there is still a high risk that the virus is not yet contained.

We all must understand that and continue to remember it.

I know that in the last three days, many of you have had long-awaited reunions with family, friends and loved ones. I really hope you enjoyed that – and enjoyed the lovely weather too.

I also know that the vast majority of people stuck to the rules when having those reunions and I want to thank you sincerely for that – you stayed outdoors in small groups, and you stayed more than 2m away from other households. So again my thanks to you for that.

However it is also clear that over the weekend not everyone stuck to the rules. I’m told by the police that on Saturday alone there were 797 dispersals and that is people being moved on for not complying with the rules. To give some content to that, that 797 is five times higher than the figure the previous Saturday.

And there were clearly cases where, despite the guidance we have issued, people were driving more than 5 miles to beauty spots. In some cases, people were staying overnight in tents, caravans or motorhomes.

Some of the early statistics we have from Transport Scotland are especially concerning.

Overall, transport yesterday was 70% up from the previous Sunday. Transport on Saturday was 60% up on the week before.

In some places – like Loch Lomond and Glencoe for example – the increase was even more dramatic.

On Saturday, on the A82 by Loch Lomond, traffic was around 3 times higher than the previous Saturday. We saw a similar picture around Glencoe.

I’m going to be blunt here – it is very hard to see how all of that can have been caused by local residents, or by people travelling a reasonable distance to meet loved ones. So we will be considering all of this as we continue to assess the impact of the Phase 1 changes.

Last week we deliberately allowed some flexibility when we changed the lockdown restrictions. We recommended that people don’t travel more than 5 miles for recreation, but we left room for some discretion so that you could go further to visit family.

And we strongly recommended that when two households meet, there should be no more than eight people in total in a group – but again, we put that into guidance rather than putting it in law, because we trust, and continue to trust, the majority to keep those groups small and to stay within the rules.

But it is worth being clear, in fact I have a duty to be clear with you, that if there is continued evidence of even a minority not abiding by those guidelines and travelling unnecessarily – if people meet up in larger groups or make journeys which risk spreading the virus – we will have to put those restrictions, on group size and travel distance, into law. And we won’t hesitate to do so if we think it is necessary for the collective safety and wellbeing of the nation.

I should make clear, of course, that the  stipulation that no more than two households can meet at any one time is already the law, and if need be, it will be enforced.

And I also want to remind you that the two households should keep 2 metres apart from each other, not share food or utensils, and not go inside each others’ houses.

And the reason I’m stressing all of this – the real danger we still face – is not because I want to be imposing these restrictions but it is because the progress we have made so far in tackling Covid-19 is not guaranteed and it is not irreversible.

Cases could increase again, it won’t take too much for that to happen, rather than continuing to decrease. And if that happens then that will result in more loss of life.

And if all of that happens restrictions will have to be reimposed, rather than being relaxed. None of us want that. But the only way of avoiding it, is for all of us to comply with the rules.

Unless you are an essential worker, or work in one of the categories now permitted to be at work  – you should still be spending the majority of your time at home.

You should still be seeing far fewer people than you might normally do. And those meetings you are now able to have – and your life more generally – still should not be feeling normal.

That basic point applies to everyone. I know that young people, for example, will be hugely frustrated after weeks in doors, and will be desperate to spend more time with friends in the park or at the beach. Young people may also think they are generally less likely to become very seriously ill as a result of this virus.

I want to say very directly to young people, this virus can still be harmful to you. And even if you yourself are not adversely affected, you can still pass the virus on to other young people, and then some of them may pass it on to others – for example parents or grandparents – who are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill.

So please think about that wider interest when you are considering your own behavior in the days and weeks to come.

All of us want to be able to lift more restrictions, so that we can meet friends in more normal circumstances. We also want to be able to restart NHS services, as the Health Secretary spoke about yesterday – and to allow people to get back to work, school or study.

But we can only do this if we keep driving the overall level of Covid infections down, and if we continue to suppress the spread of the virus. And we can only do that, if people continue to stick to the rules.

So please, if I can conclude again by reminding you of what we are asking everybody to do:

Only meet people from other households outside – because the risk of transmission outside is lower than the risk of transmission indoors – and even outdoors stay 2 metres apart from the other household when you do meet.

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.

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

Please wear a face covering when you are in shops or on public transport or other enclosed spaces where physical distancing might be more difficult.

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, more generally – and this applies to each and every one of us – let’s remember that each decision we take as an individual, affects the safety and wellbeing of us all.

I know that that’s difficult. I understand just as much as anybody does the desire to see more people, and to travel outside your local area.

But if we all stick to these rules we are helping to suppress this virus. But if even just a few of you don’t stick to these rules, we are providing a chance for the virus to spread more quickly, and to spread to different parts of the country.

We need to continue to do the right thing, and to do right by each other. I know that the vast majority of you are doing that. Again, I want to sincerely thank you for that.

My appeal goes to everybody across the whole population. Let’s stick together and let’s all do the right thing for the benefit of ourselves and each other.

Jeane Freeman: Life should not feel normal

Statement given by Health Secretary Jeane Freeman at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Sunday 31 May):

Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start this afternoon 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 15,400 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 18 from yesterday.

A total of 1,073 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – 732 who have been confirmed as having Covid, and 341 who are suspected of having Covid. That represents a total reduction of 41 since yesterday, including a decrease of 3 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 27 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 6 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,688 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

Unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 9 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 2,362.

It is worth remembering that fewer deaths tend to be registered at the weekend than on other days of the week, and that is probably why today’s figure is relatively low.

And, as always, I want to stress that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent individuals whose loss is a source of grief to very many. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

As Health Secretary, I also want to once again thank those working in our health and care sectors.  That thanks is due to all staff – to people working in NHS 24; in emergency dental and eye care;  in GP practices and Covid assessment centres; in care homes and in hospitals; to paramedics; procurement staff, and the porters, cooks, cleaners, and maintenance staff who help to keep our services running.

Your work is essential to the health and well being of us all, and all of us are grateful to you.

I have two issues I want to address briefly before focusing on the next steps for our NHS. The first relates to the changes to lockdown restrictions which took effect on Friday.

I know that this weekend there will have been many long-awaited meetings taking place in the sunshine. I know they will have brought real joy to many. But I cannot emphasise enough, how much we need you to stick to the rules we have set out.

The central advice continues to be to stay at home. That is the best way of stopping the spread of the virus.

I know that is hard in the sunshine, but it is essential.  The reasons you can leave your house are exceptions.  They are not the norm.

If you are meeting people outside there should be no more than two households in any group – and ideally no more than 8 people.  Each household should socially distance from the other – and also, of course, from any other groups that are in the same place as you.

And we strongly recommend that you do not meet with any other household more than once in a day.

Remember also that every person you meet, could pass the virus to you, or you could pass the virus to them, even if you feel well.

So remember the basic precautions you should take – wash your hands; cough or sneeze into your elbow or into a disposable tissue; and try to avoid touching your face. Don’t touch shared surfaces such as park benches or play parks. And if you can, wear a face covering in shops and on public transport.

Please do not travel more than 5 miles from your home. And do not crowd beauty spots, rural locations or small villages.  Car parks in many of these locations remain closed, They are closed for a reason, to stop crowding. So please don’t ignore that, don’t park on verges or at the side of the road as an alternative. That is unsafe. If it’s crowded, change your plans and go elsewhere.

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

Fundamentally, life may feel a little less restricted but it should not feel normal.

I know these restrictions remain tough, but they are necessary.

The changes we have made are intended to improve people’s quality of life, while continuing to minimise opportunities for the virus.  If we don’t respect these rules then the virus will begin to spread again.

