First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has led parliamentary tributes to Her Majesty The Queen’s service to Scotland, ahead of Platinum Jubilee celebrations this weekend.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, the First Minister said that The Queen had played an integral role in the story of modern Scotland, and it was no surprise that the occasion would be celebrated so widely.
Jubilee beacons will be lit across the country tomorrow night and a national thanksgiving service will be held at Glasgow Cathedral on Sunday, in addition to the many community lunches, street parties and afternoon teas planned for the weekend.
The First Minister confirmed that on behalf of the people of Scotland, the Scottish Government will present The Queen with a limited edition Johnnie Walker whisky, with a special design to celebrate the beauty of Scotland’s plants and wildlife, and a throw made from the tartan commissioned in honour of the three bridges across the Forth.
A ‘Jubilee Wood’ of 70 native trees is planned for planting in Holyrood Park, within sight of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The First Minister said this was a historically appropriate gesture, as The Queen’s first duty in Scotland following her accession to the throne had been to plant a cherry tree that still stands by the entrance to the Canongate Kirk.
The First Minister said: “The occasion of the Platinum Jubilee is not just about an institution. It is, above all, about the life and service of an extraordinary woman.
“We should all pay tribute to that. So it is absolutely right that we celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth. Let us congratulate her warmly on a reign of unprecedented length, and let us acknowledge with deep gratitude and respect, her dedication to duty.”
The First Minister will be attending a number of events in London to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – including the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 3 June, and the Platinum Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace.
Floral clock will bloom in honour of HM the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Work has finished to complete this year’s design on the world’s oldest Floral Clock in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens. For 2022, the hugely popular landmark will celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
A team of five gardeners took just four weeks to plant over 35,000 flowers and plants used to create the clock, which will be in bloom until October. There are nine different plants included in this year’s design such as Agaves, Echeveria, Sedums, Pyrethrum, Crassula, Kleenia, Antenaria, Geraniums and Begonias.
To be ready for this celebratory weekend, the team at Inch Nursery brought the plants on earlier than previous years and the gardeners worked quickly to complete this in time. They will be in full bloom in the coming weeks and throughout the summer.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge said: “I am delighted to once again see the city’s beautiful floral clock completed, and in perfect time for the Jubilee weekend.
“Each year the iconic clock marks special occasions and events in the heart of the Capital and this year it is a unique tribute coinciding with celebrations taking place around the country as the nation marks the Queen’s 70-year reign.
“My thanks and congratulations to the dedicated and creative parks team who have put together the design that I’m sure will be enjoyed by everyone who passes by it this summer.”
The Floral Clock was first created in 1903 by then Edinburgh Parks Superintendent, John McHattie, and is the oldest of its kind in the world. It initially operated with just an hour hand, with a minute hand added in 1904, followed by a cuckoo clock in 1952. Until 1972 the clock was operated mechanically and had to be wound daily.
Since 1946 it has been designed in honour of various organisations and individuals, including the Girl Guides Association, Robert Louis Stevenson and the Queen, for her Golden Jubilee. In the clock’s centenary year in 2003 it won a Gold Medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
COP26 PRESIDENT ALOK SHARMA RETURNS TO GLASGOW TO DELIVER SPEECH
The First Minister will urge countries to ensure current strains placed on the international order, including by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, do not result in the promises made at COP26 being broken on a visit to the USA this week.
In a keynote address to the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will today call on global partners to lead by example as they step up actions to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees whilst addressing concerns over energy security.
The speech is part of a series of engagements the First Minister will undertake in Washington DC. In meetings with policymakers and business leaders, the First Minister will stress that policy and economic goals must align to ensure a just transition to a decarbonised economy.
The First Minister will also meet with Congressional Caucuses including the Caucus for Women’s Issues, the Friends of Scotland Caucus, the European Union Caucus and members who attended COP26.
During Monday’s address, the First Minister is expected to say: “Six months on from COP26, the world looks very different, but many of the challenges we faced then remain. As things stand, the world is on course to exceed both 1.5 degrees of global warming and the 2 degree threshold – and scientific consensus is overwhelming that this will be catastrophic.
“We have seen the rules-based international order come under increasing strain, made more severe due to Russia’s brutal, illegal and entirely unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Many European nations are reassessing their defence and security priorities – however, the security debates in Europe are not just about military capabilities and strategic alliances. The invasion of Ukraine is also forcing countries in Europe to rethink long-held assumptions about energy policy and energy security.