I know that the majority of people are following the rules and the law. But we have heard and seen some reports this weekend of more than two households meeting, of house parties taking place, and of large gatherings outdoors. None of that should be happening. It puts you and others at risk. 

So enjoy meeting friends and loved ones, but please do it sensibly.  Think about your actions. And remember that for all of us, our individual decisions are crucial not first to our own safety and that of our loved ones, but to each other.

The second issue I want to talk about is shielding.

I  know that the last three months have been enormously difficult for people who are shielding, and for their families.

I  also know that it is tough for you to see restrictions being eased on those who are less at risk – and that you want clarity about when you can start to lead a less restricted life.

We will provide you with more information over the course of the next couple of weeks, but I want to stress that the changes the UK Government announced yesterday are for England only. They do not apply in Scotland.

We have asked you to shield because the virus presents a very serious risk to you. You matter. And so we need to very careful to get our advice righ

t for you as we move through how we can safely ease the restrictions you face and what you can do to keep safe.

In doing so, we will try, as far as we can, to move from the current blanket approach – which requires all of you to stay at home all the time – to one that reflects both the latest clinical evidence, and your individual circumstances.

The final issue I want to talk about today relates to NHS Scotland. The Scottish Government has today published “A Framework for NHS Mobilisation”.

It sets out the core principles that underpin how we will, safely and gradually, resume some of the services in the community and hospital setting which were paused at the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.

The mobilisation plan makes clear that we will start with the resumption of those services whose absence is clearly having a detrimental impact on people’s lives.

But as we do that we must make sure we keep sufficient capacity, to deal with any surge in Covid-19 cases. And we will build on some of the improvements that have been made as a result of responding to Covid – particularly in primary care – through increased use of digital consultations.

Mental health support – something which is arguably more important now than ever – will be made more widely available.

The care offered at emergency dental hubs will expand, as dentists prepare to open.

In hospitals, we will restart some urgent elective surgery which had been postponed.

As we emerge further from lockdown, more services will resume – including, for example, cancer screening services, and services for managing chronic diseases.

And although it may seem like a strange thing to say on one of the hottest days of the year, we are already looking ahead to the winter months – to the normal flu season, as well as to the continued risk of Covid-19. So our planning must take that into account and use the next few months to restock and replenish supplies.

The plan sets out an approach which is cautious, phased, and based on evidence. It is informed by our experience in recent weeks. The re-mobilisation will happen in stages, with constant checking on the prevalence of the virus and the R-number. The plan charts the way we will help the health service to resume important services, alongside making sure that the virus continues to be suppressed.

And as those decisions are made in that slow, evidence-based way we will make sure that patients are well aware of what to expect and that you, the wider public in Scotland, know what we are doing and the reasons for it.

I am just about to hand over to the Chief Nursing Officer and the National Clinical Director. Before I do that, however, I would like to re-state once again our key public health guidance.

Lockdown has been modified slightly – but life should not feel normal. You should still stay home as much as possible because the virus has not gone away.

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.

Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.

Avoid hard surfaces – and clean any you are touching.

And if you have symptoms, don’t wait to see if you feel better tomorrow, get tested and follow the advice on self isolation.

We are only taking steps out of lockdown this weekend, because so many people have stuck to the rules so far.

If all of us continue to do the right thing, we will be able to relax more restrictions in the future. But right now these rules remain the best way of protecting ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities. So please, stick with them.

First Minister talks Test & Protect

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Tuesday 25 May):

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

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 15,185 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 29 from yesterday.

A total of 1,200 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 69 from yesterday, including a decrease of 16 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 36 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 4 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,589 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

And unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 18 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 2291.

Each one is an individual whose loss is a source of grief to many. I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to express my gratitude – as I always do – to our health and care workers, for everything you are doing in such testing circumstances.

Today, I want to focus on the launch of NHS Scotland’s test, trace and isolate programme – Test and Protect – the logo for which you will see behind me.

From the end of this week, through Test and Protect, anyone who suspects they have Covid-19 will be tested.

If you test positive, your close contacts will be traced and advised to isolate for 14 days.

The aim of Test and Protect is to quickly identify cases of the virus and then act to break the chains of transmission.

On 4th May, we published our initial plans.

I can confirm today, that the system will go live in every one of Scotland’s 14 health board areas on Thursday.

Test and Protect will be an important tool in the months ahead – it will help us suppress the virus while we slowly ease lockdown restrictions. But it will only be effective if we all play our part.

So today I’ll set out what the capacity of the new system will be at the point of launch and how this will develop.

And I’ll set out how you as an individual, your household, your workplace and your employer can support us in making it work.

Firstly we said that to launch Test and Protect nationally we needed the ability to conduct over 15,000 tests a day.  I can confirm today that this capacity is now in place.

It will be delivered through a combination of NHS labs, academic partners, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and the Lighthouse Lab in Glasgow.

Secondly, we said we would enhance and extend use of the software that public health teams already use for contact tracing in relation to other infectious diseases.

That software has been piloted in Fife, Lanarkshire and Highland over the last week and I can confirm that it will be operational in every health board by Thursday.

Thirdly, we said that we’d aim to have 2000 contact tracers available by the end of this month.

Based on current demand estimates, we assess that around 700 will be needed in the early phase. However, I can confirm that by the end of the month we will have a pool of around 2000 to draw on if necessary.

This is a system that will operate at a scale not seen before in Scotland. Over the first couple of weeks, it will need to bed down. But introducing it at the same time as we take the first cautious steps out of lockdown gives us the opportunity to address any operational issues ahead of a potentially more substantial easing of restrictions at the next review date in 3 weeks.

Over the next few weeks, we will also add enhancements to the system.

As I said earlier, the technology used by contact tracers will be in place from the start. But we will also add a digital platform to allow people who test positive to enter details of their contacts online.

We will also continue to build testing capacity and make access to testing more locally accessible. We will keep you updated on all of that.

Let me now outline what we are asking you, the public to do.

Let me stress that, just like lockdown, this is something that will only have the desired effect if we all do what is required. It can’t be seen as optional.

To make sure we all understand what is required, a public awareness campaign will start later this week. And during June, information will be delivered to every household across the country.

But let me set out the basics here.

Firstly, as of Thursday we are asking that if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 – that is a cough, temperature or loss of taste or smell – you take immediate steps to book a test.

Please don’t wait to see if you feel better after a day or two – time is of the essence, so get in touch as soon as you experience symptoms.

You should go to nhsinform.scot or, if you can’t get online, call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.

Online you can ask for a test for yourself, or for someone else that you live with, and book it at one of the drive through testing centres or mobile testing units. For some, there will also be the option of a home testing kit. As I said earlier, in the coming weekswe will be working to further expand local access to testing.

If you can’t go online, you should call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816. An adviser will then go through some questions with you, and book you in for a test.

While you wait for your test and the result, it is essential that you and your household self-isolate.  That means staying at home at all times – with the exception of going for the test. You shouldn’t go to the shops, out for exercise or to see anybody else.

In line with the current guidance, the person with symptoms should isolate for 7 days from the start of your symptoms.

Other members of the household should self-isolate for 14 days.  If any of them start to display symptoms during that time, they should also go through the testing process.

If your test comes back negative, you and your household can end your isolation.

However, if you are contacted to be told that you have tested positive, you will be asked at that stage for details of people that you have been in contact with.

The definition of a contact is people within your household, people you have had face to face contact with, and people who have been within two metres of for a period of 15 minutes or more.

I want to take the opportunity now to assure you that your privacy will be respected at all times during this process.

The information you provide will be held securely within the NHS and used only for the purposes of tracing your contacts.