“Countries must prioritise, as far as we can, an approach to energy security that focuses on sustainability, with measures to promote energy efficiency, and to accelerate the development renewable and low carbon energy. In many countries those options are already the most secure and sustainable ways of meeting our needs, and increasingly they are becoming the most affordable options too – for example wind power is already the cheapest form of power in Scotland’s energy mix.
“Scotland is positioning ourselves as a testbed for green technologies – we are the location for the world’s largest floating windfarm, we are an established centre for the development and testing of new wave and tidal technologies, we have developed plans to trial carbon capture and storage, and we produced a hydrogen action plan last year. Our hope is that this innovation can benefit other countries, and create jobs and opportunities at home in Scotland.
“We need to move at pace to develop clean energy sources and act in a way which shows solidarity with communities in our countries who might otherwise get left behind, and with the global south.
“Europe’s debates on energy security matter to the wider safety and security of the entire world. Where we can, will be a constructive partner in those discussions. We will lead by example in our own actions, we will contribute to international energy security, and we will work with allies across the globe as we strive, together, to build a fairer, more secure and more sustainable world.”
While the First Minister makes her speech in Washington, COP 26 President Alok Sharma will be speaking closer to home – he’s back in Glasgow, home of the COP 26 event …
COP President Alok Sharma marks six months since landmark COP26 conference with Glasgow speech
Mr Sharma expected to say that while Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has put unprecedented pressure on global energy security, the fundamental challenge of climate change must remain a top priority of governments around the world
The event follows last week’s productive May Ministerial on Implementation, hosted by the Danish Government in Copenhagen and co-chaired by the UK and Egypt, as COP27 President-designate
COP President Alok Sharma will today (16 May 2022) return to Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus to mark six months since the conclusion of COP26 to warn world leaders that failure to honour commitments made at COP26 would be an ‘act of monstrous self-harm’.
Mr Sharma will set out his vision for the second half of the UK’s COP Presidency, as he is joined by representatives from business, civil society and young people in Scotland, alongside a virtual global audience.
Mr Sharma will outline the crucial importance of addressing the chronic climate crisis alongside more immediate concerns.
He will say that the world is facing serious crises. Russia’s brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine has shifted geopolitics. As governments are responding to rising prices, food and energy security challenges and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Mr Sharma is also expected to say that ‘the current crises should increase, not diminish, our determination to deliver on what we agreed here at COP26, and honour the Glasgow Climate Pact.’ He is expected to urge world leaders to show that ‘though the world has changed our resolve has not’
The COP26 President is expected to stress the urgency of countries fulfilling promises made at COP26 and that the global community must move much faster in taking climate action over the next six months, than over the last. ‘Work to deliver on the commitments made here in Glasgow has quietly continued.’ he is expected to say, yet “we need every nation to pick up the pace”.
Mr Sharma will also outline the increasingly stark scientific warnings of the impacts of climate change as recently set out in two major reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
This evidence, Mr Sharma is expected to say, ‘demonstrates unequivocally that the window of time we have to act is closing fast, that we must urgently adapt and reduce emissions, because current targets are not enough.’
Mr Sharma will also highlight the devastation caused by extreme weather conditions around the world, including ongoing heatwaves in India and Pakistan, where a billion people have been exposed to extreme heat of almost 50C.
While welcoming progress made in the six months since COP26, Mr Sharma will look ahead to priorities in the lead up to COP27 and the UK’s work with Egypt to drive delivery ahead of the Summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh later this year.
Underscoring this urgent priority, Mr Sharma is expected to say: ‘Every country must respond to the call to revisit and strengthen their nationally determined contribution (NDC). And they must do so in 2022. The Glasgow Pact calls on countries to look again at their NDCs, not at some vague point in the future, but this year, in 2022.’
The Ministerial, held in Copenhagen on May 12 and 13, saw over 40 countries renew their urgent focus on implementation and practical action to deliver commitments and pledges made at COP26 and within the Glasgow Climate Pact.
At the meeting countries agreed that, despite the challenging global context, climate ambition and commitments remain serious and credible, from adapting to climate impacts, averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage, to reducing emissions and keeping 1.5C alive and mobilising finance.
Today, May 16, also sees the publication of the COP26 Sustainability Report, which demonstrates the lasting, positive legacy of COP26 on the city of Glasgow and beyond.
The report sets out the conference’s impact on Scottish charities and low-income families, including donations of 6,000 items of furniture, 15,000 square metres of carpets, and 600 laptops, some of which it is hoped will soon go to Ukrainian refugees.
It also confirms the UK’s achievement in implementing the International Standard for Event Sustainability Management making it the first COP summit to meet the international standard for carbon neutrality, PAS 2060.