It will not be used by the Scottish Government – indeed, we won’t have access to it. All the work of identifying and tracing contacts will be done within Scotland’s NHS.

Let me turn now to what to do if you receive a call from a contact tracer to say that you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

It is no exaggeration to say that how you – how any of us – respond will be vital in stopping the spread of the virus.

We will ask you to self-isolate immediately – the success of Test and Protect will really depend on all of us trusting this advice and, for the sake of ourselves and each other, agreeing to abide by it.

If you are at work, the advice will be to immediately head home, taking care to come into contact with as few people as possible.

We have published guidance this morning for employers, making clear they should support anyone who is asked to self-isolate by Test and Protect.

If you are well, and can work from home, then your employer will expect you to do so, but they should not ask you to go into work.

The Scottish Government is also in contact with the UK Government to ensure that employment rights and entitlement to benefits including statutory sick pay, take account of the fact that people may be off work or unable to attend appointments through no fault of their own.

We have also published today general advice for anyone who is asked to self-isolate. Remember that this is something over the months ahead that could happen to any of us – on more than one occasion.

This includes hygiene advice for your home, advice for other people in your household, what to do if you care for someone who is shielding or clinically vulnerable, and what to do if you need help accessing food and medicine or even accommodation. It also suggests how we can all make some preparations in advance.

Now, I know there’s a lot of information here to take in. But don’t worry, we will be taking steps to ensure everyone knows what we are asking you to do.

For now, let me leave you with these points.

Test and Protect is an important tool for us in the period ahead. The more effective it is, the more of the lockdown restrictions we will be able to lift.

However, it can’t do all the work of suppressing the virus. We will all continue to have a vital role to play in our everyday lives. That means even as we ease lockdown, physical distancing, good hygiene and following appropriate advice will continue to be essential.

And so too will all of us doing what is asked of us. Test and Protect will only work if we all come forward for testing when we have symptoms and if we all agree to self-isolate when asked.

And if the government steps up to give you the support you need to do so.

In short, Test and Protect will require exactly the same spirit of solidarity and care for each other as lockdown has done.

It will be a collective national endeavour.

People will need the help of family, friends, colleagues and employers. Volunteers who have been supporting efforts to distribute food and care for the vulnerable through lockdown will have a valuable part to play in supporting people through Test and Protect. Government will have to ensure the right capacity, resources and support is in place.

And all of us will have to agree to make sacrifices for the common good – just as we have been doing.

In short, by agreeing that some of us will have to stay home at times – when we have symptoms, test positive, or have been in contact with someone who tests positive – we can gradually move away from a situation where everyone has to stay home all of the time.

As I said earlier, we will make much more information available in the days and weeks to come.

But let me leave you with the most important message – from Thursday, if you have symptoms you should go online to NHS Inform or call NHS 0800 028 2816 0800 and book a test straight away.

And for now, all of us must continue to stick with lockdown measures.

So please, stay at home except for essential purposes.

When you do leave the house, stay more than two metres from other people. And do not meet up with people from households other than yours.

You should wear a face covering if you are in an enclosed space such as a shop or on public transport. This is one of the issues covered in the Transport Transition Plan that we will also publish later this afternoon.

You should also continue to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

And if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, then you should stay at home completely.

At the moment, these actions are vital – to slow the spread of the virus, protect the NHS, and save lives.

So thank you once again, for helping to do that.

First Minister: further action to tackle ’employment challenge created by Covid’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Tuesday 19 May:

Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for joining us. 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 14,655 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 61 from yesterday.

A total of 1,447 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – 969 who have been confirmed as having the virus, and 478 who are suspected of having Covid. That represents a total increase of 20 from yesterday, but within that a decrease of 36 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 59 people last night were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 4 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,408 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

Unfortunately though I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 29 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 2,134.

Tomorrow we will have the latest publication from National Records of Scotland, which include not only people that have died having tested positive but all those deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on a death certificate.

As always, I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost and is grieving for a loved one as a result of this virus.

I also want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers. The whole of the country continues to be very grateful to you for the extraordinary work that you are doing in these very challenging circumstances.

I have two items I want to briefly update on today. The first relates to the publication this morning of the latest employment figures in Scotland. These are for the period from January to March of this year. These are the first figures that include any of the period of the Covid-19 crisis.

They show that 113,000 people in Scotland are now unemployed – that is up from just under 100,000 in the previous three months.

That is an unemployment rate of 4.1%. Now, by historical standards, that actually is still a relatively low rate but of course it is important to stress that these figures, since they only extend up to the end of March, do not reflect the full economic impact of the pandemic.

They undoubtedly further demonstrate the need to carefully get our economy moving again as quickly as we are able to do that safely. And they underline the continuing need for government action to support the economy, and to help people keep their jobs or to enter or re-enter the workforce.

We know that the essential public health measures that we have had to take to deal with what is a public health emergency, are in themselves creating an economic emergency and that will have impact on people’s jobs, living standards and inequalities in our society.

And although the Job Retention Scheme has offered some relief to many employers and employees, I am very aware that many people will be deeply concerned about the future of their livelihoods.

That is why we have already allocated more than £2.3 billion to support businesses and protect livelihoods, and it is why we have welcomed so warmly many of the measures taken by the UK Government –including the Job Retention scheme.

In addition, Skills Development Scotland – as I discussed last week – has expanded its support for people seeking training or employment by establishing a phoneline and online service. The new online service – which highlights links to free courses which are available – has received 120,000 visits since it launched just over three weeks ago.

Today we are taking further action to tackle the employment challenge created by Covid.

Our Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board – which was first established 2 ½ years ago – will co-ordinate rapid action across our enterprise and skills agencies.

In doing so, it will ensure that our actions, now, are helping to equip people with the skills they need for the future. It will report back to us in June on what additional measures we need to take.

However I can confirm today that we will be investing a further £33 million to support people back to work as we gradually get the economy opened up again.

This initial  funding – most of which will be allocated to Fair Start Scotland, our devolved employability service –  will have a particular focus on helping those most adversely affected in times of economic downturn –  which are young people, disabled people and lone parents.

Today’s announcement is one further action amongst many in our efforts to tackle the economic impacts of this crisis, but it is, I think, an important one.

We know all too well from previous recessions that the longer people stay jobless, the greater the chance of further impacts – their skills can deteriorate, their confidence can fall, and that in turn can have an impact on future prospects.

We also know that these effects are of course bad for individuals – especially young people – and that they are also damaging for the economy as a whole. And that means that when an upturn comes, when the economy starts to recover, employers can find it more difficult to hire the people they need.

For all of these reasons, we are determined to do everything we can to protect Scotland’s workforce; to minimise – as far as we can  – the increase in unemployment; and to ensure that we are ready for a sustainable recovery. Today’s actions represent a further step in helping us to do that.

The second issue I want to talk about relates to the fact that this week is Mental Health Awareness Week. This year’s theme is kindness.

In many ways that’s especially appropriate right now. Kindness should, I think, be one of the core values of any good society.  And, as I suspect most of us have experienced in recent weeks, even small acts of kindness can make a huge difference to the way someone is feeling.

We have been aware throughout this crisis of the impact that Covid-19, and our lockdown measures, are likely to have on people’s mental health.

That is why we have expanded NHS 24’s telephone and online services to support mental health; it’s why we established a National Wellbeing Hub to support the mental health of NHS and social care staff; and it’s also why we launched the “Clear Your Head” campaign, which you may have seen in the media.

Clear Your Head provides practical advice on how to stay active, keep connected with friends and family, and create healthy routines to help get through this crisis.