Apprentices are delivering a well-qualified workforce and addressing skills gaps in the NHS, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. Launching Scottish Apprenticeship Week yesterday, the First Minister met a group of pharmacy apprentices based at University Hospital Monklands.
A new £3.4 million Scottish Government recruitment programme will see 150 apprentice pharmacy technicians trained and recruited across Scotland this year.
Throughout their two year apprenticeship individuals will develop skills and gain valuable experience working in hospital and community pharmacies as well as GP practices undertaking medication reviews and liaising with other healthcare professionals to provide effective patient care.
The First Minister said: “Growing our workforce is crucial, which is why we must increase the opportunities for our young people who wish to choose a career in the NHS such as pharmacy, with quality hands-on training to set them on their path. Increasing the number of qualified pharmacy technicians is critical to ensuring a well-qualified workforce.
“While we work towards returning to pre-pandemic levels of apprenticeship uptake, it is encouraging that the latest Skills Development Scotland official statistics showed almost twice as many people had started Modern Apprenticeships by the end of the third quarter of 2021-22 compared with the same time a year prior. Furthering that progress will be crucial to delivering opportunities for young people while ensuring a well-qualified workforce.
“As Scotland moves towards economic renewal and transition apprenticeships across our economy and public services – including roles in construction, transport and life sciences – have a key role to play as part of the national endeavour to drive a fairer, greener economic recovery.”
Scotland’s skills agency, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) administers funding towards the training delivery of the Technical Apprenticeship in Pharmacy Services at SCQF Level 8.
Skills Development Scotland Chair Frank Mitchell: “When it comes to supporting sustainable skills through workforce development or providing opportunities for young people, we know that apprenticeships work.
“The combination of commitment from employers and the backing of Scottish Government will ensure apprenticeships work for everyone, making a significant contributor to Scotland’s recovery and productivity growth.”
“The Technical Apprenticeship in Pharmacy Services will provide key support for the NHS, giving people the opportunity to work, learn and earn developing skills that are in demand.”
Pharmacist team manager at University Hospital Monklands Linsey Hayes said: “Our participation and engagement with these apprenticeship opportunities demonstrates our Health Board’s commitment to the young people in our local community contributing to our employability targets at local and national level.”
Pharmacy technicians work within pharmacy teams carrying out specialised tasks, including preparing complex medicines and dispensing medicines safely for patients.
Hannah Scullion, a pre-registration pharmacy technician with NHS Lanarkshire, said: “Becoming a qualified pharmacy technician was always my goal and I am so glad to have been given this opportunity to do this through the new technical apprenticeship programme.”
The National Pre-registration Trainee Pharmacy Technician Scheme, the first of its kind in Scotland, will see Scottish Government funding go towards salaries and infrastructure to support expansion of the Technical Apprenticeship in Pharmacy Services.
The first intake of 50 apprentices under the scheme will start in April 2022 with a further 100 apprentices to be recruited in autumn.
A design featuring landmarks and national symbols of Scotland has been unveiled as the First Minister’s 2021 Christmas Card.
It has been created by artist Emily Hogarth, who has previously worked on illustrations to mark St Andrew’s Day and a welcoming new space for children at The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.
The card features some of Scotland’s best-known landmarks and iconic buildings, with familiar images such as the Scottish Parliament building and the Finnieston Crane. It also has personal links to the First Minister, with her official residence Bute House included in the design.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “I am thrilled to have such a striking design for my Christmas card this year.
“Emily Hogarth’s artwork celebrates just a few of the things that make Scotland special, and there’s no better time of year to stop and reflect on the things that make our lives a little brighter.
“After another particularly difficult year living through the COVID-19 pandemic I hope that this card will help to lift people’s spirits, spread some festive cheer and most importantly remind us all that better days are ahead.”
Emily Hogarth said: “I felt very honoured to be selected. It’s been lovely to work with the Scottish Government in the past, but to be chosen by the First Minister to do the Christmas card felt very special.
“It’s more important than ever that we focus on the little things that make life better, whether that’s receiving a nice card or having chats with your friends. We need to remember that we’re all in this together and that good times will come again.”
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: First Minister’s statement:– 7 December 2021
Presiding Officer,
I will give an update on the general COVID situation.
I will also share the most up to date information we have on the Omicron variant – both its transmission in Scotland and the world’s developing understanding of it – and set out the steps we must take to slow its spread, and to stem transmission of the virus more generally.
First, though, today’s statistics.
3,060 positive cases were reported yesterday – 9.2% of all tests carried out.
576 people are in hospital with COVID – which is 15 fewer than yesterday.