Today we are making a further investment to support the mental health and wellbeing of parents and carers in particular.

Solihull Online is a programme that helps parents and carers to learn about what their  child may be going through, and developing nurturing and supportive relationships. From today, all parents and carers in Scotland will have access to the programme and if you are interested in this you can find more information by going to ParentClub.scot.

The final point I want to make, is that one of the most important things to remember during Mental Health Awareness Week, is that it’s okay not to feel okay – and that help is available.

You can speak to someone if you need to, and I would encourage you to do so. The Clear Your Head website – clearyourhead.scot – brings together our information about support that is available for mental health.

So please have a look at the website during the Awareness Week. And please, continue, as far as all of us can, to show kindness to each other as we try get through this crisis together.

Before I hand over to the CMO, I want to emphasise once again our key public health measures.

As is said yesterday, on Thursday this week we will publish a routemap, setting how on a phased basis, we will ease the lockdown while continuing to suppress the virus.

My hope and intention is that we will take the first concrete steps on that journey next week.

But, we will increase both the likelihood and the extent of that by sticking to the rules now.

Please stay at home except for essential purposes- such as daily exercise, going to essential work that you can’t do from home, or buying essential items.

You can now exercise more than once a day – but when you do leave home, stay more than 2 metres away from others. And do not meet up with people from other households.

Please think about wearing a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And remember to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

Finally, if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, then you should stay at home completely. Those symptoms are a high temperature, a persistent cough, or now a change or loss of smell or taste.

For now, these restrictions do remain essential.

They are helping us to slow down the spread of the virus, to protect the NHS, and to save lives.

So thank you once again, to everyone, for your cooperation.

Hancock urges England to ‘stick with the rules’

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock gave the 15 May 2020 daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He urged people to stick to the newly relaxed lockdown rules, but with a weekend of sunshine forecast beauty spots and seaside resorts are braced for high numbers of visitors – and all the challenges and dangers that will bring.

NOTE: England’s guidance now differs from that of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Good afternoon and welcome to Downing Street for the daily coronavirus briefing. I’m joined by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries and by NHS England’s Medical Director for Primary Care Dr Nikki Kanani.

I want to take this chance to update you on the latest coronavirus data. 2,353,078 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 133,784 tests yesterday.

236,711 people have tested positive for the virus, an increase of 3,560 since yesterday. 10,024 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus. This is a 13% fall from the same time last week.

And very sadly of those who tested positive, across all settings, 33,998 people have now died. That’s an increase of 384 since yesterday. And we mourn each one. The number of deaths is falling each day, in all settings thankfully, and we are past the peak of this virus.

I want to take a moment to remind everyone about our plans for this second phase. We have set up the new COVID Alert Level System. That’s the five levels of threat – based on the R value and the number of new cases.

The alert level in turn guides the social distancing rules, which are vital in our efforts to control the virus.

A higher alert level means stricter rules. Throughout the lockdown, we have been at Level 4 which means that Covid-19 is in general circulation and transmission is high or rising exponentially.

But, thanks to your shared sacrifice, we’ve brought R down. Cautiously, carefully and responsibly, we are now in a position to start moving to Level 3.

We’ve set out the first of the three steps that we’ll take to carefully to modify the social distancing rules and start to restore freedom to this country all the while avoiding a disastrous second peak that could overwhelm the NHS.

At each step, we will closely monitor the impact on R, on the number of new infections, and on of course all available data. And we’ll only move to the next step when we judge it is safe to do so.

In the first step, as of this week if you work but can’t work from home, you should speak to your employer about going back in. People can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like and you can meet one other person from outside your household in an outdoor, public place. But please keep 2 metres apart.

This weekend, with the good weather and the new rules, I hope people can enjoy being outside but please stick with the rules, keep an eye on your family and don’t take risks.

We’ve also updated what we’re asking to people to do, which is to Stay Alert, Control the Virus and Save Lives.

For the vast majority of people, staying alert still means staying at home as much as is possible. Working from home when you can, limiting contact with people, keeping your distance if you go out: 2 metres wherever possible. washing your hands regularly. This is still the single most effective thing that you can do to keep yourself safe and of course, self-isolating if you or anyone in your household has coronavirus symptoms.

By staying alert and following the rules, you can play a part in the national effort getting the R down and keeping R down controlling the virus so that we can save lives, rebuild livelihoods and start to recover our freedom.

First Minister: polling support for Scotland’s lockdown

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Friday 15th May:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start – as I always do – with a statistical update on COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can report that there have been 14,260 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 143 since yesterday.

A total of 1,449 patients are in hospital with the virus – 1,066 of them have been confirmed through a test as having COVID-19, and 383 are suspected of having the virus. That overall number represents a decrease of 31 since yesterday.

A total of 71 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – which is no change since the figure I reported to you here yesterday.

I am also able to confirm that since 5 March, a total of 3,290 patients who had tested positive and required hospitalisation for the virus have now been able to leave hospital, which is good news for them and their families.

Unfortunately I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 46 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,053.

As always, because it is so important every single day that we never see these numbers as statistics, as always I want to stress that point. Behind every single one of these statistics I read out to you here today, is an individual whose loss is being mourned by friends, family and all of their loved ones.

I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus. The thoughts of me, the government and I’m sure everybody across Scotland are very much with you at this time.

I also want to thank – as I always do – again, our health and care workers.  Once again last night, I joined with people across the country, in the applause at 8pm.  That is a small – but I hope powerful – way of demonstrating our deep appreciation, our ongoing appreciation for your incredible efforts at this very, very challenging time.

There are of course many, many other people who, in various different ways, are keeping the country going during this crisis. I can’t list all of them every day, but if you are in any of these categories know my deep appreciation and gratitude is with all of you. From time to time, I want to single out particular groups of workers so that they know that their efforts are not forgotten at this time.

Today I’m going to highlight the role of our telecoms workers and especially telecoms engineers.

The fact that we are being forced to stay physically distant from each other, has made many of us rely more than ever on technology. We’re reliant much more now on technology for access to public services.  Our children are relying on technology for access to education.  Many are working from home and need technology for that. We’re all using technology for staying in touch with family and friends at a time when we cannot physically see them.

So the contribution of those who keep all of these systems working, our phones and our broadband networks going at this time are so important to our everyday lives. That is true at all times but it is particularly true right now so I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you.

I’m going to keep my general update today relatively brief.

As you know, the lock down restrictions here in Scotland remain very much in place. The message to you today, over the weekend and into next week, is still stay at home. The only change we’ve made to the guidance in place, which of course we announced last weekend, is the change on exercise.

That position we have in Scotland, now I want to be very clear, continues to be based on our assessment of the evidence – and on what we judge is right for the protection of people across the country.

However, as I also said on Sunday, we will continue to monitor the evidence very closely on an ongoing basis. And as we hopefully see more evidence of a downward trend in the virus – we will then consider further changes, but we will do so on a very careful and gradual basis.

When we know that lives are at stake and we have learned that everyday over these past seven or eight weeks as I’ve stood up here day in day out and read out numbers of people who have died. We do know that lives are at stake with this virus.

Then for as long as that continues to be the case, I’m going to continue to err on the side of caution, err on the side of saving lives and reducing the number of people who might die unnecessarily.

And I hope I have your continued understanding in doing so.

However, I also want to give you as much visibility and advance notice of future changes as possible.

We can’t live like this forever so we need to get some normality back as we continue to suppress the virus. We’ve tried to set out, as we have done in recent weeks on an ongoing basis, as much of our thinking and consideration as we can. As we can’t yet confirm dates of when things will open up again, at least we will seek to share with you share the order of priority and potential phasing.