And 38 people are in intensive care, which is five fewer than yesterday.
Sadly, a further 12 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, which takes the total number of deaths registered under the daily definition to 9,661.
I want once again to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.
I am pleased to report, however, that the vaccination programme continues apace.
4,355,063 people have now had a first dose, 3,962,203 have had two doses, and 1,922,604 have had a booster or third dose.
On first, second, third and booster doses, Scotland is still the most vaccinated part of the UK.
Indeed, at this stage on booster doses we are comfortably ahead of the other UK nations, with around 40% of the over 12 population having had a booster jag.
So I want to again record my thanks to everyone involved in organising and delivering the vaccine programme.
Today’s weekly update coincides with the latest three-week review point for all of the remaining COVID regulations. I can therefore confirm that at our meeting this morning, the Cabinet agreed to keep all of the current protections in place, with no immediate changes.
Given the very significant risks posed by Omicron, and the continuing high and indeed once again rising number of cases in Scotland overall, our judgment is that it would be inappropriate to lift any of the protections currently in place at this time.
On the contrary, we agreed that it is vital at this stage to strengthen compliance with all of these existing protections.
We also agreed that, in light of the rapidly developing Omicron situation, it was important to keep the need for any additional protections under daily review at this stage.
The importance of doing that will be clear from the latest data, particularly the data I will share shortly on Omicron.
Firstly, though, let me quickly summarise the overall situation.
After two weeks of falling case numbers, the last seven days have seen a rise in the overall number of cases.
Last week, I reported that the number of new cases being recorded each day had fallen by 14% over the preceding seven days.
However in this past week, cases have increased by 11%. We are currently recording just over 2,800 new cases a day on average.
Encouragingly though cases in the over 60 age groups have continued to fall – in the past week by a further 8%. There is little doubt, if any doubt, that this reflects the effectiveness of booster vaccines.
However, in all age cohorts under 60, cases are rising again.
In total, cases amongst under 60s increased by 13% in the past week – and since people under 60 currently account for more than 90% of all cases, that has inevitably driven an increase in the total number of cases recorded.
More positively, the number of people in hospital with Covid has fallen further in the last week – from 706 to 576.
And so has the number in intensive care – from 54 to 38.
That is of course welcome news.
But we should not be in any way complacent about it.
Firstly, because we know that there will always be a time lag between rising cases and rising admissions to hospital.
And, secondly, because the NHS continues to be under very severe pressure, from direct COVID pressures, but also from the backlog of work created during the pandemic.
On top of all that, the NHS may soon face additional pressures – for example from flu – as we head further into winter.
And there has always been the potential for COVID cases to rise during December – as may now be happening – as a result of more people mixing indoors more often.
So in any circumstances, we would be concerned about the current high level of cases, and the impact this might have on the NHS.
But the emergence of the Omicron variant is now an additional – and indeed very significant – cause for concern.
Public Health Scotland’s weekly COVID report will, from tomorrow, provide more detail on both confirmed and probable Omicron cases in Scotland.
It will include data, not just on confirmed cases, but also on the number of PCR tests showing what is called the S-gene drop-out – this is not conclusive evidence that a case is of the Omicron variant, but it is highly indicative of it.
The report will also contain data on the age, sex and health board area of Omicron cases.
In weeks to come – and as soon as the quality of data allows – these reports will also provide details on the vaccination status of, and hospital admissions and deaths associated with, Omicron cases.
For now, though, let me summarise what we currently know about the presence and spread of this new variant in Scotland. I can confirm that, as of 5pm yesterday, there were 99 confirmed cases here.
This is an increase of 28 since yesterday. And to give a sense of the speed of increase – albeit at this stage from a low level – the figure I reported this time last week was nine. So we have seen more than a tenfold increase in the space of a week.
A still low – at around 4% – but nevertheless steadily rising proportion of cases also now show the S gene drop out that, that as I said a moment ago, is highly indicative of Omicron.
Our estimate at this stage is that the doubling time for Omicron cases may be as short as two to three days, and that the R number associated with the new variant may be well over 2.
I can also report that there are now confirmed cases in nine of our 14 health board areas – suggesting that community transmission is becoming more widespread, and possibly more sustained, across the country.
Now our health protection teams are working hard through contact tracing, testing and isolation to slow the spread of Omicron cases. That work will obviously continue and I want to thank them for the excellent work they are doing.
However, given the nature of transmission, I would expect to see a continued and potentially rapid rise in cases in the days ahead and for Omicron to account for a rising share of overall cases.
And all of this explains, I hope, the requirement for government to review the situation on a daily rather than a weekly basis at this stage.
Let me turn now briefly to the developing global understanding of Omicron.
The first point to make is that there still a great deal we do not yet know.
However data on cases worldwide, including here at home, gives a reasonable degree of certainty at this stage that Omicron is more transmissible than the Delta variant, and perhaps significantly so.
Early – though again unconfirmed – data also suggests that Omicron is more capable of re-infecting people who have had the virus previously. In other words, it has some ability to evade natural immunity.
And, of course, there is also a concern that it may evade to some extent the immunity conferred by vaccinations.
Let me stress again, though, at this point that even if this does prove to be the case, getting vaccinated will still be vitally important.
Vaccines being slightly less effective is not the same, nowhere near it in fact, as vaccines being ineffective.
Being vaccinated will still give us much more protection against Omicron, especially from severe illness, than we will have if we are not vaccinated.
Now further data and analysis is needed to confirm all of the hypotheses about the transmissibility, immunity evasion and severity of Omicron.
We will learn more about its characteristics and implications- in the days and weeks ahead, and this developing understanding will inform and shape our response.
However, we can assume already that the emergence of Omicron is a significant challenge for all of us.
A variant that is more transmissible than Delta, and which has even a limited ability to evade natural or vaccine immunity, has the potential to put very intense additional pressure on the National Health Service.
And a key point we must understand is this, and I want to underline this point. The sheer weight of numbers of people who could be infected as a result of increased transmissibility and some immune evasion will create this pressure even if the disease the new variant causes in individuals is no more severe than Delta.So there is no doubt, unfortunately, that this is another serious moment in the course of the pandemic.
And I will talk shortly about what that means for all of us.
But firstly, let me outline the principles that will guide any decisions government may have to take in the days and weeks ahead.
It is worth noting that the period ahead – as we learn more about the new variant – may involve very difficult judgments for governments everywhere. Indeed, many governments around the world are already taking decisions that we all hoped were behind us for good.
For the Scottish Government, our first principle will be to seek to do what is necessary to keep the country as safe as possible, even if that is sometimes at the expense of being popular.
And second, we will strive to get the right balance between acting proportionately and acting preventatively.
We know from experience, sometimes bitter experience, that with an infectious virus acting quickly can be vital – if we wait too long for data to confirm we have a problem, it might already be too late to prevent the problem.
In fact, acting preventatively is often the best way of ensuring that action can remain limited and proportionate.
However, after two years of restrictions – with the accumulation of social and economic harms that previous restrictions have caused – we also know that it is ever more important to minimise further restrictions as far as is possible.
So while recognising that it is never a perfect science, we will seek to get that balance right.
Let me turn to the action we have taken so far and what we are asking everyone to do now.
Firstly, in line with the other UK nations, we have tightened travel rules.
In the past week, Nigeria has been added to the travel red list. That means anyone arriving in the UK from Nigeria – or the 10 countries already on the list – must enter managed quarantine for 10 days.
In addition, since this morning, anyone aged 12 or over, who is travelling to the UK from outside the Common Travel Area, will be required to take a COVID test shortly before they leave for the UK. And this is in addition to the requirement to take a test on day two after arrival in the UK and to self-isolate pending the result.
My advice to anyone planning travel between Scotland and countries outside the common travel area, is to check on the Scottish Government website for detailed guidance; and to also check the requirements of the country you are travelling to. Because the requirements there may well be different to those in force here.
Presiding Officer
At this stage, travel restrictions have an important part to play in responding to Omicron.
However, given that we already have some community transmission in Scotland, what we do domestically is also important.
That is why Cabinet decided this morning to keep in force all existing protections. However, we also agreed that it is vital not just to maintain, but to strengthen compliance with these protections.
It is time for all of us to go back to basics and ensure that we are taking all of the steps required to minimise the risk of getting or spreading this virus.
Indeed, it is through heightened compliance with current protections that we will give ourselves the best chance of avoiding any additional protections.
So I am asking everyone to make an extra effort to do so from now through the festive period and into January.
Obviously, that means wearing face coverings in indoor public places; ventilating rooms by opening windows; and ensuring good hand hygiene.
However, there are two important protections that I want to emphasise particularly strongly today.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1468273251189207048
Firstly, working from home. We already advise people to work from home wherever practical.
Today, I am asking employers to ensure this is happening.
To be blunt, if you had staff working from home at this start of the pandemic, please now enable them to do so again.
We are asking you to do this from now until the middle of January when we will review this advice again.
I know how difficult this is, but I cannot stress enough how much difference we think this could make in helping stem transmission and avoid the need for even more onerous measures.