So I will give you an indication now that next week, I will share with you more information on the assessments we are making and the range of options that we are looking at and any further minor changes that we might make in the short term.

And, as I have said before, as we make these decisions fairness and quality of life will be really important factors.

We are, of course, keen to get the economy moving again – I am very keen to get the economy moving again – that matters to all of us, not just to businesses.

But we also have to consider very carefully our social interactions.

A life where we go to work but stay locked down with no family interaction for the rest of the time is not one that many of us, if any of us, would enjoy.

So given that we are likely to have for quite a while to come very limited room for manoeuvre – and I want to stress that is the case –  we will need to get these balances as right as possible. That’s why we are paying close attention to the ideas that many of you are taking the time to share us.

Our considerations will be informed, as we have always said, by the scientific evidence and advice and the clear principles we have set out.

In all of this continuing to set out clearly to you why we are asking you to live your lives in such a restrictive way is vital – so that you understand we are not asking you to do this for no reason and will not ask you to do this for any longer than we judge to be necessary.

It is not enough, and never be enough in my view, for me simply to tell you what I want you to do. I have to explain, I’ve got a duty to explain to you, on an ongoing basis my reasons for it.

Compliance with any measures we may need to keep in place will, I think, always be higher if I am clear, rational and straight with you about the difficult judgements they are based on.

So on that theme, I thought I’d just very briefly share with you today the results of some polling on attitudes that we have undertaken.

And you’ll understand that we do this just to check that the messages that we are trying to convey are being understood and getting across.

Though I’m not complacent about this at all, this polling that I’m going to share with you suggests that the really important bond of understanding between government and you, the public in Scotland, right now is currently very strong. And I want to do everything I can to keep it that way.

The polling reveals that there is widespread endorsement for the approach that we are taking in Scotland.

So, for example:

  • 84% of you agree with a slow and gradual lifting of restrictions
  • 82% of you agree that before further significant changes to lockdown restrictions are brought in, the impact of those already introduced should be assessed
  • 86% continue to agree that decisions on when and how to lift restrictions must be based on saving lives and protecting the NHS

So, I want to take the opportunity again today to thank you for your support. These last few weeks have truly been a collective endeavour – we’ve all been making sacrifices not just for our own sake, but for the sake of each other as well.

We’ve been putting those values I keep talking about – of love, kindness and solidarity – into practice.

My ask of you is that we keep doing so for a bit longer. Let me, therefore, end with this fundamental point.

The way in which we save lives, but also the way we emerge from this lockdown that bit more quickly, is by sticking now with the current guidance.

So before I hand over firstly to the Chief Nursing Officer, and then to our National Clinical Director, I want to reiterate – once again – what that guidance says.

Please stay at home.   Except for essential work that you can’t do at home, for buying food or accessing medicines, or for exercising, you should not be going out.

Of course, you can now exercise more than once a day, if you want to. But when you are out, please stay more than two metres from other people and don’t meet up with people from other households.

Please wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And remember to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

Finally, if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of the virus, then please stay at home completely.

I know that these restrictions are tough, I say this every day but I’m always conscious on a Friday of just how much tougher these restrictions feel for all of us over the weekend, particularly when the sun is out, which as we know, is sometimes a rare occasion in our country.

But these restrictions are essential for now and crucially, and this is the point I really want to leave you with – they are making a difference and I hope you can see that in the statistics, albeit the difficult statistics that I’m sharing with you everyday.

By staying at home we are slowing down the spread of this virus, we are protecting the NHS, we are undoubtedly saving lives and we’re also bringing much closer that day when we can start that return to normality.

So thank you very much for doing the right thing. Thank you for the sacrifices you are making. Please keep doing it. For your own sake and your families sake and for the sake of everybody across the country. Thank you very much indeed for listening and I’m going to handover now to Fiona McQueen, our Chief Nursing Officer, and then to Professor Leitch, our National Clinical Director.

Shapps: ‘We want to keep this momentum going’

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps gave the UK Government’s daily media briefing yesterday.

He described how the time during lockdown has been used to fix and upgrade road and rail infrastructure, including plans to help the economy bounce back.

Good afternoon and welcome to today’s Downing Street press conference. I’m pleased to be joined by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam.

Latest data

Let me start by updating you on the latest information from the Government’s COBR data file.

Through our monitoring and testing programme, as of today:

  • 2,219,281 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including a new record of 126,064 tests carried out yesterday
  • 233,151 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 3,446 cases since yesterday
  • 11,041 people are in hospital with COVID-19, down 14% from a week ago, when 12,802 patients were hospitalised
  • and sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, 33,614 have now died – that’s an increase of 428 fatalities since yesterday.

This new figure includes deaths in all settings not just in hospitals.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and friends as the nation battles to defeat the disease.

Main content

Today I’m going to set out how – whilst the country has been at a virtual standstill – this downtime has been used to fix and upgrade the nation’s road and rail infrastructure, along with plans to help our economy bounce back.

But before I set out today’s transport announcements, let me briefly remind you of the government’s roadmap out of this crisis.

As you know, we have established a new COVID Alert System, with five levels – based primarily on the R value and the number of cases.

Throughout the lockdown, we have been at Level 4.

Thanks to the British people, we have brought the R down and we can now begin moving carefully to Level 3.

From this week we’re at Step 1, meaning that:

  • those who cannot work from home should now speak to their employer about going back to work
  • you can now spend time outdoors and exercise as much as you like
  • you can meet one person who’s not part of your household outside, provided you stay 2 metres apart

Step 2 – from June 1, at the earliest, as long as it’s safe, we aim to allow:

  • primary schools to reopen for some pupils, in smaller class sizes
  • non-essential retail to start to reopen
  • cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors, without crowds

And then Step 3 – no earlier than July 4, and again, only if the data says it’s safe, we aim to allow:

  • more businesses to open, including those offering personal care, those in the leisure sector, together with places of worship

We can control this virus if we stay alert.

But what does staying alert actually mean?

Staying alert, for the vast majority of people still means staying at home as much as possible, and working from home if you can.

But it also means:

  • limiting contact with other people
  • keeping your distance if you go out
  • washing your hands regularly
  • wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces where it’s difficult to be socially distant – for example on public transport
  • and if you or anyone in your household has symptoms, you all need to self-isolate

If everyone stays alert and follows the rules, we can control coronavirus by keeping the R down and reducing the number of infections.

This is how we can continue to save lives, and livelihoods, as we begin as a nation to recover from coronavirus.

Transport context

Today I want to update you on the measures we’re taking to speed up our economic recovery while keeping people safe.

For 2 months, we’ve remained in lockdown, travelling as little as possible, and in doing so, the whole country has protected the NHS and helped reduce the number of COVID infections.

But as we begin making tentative steps towards restarting our economy and people in some sectors who can’t work from home begin to return to their workplaces, it is clear that transport has a critical role to play.

Last Saturday, I explained why it’s our civic duty to avoid public transport, if at all possible.

Because, even when we have 100% of services up and running, there may only be socially-distanced space available for 1 in 10 passengers.

Therefore, in order to help reduce crowding, we set out a £2 billion programme to put cycling and walking at the heart of transport, with £250 million emergency spending already underway.

Over the past week, we have followed this up by publishing 3 pieces of detailed guidance.

First, for local authorities in England, explaining how they should prepare for significantly-increased numbers of cyclists and pedestrians.

Next, for the transport sector, to ensure they provide safer services for those travelling, and safer workplaces for their staff.

And third, and most importantly, for passengers.

We’re asking the public to help ensure that the transport system does not become significantly overwhelmed by returning commuters.