Secondly, testing and isolation.
Test & Protect is deploying enhanced contract tracing for all cases with the S-gene drop-out that is indicative of Omicron – for these cases, household contacts of close contacts, rather than just the close contacts themselves, are being asked to test and isolate. If you are asked to do this, please comply.
More generally, for non-Omicron cases, if you have symptoms of COVID, please get a PCR test and self-isolate until you get the result.
If your result is negative you can end isolation at that point if you are double vaccinated. If positive, you must isolate for the full 10 days.
And crucially, please remember that you can have this virus even if you have no symptoms.
So testing regularly and repeatedly with lateral flow devices is essential.
We are asking everyone to do a lateral flow test before mixing with people from other households – and on every occasion you intend doing so.
That means before going to a pub, to a restaurant, visiting someone’s house, or even going shopping.
Let me be clear Presiding Officer, I am not excluding myself from this. I am currently doing a test every morning before coming to work and I will do a test on any occasion I mix with others over the festive period. And I will ask anyone visiting my home over Christmas to do likewise. And I’m asking every member of this Parliament to lead by example, and do that too.
LFD kits are easy to get through NHS Inform or from local pharmacies or test centres. And they are very easy to use.
So please, please do this. It will significantly help us break the chains of transition.
If we all do all of these things, difficult though I appreciate they are, then even with a more transmissible variant, I do really hope we can avoid any further measures.
I cannot guarantee this however. I don’t think any responsible person in my position could guarantee this at this stage. And given the situation we face it is important to remain open to any proportionate measures, for example the extension of COVID certification, that might help us reduce the risks should the situation deteriorate.
The government will carefully analyse the data in the days ahead. I hope this doesn’t require us to take any decisions ahead of my next scheduled statement a week today, but if it does I will obviously return to Parliament.
I want to end Presiding Officer, by again reiterating the vital importance of vaccination.
We are currently the most vaccinated part of the UK – and we have more quickly than other nations implemented the JVCI advice to reduce the gap between second doses and boosters – but we are not complacent.
We are identifying and training additional vaccinators. So far we have added the equivalent of more than 300 additional full-time staff to the vaccination workforce.
We are also working to further increase vaccination capacity. A number of health boards – Fife and Tayside for example – are now using drop-in centres to make vaccination even easier.
And we are in the process of increasing the use of mobile vaccination units provided by the Scottish Ambulance Service.
In addition to these efforts – which are intended to improve the supply and availability of vaccination – we are also working to increase demand by encouraging even more people to take up the offer of vaccine.
In the past week, therefore, text or e-mail messages have been sent to those aged between 40 and 60, encouraging them to book their booster jag.
For those now able to get a booster jag – that is anyone over 40 who had the second jag 12 or more weeks ago – please arrange an appointment as quickly as possible.
You can book through the NHS Inform website, or by calling the vaccination helpline.
And if you’re 16 or 17 you can of course, and should, also book your second dose in the same way.
Last week, we also sent blue envelope letters to all 50 to 59 year olds who have not yet been vaccinated at all. A similar letter is being issued over the course of this week to everyone between 40 and 49 who hasn’t yet been vaccinated.
Take-up of the vaccine has been exceptional, but there are still a significant number of people in those age groups who have not been vaccinated.
To anyone in that position, let me be clear about this – it is not too late to get vaccinated. In fact it is now more important than ever to get your first jag and start to get that essential protection.
To conclude Presiding Officer, Omicron is a really concerning development and one of the most unwelcome developments at this stage in the pandemic. But, this is the positive aspect, the actions that have helped us against other variants, will also help against Omicron.
That means we all know what we need to do to in the days and weeks ahead.
And so my request to everyone is to follow those steps. Please go back to basics and make sure that we are all doing everything that we are asked to.
That’s the best way we have of making Christmas and the New Year as safe as possible – and of maximising our ability to navigate this next unwelcome but unavoidable challenge without any additional protections.
It will also help us protect the NHS and those who are working so hard in the NHS and social care to keep us all safe. So please do get vaccinated.
Secondly, do test regularly, on any occasion before socialising, or mixing with people from other households.
And finally, make sure you comply with all of the existing protections.
Wear your face coverings on public transport, in shops, and when moving about in hospitality.
Keep windows open. Not easy, I know, in the weather we are currently experiencing but try to keep windows open if you’re meeting people indoors. And follow all of the hygiene advice.
And if you were working from home at the start of the pandemic, please do so again for the next few weeks.
None of this is what any of us want two years into this ordeal. I know that.
But it is the best way of slowing the spread of the virus in general and Omicron in particular.