The guidance makes clear, that if you can’t walk or cycle but you do have access to a car, please use it, rather than travelling by bus, train or tram…..

Especially where that public transport is liable to be overcrowded.

And, for those people who absolutely need to use public transport…

It also explains how you can best protect yourself and those around you.

Transport upgrades during lockdown

In the coming weeks, as we carefully and cautiously restart sectors of our economy, and people begin to travel once again…

They should notice that, whilst the country has been in down-time …

…with the roads and railways quiet…

We’ve been busy…

Getting on with essential work….

Fixing the nation’s infrastructure…

So we can recover faster when the time comes.

This upgrade programme…

…the kind of work that – at any other time – would cause inevitable disruption and service delays, whilst costing the taxpayer more…

…has instead been carried out in previously unimaginable circumstances of a largely unused transport network.

For example, we completed 419 separate Network Rail projects over Easter, with a further 1,000 upgrades being carried out throughout the May bank holidays.

Meanwhile, Highways England has been busy accelerating maintenance projects on the nation’s roads.

Last week, for example, we opened the vital A14 upgrade 7 months ahead of schedule.

This is a route normally used by 85,000 drivers daily, which will dramatically improve access to the UK’s largest container port at Felixstowe and permanently boost the distribution of goods around the UK.

As Northern Powerhouse minister – I can report that – in the North, we’ve delivered £96 million of rail infrastructure improvements during April.

And throughout the country, we’ve accelerated maintenance projects on road and rail…

Whilst always sticking to PHE safety guidelines…..

So that altogether, Highways England has delivered over £200 million of upgrades, and Network Rail £550 million worth, during April alone.

I’d like to thank the army of transport and construction workers who have been grafting very hard throughout the lockdown.

Building future infrastructure

But to make sure that Britain is ready to bounce-back from coronavirus…

Today I can announce nearly £2 billion to upgrade our roads and railways, to put our transport infrastructure in the best possible shape and to get our economy growing once again.

This package includes £1.7 billion for local roads – making journeys smoother and safer for drivers, hauliers, cyclists, motorcyclists, pedestrians and others…

By filling millions of dangerous potholes, we will make our roads safer – and encourage more people to cycle, or even take part in the upcoming e-scooter trials…

Helping more people play a part in relieving pressure on public transport.

This investment will also help fix damage caused by winter flooding, repair roads and bridges, and fund numerous road improvement schemes.

As more people become mobile again, we’ll be building a network of rapid charging stations for electric cars…

Including a big expansion of rapid-charging facilities at motorway service stations…

Helping the country to lock-in the dramatic air-quality improvements we’ve experienced during the coronavirus lockdown.

A better future

Amid all the sad news and tragedy of loved ones we’ve lost, we’ve somehow managed to do things in weeks that would normally take years…

Building new hospitals…

Moving public services online…

Making instant reforms and fast-tracking new laws…

Extraordinary changes in the way that employers and employees work…

Effectively taking large swathes of the economy online almost overnight…

Now we want to keep this momentum going.

If building a new hospital takes 2 weeks, why should building a new road still take as long as 20 years?

If GP surgeries can quickly move online, why are most rail passengers still travelling on cardboard tickets?

We must exploit our newfound capacity to respond at pace and apply it to rapidly improving our infrastructure.

And we must examine why it is that bureaucratic bindweed makes British infrastructure some of the costliest and slowest in Europe to build.

Because whilst many will continue to work from home even after this immediate crisis…

…both the long-term transport trend and the pressing need to level-up communities across the country, dictate that infrastructure will be even more important in stimulating our recovery and supporting new jobs.

So by combining fast home-internet access, with vastly upgraded transport connections, we can help revive many of our small and medium-sized towns which over decades have been left behind.

Closing remarks

This has been a devastating start to the year, not just for Britain, but for the world.

And we are only at Phase 1 of the recovery plan.

But we all know that it is our reaction to adversity that will ultimately define how we recover.

We must harness our approach to tackling the pandemic….

And apply it to rebuilding our own infrastructure.

With the same swift action, innovation, and collective determination that has characterised the past few months…..

And in doing so, we can emerge stronger.

First Minister: Testing,shielding and skills development

Statement given yesterday by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh:

Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

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 14,117 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 188 from yesterday.

A total of 1480 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of 54 since yesterday.

A total of 71 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is an increase of 1 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,253 patients who had tested positive for the virus 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, 34 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 2007.

And let’s always remind ourselves that behind these statistics are individuals whose loss is a source of grief to their friends, family and loved ones. I want to send my deepest 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. Later this evening people across the Scotland will once again applaud you from our doorsteps and windows. I hope that that gesture gives a small but important indication of how grateful we all are for the incredible work that you are doing.

I have three things I want to update you on today. The first is on tests and I want to set out again, so it is clear, who is eligible – right now – to access testing. 

Let me stress we keep this under constant review and take clinical advice on an ongoing basis,, and as it changes we will let you know, but I want to set out very clearly the position as it is now – so no one who is entitled to a test is in any doubt.

NHS Scotland testing capacity is currently used within hospitals for all ICU patients, all patients in hospital who have symptoms, and all those admitted to hospital who are over the age of 70, whether they have symptoms of COVID-19 or not. People who are over 70 will be tested every four days during their stay. The reason for that is we see in the statistics every day that older people are particularly hard hit by this virus.

NHS tests are also given to all patients due to enter or re-enter a care home from hospital – if they have previously tested positive for the virus, they must have 2 negative tests before entering the care home from a hospital.

In addition, we implement what is called enhanced outbreak investigation in all care homes where there are cases of COVID. This involves testing, subject to individuals’ consent, of all residents and staff – whether or not they have symptoms.

NHS testing is also available for all NHS and social care key workers, or symptomatic household members of those workers. This testing should be accessible to care and health service staff within their local area, and should not require them to drive or travel long distances.

Care home managers can put symptomatic staff forward for testing and there should be no barriers to that.

Tests are also now available to a wider group of people through the UK wide Testing Programme at drive-in centres and mobile testing units. There are 5 drive-in centres in Scotland – at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports, and in Inverness and Perth. There are also now 12 mobile testing units across the country in locations such as Annan and Fort William, and they will move to other towns every 5 days or so.

These provide testing, for any key worker with symptoms – not just health and care workers – so, for example if you are working in critical infrastructure services. They are also available for anyone needs to work, and cannot work from home; and for anyone with symptoms who is over 65. Testing is also available to symptomatic household members for all of these groups.

If you book a test through these drive-in or mobile centres, you will be allocated to the centre closest to your own postcode. I know that for some people that can still involve travelling quite a long distance. We are therefore working with the military, to try to make mobile testing units as widely available as possible.

Finally, we are also now using NHS testing capacity for monitoring purposes – to test the prevalence of the virus in communities in Scotland.

As we further increase capacity – and as the incidence of the virus continues to reduce – we will also start implementing our policy of test, trace, isolate and support. That will be crucial to controlling further outbreaks of the epidemic, as we start to emerge from lockdown and we will update on progress on that shortly.

However at this stage, our testing policy continues to be based on three key priorities- saving lives and protecting the vulnerable; ensuring that critical staff can return to work as soon as possible; and monitoring and reporting on the spread and prevalence of the virus.

The continuing expansion of testing is enabling us to do that more effectively, while also building our capacity to test, trace and isolate.

The second item I want to update you on, relates to support for people who are shielding.

That term refers to approximately 175,000 people in Scotland who are at the highest clinical risk from Covid-19, and who are therefore being asked to stay at home at all times.

People who are shielding can ask for support and receive information through a text message service. If you have not yet registered for the service but are in that shielding group, I would encourage you to do so.

One of the services which you can request by text is free weekly delivery of food, and other vital provisions such as toiletries.

These deliveries are also available to people without a mobile phone – I will read out a freephone number in a few moments which will be useful if you are in that position.

More than 50,000 people who are shielding have signed up for the free delivery service and more than 250,000 food packages have now been delivered to people across the country.

In addition, many supermarkets are making priority delivery slots available for people who are shielding.

I know for some of you, as you enter your seventh or eighth week of shielding, you will be feeling incredible levels of frustration.

This crisis is in so many ways much harder for you than for you even than it is for those  living with the standard restrictions which are in place for everyone else. And so it is important to me that you know that support is available to you and that support will be available for as long as it is needed. Please ask for that support if you need it – whether that is food and medication, or indeed anything else. Just because you have not needed it up to now does not mean you cannot ask for it at any time.

I also want you to know that you are not being forgotten as we think about our next steps, and about how we live in a new world where this virus is present. Your needs and your quality of life remain really important to our decision making process. We will set out steps over the days and weeks to come about how we emerge from the lockdown but I don’t want anybody in the shielding group to think they are being left behind. You have particular needs and it is really important we protect you, but it’s also important we understand how difficult this is for you.

I mentioned earlier that we have a national helpline for people who are shielding. This will direct you to your local authority and is a good way of finding information about the support which is available to you – including food and medicine deliveries.

The number is 0800 111 4000 – that’s 0800 111 4000 – and the line is open between 9am and 5pm every weekday. So please, do make use of it.

The final issue I want to cover is the work of Skills Development Scotland. I know that the economic uncertainty caused by this crisis has caused very many people to worry about their future prospects.

Although it cannot currently offer face to face support, Skills Development Scotland has still been providing help to people throughout this crisis. For example its website, myworldofwork, provides information on online learning courses; on immediately available jobs; and on practical skills such as developing your CV.

Yesterday SDS expanded its support further by launching a phoneline and online service. Again, I will read out the phoneline number in a few moments.

The phoneline and web resources will provide people with access to range of services available from SDS and local councils.

They will therefore help individuals who are thinking about future job and career options – for example if you are currently on furlough; if you have been made redundant and are seeking employment; or if you are a school pupil, or their parent or carer, who is thinking about what to do after school.

An advertising campaign was launched yesterday to support the enhanced service. So if you think you might benefit from the advice being offered, either go onto the Skills Development Scotland website – myworldofwork.co.uk – or phone the helpline on 0800 917 8000.

I want to conclude my statement simply by emphasising once again our key public health guidance.

Please stay at home except for essential purposes- such as essential work that can’t be done at home, exercise, or to pick up food or medicines.

You can now exercise more than once a day – but when you do leave the house, stay more than two metres from other people. And do not meet up with people from households other than yours.

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

Finally, if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, then you should stay at home completely.

I know that this is really difficult and  it gets more difficult with every passing day. But right now it is still necessary, and it is making a difference.

By staying at home, we are slowing the spread of the virus, we are protecting the NHS, and we are saving lives.

And we are bringing the day closer, when we can relax some more of these restrictions.

So thank you once again to all of you for sticking with this for your own sake but for the sake of everyone else as well. This truly is a national collective endeavour that all of us are contributing to.

Support for people shielding during COVID-19

A quarter of a million packages containing essential supplies have been delivered to people across Scotland facing the highest clinical risks from COVID-19.

The free boxes, which include vital food and toiletries, are dropped off weekly to the homes of people who are shielding.

More than 50,000 individuals have currently signed up for the deliveries.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “We understand that this is an extremely worrying time for people who are shielding and we want to do everything we can to support them throughout this challenging time.

“These packages along with the priority supermarket delivery slots help those at greatest risk from COVID-19 to shield and protect themselves from the virus.

“We are providing guidance on shielding from infection and information about the support available. We are offering this support to people who are shielding through a dedicated text message service. Those without mobile phones can still access this support by calling their local authority.”

People who don’t have access to a mobile phone can request these priority slots through their local authority and anyone who is at increased risk but not part of the shielded category and who has no family or community support should phone our national phone line on 0800 111 4000.

The Scottish Government set up this service so those in this wider vulnerable group can also access help in getting essential goods.

The grocery delivery service is led by food and distribution companies Brakes and BidFood.

Shielding support and contacts

Coronavirus: England attempts to get housing market moving

UK Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick led yesterday’s daily press briefing and outlined the measures announced to restart, reopen and renew the housing market in England.

Scotland’s First Minister updated MSPs at Holyrood and repeated the ‘Stay At Home’ message.

Good afternoon,

As Housing Secretary, I’m going to set out our comprehensive plan to safely restart, reopen and renew the housing market.

But first, I want to update you on the latest data on the coronavirus response.

  • 2,094,209 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 87,063 tests carried out yesterday;
  • 229,705 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 3,242 cases since yesterday;
  • 11,327 people are in hospital with COVID-19, down 15 per cent from 13,273 last week;
  • And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 33,186 have now died. That’s an increase of 494 fatalities since yesterday.

These figures includes deaths in all settings not just in hospitals.

Before turning to the housing market I want to remind people of how we will address this phase of our fight against Covid-19. Firstly, in order to monitor our progress, we are establishing a new COVID Alert Level System, with five levels, each relating to the level of threat posed by the virus.

The alert level will be based primarily on the R value and the number of coronavirus cases.

And in turn that alert level will determine the level of social distancing measures in place.

The lower the level the fewer the measures; the higher the level the stricter the measures.

The social distancing measures remain critical in our efforts to control the virus.

Throughout the period of lockdown which started on March 23rd we have been at Level 4 – meaning a Covid19 epidemic is in general circulation, and transmission is high or rising exponentially.

Thanks to the hard work and the sacrifices of the British people in this lockdown, we have helped to bring the R level down, now that we are in a position to begin moving to Level 3, we will do so in time, in careful steps.

We have set out the first of three steps we will take to carefully modify the measures and gradually ease the lockdown, and begin to allow people to return to their way of life – but crucially doing so while avoiding what would be a disastrous second peak that could overwhelms the NHS.

After each step we will closely monitor the impact of that on the R and the number of infections, and all the available data will be used, and we will only take the next step when we are satisfied that it is completely safe to do so.

The first step – from this week:

  • Those who cannot work from home should now speak to their employer about going back to work.
  • You can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like.
  • You can meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor, public place provided you stay two metres apart.

The second step – from 1 June , at the earliest, as long as the data allows, we will aim to do the following:

  • Primary schools to reopen for some pupils, in smaller class sizes;
  • Non-essential retail to start to reopen, when and where it is safe to do so;
  • Cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors, without crowds.

And then Step 3 – no earlier than 4 July, and again, only if the data says it safe to do so, we aim to allow:

More businesses and premises to open, including potentially those offering personal care such as leisure facilities, public places, and places of worship. And on that last point, I have been speaking to faith leaders and will convene later this week a taskforce to establish when and how places of worship can openly safely for some of the practices where social distancing can take place, such as private prayer, potentially private prayer being able to be carried out earlier than 4 July.

(NOTE: These plans are for ENGLAND ONLY. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are currently sticking with the STAY AT HOME message – Ed.)

Many of these businesses and organisations will need to operate in new ways to ensure they are safe, and we will work with those sectors and individuals on how to do this.

Having taken the first step in carefully adjusting some of the measures and our advice to people on what to do, we have also updated what we are asking people to do, which is to Stay Alert, to Control the Virus and Save Lives.

For many people the appropriate course still means staying at home as much as possible. But there are a range of other actions we’re advising people to take when they do go out to work or for other activities.