And by doing that, we do give ourselves the best possible chance of enjoying a Christmas that is more normal, but also safe – and of avoiding a new year hangover of spiraling cases.
Please – and I really hope this will be for one last time in this pandemic – let’s all pull together, do what is necessary, and get each other and the country through this winter and into what we all hope will be a better and brighter spring.
Young people will be the conscience of COP and world leaders must act on their demand for urgent action to tackle climate change, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to say today when she launches the 16th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth.
Addressing 400 delegates from 120 countries, Ms Sturgeon is set to praise children and young people’s activism across the globe which had “spurred on, challenged, and inspired governments around the world”.
The First Minister will say: “It is important that young people are represented at this Summit. It is only right that you have a say in the decisions which affect you most – that’s a simple matter of fairness – but your presence also gives the Summit its very best chance of success.
“Your activism in recent years has spurred on, challenged, and inspired governments around the world. I can honestly say that you are the reason why, in 2019, Scotland became one of the first countries to declare a climate emergency.
“And your efforts are continuing to put this issue front and centre – in your own communities, in your home countries, and on the international stage.
“The idealism, creativity and sense of perspective that young people bring to this issue is a huge asset and I think it will help to ensure a successful outcome to COP. You should not have had to become the conscience of decision-makers around the world, but we will reach a better outcome if you are.
“We are determined that your voices will be heard.”
New group to advise government on environmental crises
Scientists, climate and nature professionals have been appointed to a new group of international experts, tasked with advising the Scottish Government on environmental issues.
Formed as a commitment for the first 100 days of government, the First Minister’s Environmental Council will focus on Scotland’s ambitious trajectory, drawing on global best practice to keep Scotland at the forefront of tackling the climate emergency and ecological decline.
The council will be co-chaired by the First Minister and Professor Sir Ian Boyd, former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Its members include Scottish wildlife filmmaker and presenter Gordon Buchanan MBE and Dame Ellen MacArthur, the successful solo long-distance yachtswoman and champion for the circular economy.
The group will meet regularly to discuss a range of environmental issues, such as biodiversity, marine resources, waste, and the nature-based aspects of climate change and the Just Transition, before presenting their proposed work areas and future plans in a report at COP26.
The First Minister said: “The scientific report earlier this month from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) signalled a code red for humanity – it makes absolutely clear the severe threat and heightened risk posed by the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.
“It is crucial that the international community takes this opportunity to significantly raise global climate action and ambition. With COP26 coming to Glasgow, Scotland has a unique opportunity to show leadership on the international stage.
“That’s why we committed to appoint, within the first 100 days of this government, environmental experts from around the world, to advise on international best practice to help us tackle this unprecedented challenge. The group will balance experience, a strong international perspective, the youth voice, and topical awareness, at the highest, global level.
“As well as acting as a sounding board for our near term policies, the group will advise us on the long-term policy trajectory for Scotland – taking into account the opportunities that becoming a net-zero society presents: growing our economy, improving our health and wellbeing and protecting Scotland’s iconic natural environment.”
MEMBERS:
Professor Sir Ian L Boyd FRSB FRSE FRS (Co-Chair), University of St Andrews, President-elect of the Royal Society of Biology
Professor Ian Bateman OBE, US-NAS, FBA, FRSA, FRSB, Director of Land, Environment, Economics and Policy Institute, University of Exeter Business School
Gordon Buchanan MBE, award-winning wildlife camera-man and presenter
Revati Campbell, MSYP for Dundee West
Professor Gretchen Daily, Bing Professor of Environmental Science, Stanford University, USA Faculty Director – The Natural Capital Project
Professor Sandra Diaz, National University of Cordoba, Argentina
Susan Davies FRSB, Chief Executive, Scottish Seabird Centre
Erin Fowler, University of Glasgow
Dame Ellen MacArthur, Founder & Chair of Trustees Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Professor Yadvinder Malhi, University of Oxford
Dr Ece Özdemiroğlu, founding director of eftec (economics for the environment consultancy)
Dr Dilys Roe, Principal Researcher and Team Leader (Biodiversity) and Chair, IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (SULi), International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Dame Julia Slingo FRS, Chief Scientist of the UK Met Office (2009 -2016)
Professor Pete Smith FRS, FRSE, FNA, FEurASc, FI Soil Sci., FRSB, Professor of Soils & Global Change, University of Aberdeen
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and representatives from Scotland’s trades unions led by STUC General Secretary Rozanne Foyer will meet later today (Thursday 12 August) to discuss key issues affecting workers as Scotland recovers from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Matters such as the need for the UK Government to extend the furlough scheme and reverse plans for damaging cuts to Universal Credit that will see households lose out on over £1,000 per year are on the agenda, as well as discussions on how to ensure workers’ needs are protected as Scotland’s economy undergoes transformation to net zero.