Limiting contact with other people;

Keeping distance if you go out – two metres apart where possible;

Washing your hands regularly;

Wearing a face covering when you are in enclosed spaces where it’s difficult to be socially distant – for example in some shops or on public transport;

and if you or anyone in your household has symptoms, you all need to self-isolate.

If everyone stays alert and follows these rules, we can control coronavirus by keeping the R down and reducing the number of infections. This is how we can continue to save lives, and livelihoods, as we begin as a nation to recover from coronavirus.

And as we begin to recover from coronavirus, it’s essential that we cautiously open essential parts of our economy, where it is safe to do so.

Earlier today in Parliament, I made a statement setting out our clear, coherent and comprehensive plan to restart, reopen and renew the housing market and our construction industry.

I’m sure that this will be of interest to many people at home who are hoping to move house, and I’d like to set out what this means in more detail.

From today anyone in England can move house if they follow new guidance we have published on gov.uk.

When the lockdown was announced in March, we changed the rules so that people could only move home if they thought it was “reasonably necessary”.

That meant that more than 450,000 buyers had to put their plans on hold.

And each month 300,000 tenancies come up for renewal as well.

A significant proportion of these will result in people needing to or wanting to move home. The pressure to move for some was becoming acute, with serious legal, financial and health implications.

During an already very difficult time, these people have been stuck in limbo. Now they can carry on with their house moves and add some certainty to their lives.

So, from today:

  • Estate agents’ offices can re-open;
  • Viewings – whether virtual or in person – are permitted;
  • Show homes can open;
  • And removal companies and the other essential parts of the sales and letting process are re-started with immediate effect.

For most people moving home is not a luxury. People decide to move home because their personal circumstances change.

The changes that I have announced today are happening safely in order to control the virus and to protect the public.

We have published very detailed guidance, informed by public health advice, to explain how this can be achieved, with all parties observing hygiene measures and social distancing guidelines.

People have asked why they would be able to look around a stranger’s house, but not visit their parents or loved ones at home.

Now I understand why that might seem confusing at first glance – especially when people have been separated from their loved ones for so long.

But our guidlines makes clear that in the first instance that viewings should happen virtually. When viewings do happen in person, we’ve set out a clear plan to ensure the safety of those already in the property intself, those considering moving in and the estate agents and lettings agents.

These requirements include:

Visits being by appointment only, open house viewings not taking place, and speculative viewings where buyers or tenants are not serious yet, are highly discouraged.

All parties following strict social distancing guidelines

All internal doors should be opened where possible

The current occupier vacating the property for the duration of the visit, going out for their daily exercise, going out to the shops or standing in the garden, if that is possible.

All involved in the process washing their hands upon entering the property. And, once the viewing has taken place, all surfaces in the property including the door handles, should be thoroughly cleaned.

There are of course exceptions. For those who are self-isolating or have coronavirus, they should not be moving or going back to work or allowing trades people or professionals into their home.

Where this is the case, all parties involved in house buying or selling should prioritise agreeing amicable sensible arrangements to change move dates for the individuals concerned. That has been happening across the country in recent weeks and it will need to continue.

We would also ask those who are clinically vulnerable and those who are shielding to consider very carefully their personal situation and to seek personal and specific medical advice before deciding whether to commit to or proceed with moving home.

If you are in this situation, and you decide that you must go ahead, all professionals involved must be made aware so that they can put in place any additional precautionary measures to provide further protection for your health and further legal protection to make sure the transaction goes as smoothly as can be expected.

A vibrant housing market means more than buying and selling homes. We need to get back to building again and Britain needs that.

It is something that this Government has always been committed to. Something that our ambitious First Homes programme will do later this year, with a 30% discount on new homes for key workers including nurses and teachers and police officers as well as local first time buyers.

We want them to be ready as soon as possible and that’s just one of the reasons I am keen to get construction up and running.

To help with this today I am announcing further steps to support safe house building by allowing more flexible working hours on construction sites, where it’s appropriate and with local consent.

I am allowing sites to apply to extend their working hours, again with immediate effect, to 9pm Monday to Saturday in residential areas and beyond that in on-residential areas and setting out a very clear Government position that these applications should be approved by local councils unless there are very compelling reasons why this is not appropriate.

Varied start and finish times will make it easier for sites to observe social distancing, take the pressure off public transport like the tube in London, and keep Britain building.

There are countless examples of the industry behaving responsibly and proactively during this pandemic.

I’d like to thank today Taylor Wimpey, who now have now got construction safely underway on the majority of their sites and have started removing staff from the furlough scheme and getting back to work on full pay.

They are offering a discount of 5% for NHS staff and care workers on new homes – a great way to recognise the contribution that our front line heroes are making to the country.

So thank you to them.

It’s also time that the planning system makes more use of digital technology to operate remotely and efficiently during this pandemic.

I am determined that the planning inspectorate be at the forefront of this work – I welcome the inspectorate now undertaking its first ever virtual hearings.

I am asking them to make all hearings virtual within weeks so that the planning system can resume and be made more permanently more accessible and user-friendly.

This is the most comprehensive restarting of an industry in the first phase of our roadmap with few if any transactions there is no visibility and no precedent with which to accurately judge the state of the housing market, but history tells us that in each economic recovery in modern British economic life the housing market has been key to recovery and revival.

As Housing Secretary, I will do everything I can to support the millions of people employed in the construction and the housing industries, to help their sector bounce back, while always prioritising their safety and wellbeing.

Almost 100 separate organisations have already signed up to the Charter for Safe Working Practice, pledging that they will share the responsibility to ensure that their sites operate safely and in accordance with Government advice.

I’d like to thank all of all of those who have signed and encourage the whole industry to join them.

Today we reopen, we restart and renew the housing market and construction industry to protect lives, to save jobs and to begin rebuilding our economy.

Thank you.

The UK Government’s plans to get England back to work have come in for scathing criticism. Teaching unions yesterday published a joint statement on the safe reopening of schools in England.

The statement follows a longer statement to the Secretary of State on Friday (8 May), which set out in full detail the principles and tests necessary for the safe reopening of schools. It is signed by AEP, GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, NSEAD, Prospect, UNISON and Unite.

Full text of the education union’s statement:

“We all want schools to re-open, but that should only happen when it is safe to do so. The government is showing a lack of understanding about the dangers of the spread of coronavirus within schools, and outwards from schools to parents, sibling and relatives, and to the wider community.

“Uniquely, it appears, school staff will not be protected by social distancing rules. 15 children in a class, combined with their very young age, means that classrooms of 4 and 5-year olds could become sources of Covid-19 transmission and spread.  While we know that children generally have mild symptoms, we do not know enough about whether they can transmit the disease to adults. We do not think that the government should be posing this level of risk to our society.

“We call on the government to step back from the 1st June and work with us to create the conditions for a safe return to schools based on the principles and tests we have set out.”

The principles and tests include (see full statement from Friday 8 May, linked to below):

  • Safety and welfare of pupils and staff as the paramount principle
  • No increase in pupil numbers until full rollout of a national test and trace scheme
  • A national Covid-19 education taskforce with government, unions and education stakeholders to agree statutory guidance for safe reopening of schools
  • Consideration of the specific needs of vulnerable students and families facing economic disadvantage
  • Additional resources for enhanced school cleaning, PPE and risk assessments
  • Local autonomy to close schools where testing indicates clusters of new covid-19 cases

Statement to the Secretary of State for Education on 8 May: The full statement setting out the principles and tests can be found here:

https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/unions-set-out-needs-safe-reopening-schools-letter-education-secretary