The Scottish Government has written to the UK Government on seven occasions to call for the £20-per-week uplift to Universal Credit to be made permanent and extended to legacy benefits.
Analysis from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation indicates that cutting Universal Credit at the end of September will pull 500,000 people across the UK, including 200,000 children, into poverty.
Speaking ahead of her biannual meeting with the STUC, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are committed to a just transition to net zero, making sure we don’t leave individuals or communities behind – and we must ensure we incorporate the same fairness as we emerge from the pandemic to deliver greater, greener and fairer prosperity as the economy recovers.
“Partnership with unions is key to making sure that workers are represented as part of that process, therefore communication and collaboration between unions and Government is absolutely essential.
“How we emerge from the pandemic – and support workers and employers through that economic recovery – will not only be crucial to safeguarding the livelihoods of people hit hardest by the impacts of COVID, but will inform our work as we plan for a just transition to a net zero economy.
“As economic activity is restored, businesses and workers will still require support from the furlough schemes as they move through recovery. Our focus is on helping them to doing this.
“Not all of the levers are in our hands however, and clarity is urgently needed from the UK Government on whether it will reverse its plans for harmful welfare cuts, extend furlough, and protect jobs as restrictions ease and the economy recovers.
“If not we must see the detail on what support will be put in place to ensure those hit hardest by the economic impacts of COVID aren’t left out in the cold.”
STUC General Secretary Rozanne Foyer said: “We are meeting the First Minister at a critical moment. Our focus is on building a recovery from COVID that creates a more equitable Scotland with fair work as a driver of economic transformation and sustainable economic growth. To achieve this and to bring about a just transition we need to create well-paid, unionised, green jobs in the public and private sectors.
“Our priorities include public sector pay, transport and a future Scottish National Care Service and we look forward to raising these issues with the First Minister.
“We share the Scottish Government’s call for an extension of the furlough scheme, for the £20-per-week uplift to Universal Credit to be made permanent and for the devolution of further borrowing powers to drive a fair recovery.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s statement at a coronavirus media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday:
Good afternoon everyone, thank you very much for joining us at the slightly later time today.As you can see, I am joined by Jason Leitch and we will take questions shortly.
Before that though, I’ll give a quick update on the current state of the pandemic. And I’ll start – as I usually do – with a short summary of today’s reported statistics.
1,004 positive cases were reported yesterday – which is 5.6% of all tests carried out and it takes the total number of confirmed cases now to 342,059.
Now, while as you have heard me say very often in the past, we should never put too much emphasis on a single day’s figures, it is nevertheless I think worth mentioning that today’s positivity rate of 5.6% is the lowest it has been on a single day since 19 June.
I can also confirm that there are 472 people receiving hospital treatment – that’s 3 fewer than yesterday.
And 63 people are in intensive care, that’s 2 fewer than yesterday.
Sadly though, a further 7 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours, and that takes the total number of deaths registered, under this daily definition, to 7,866.
As always, my sincere condolences go to everyone who has lost someone as a result of the virus.
Let me also provide an update on the vaccination programme.
I’m pleased to say, firstly that as of this morning, a new milestone has been passed. More than 4 million people – 4,000,653 to be precise – have now received a first dose of the vaccine.
That’s an increase of 2,031 since yesterday.
In addition to that, 16,826 people got a second dose yesterday and that means the total number of second doses administered is now 3,108,928.
All adults have now been offered a first dose of the vaccine – and 90% have taken up that offer and had a first dose.
In addition, approximately 70% of adults have had now had both doses of the vaccine – that includes 92% of those who are aged 40 or older.
Now obviously we will be working to increase these figures further in the weeks ahead – with a particular focus on the younger age groups.
But make no mistake, compared to any previous vaccination programme undertaken in this country – and indeed compared even to our own expectations at the start of the Covid vaccine programme – these are already quite extraordinary uptake figures.
And they do show how successful the vaccination programme has been so far.
There is lots there for us to be positive about, but as with all aspects of this virus we’re not complacent. We want to see as close to 100% of the eligible population vaccinated as we can get.
So if you haven’t yet had your vaccine it is not too late to do so, please take advantage of the many opportunities across the country and get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
There’s one other point on vaccination that I want to take a moment to particularly stress today.
The Scottish Government – in line with advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation – is strongly recommending that pregnant women get the vaccine as soon as they are asked to do so.
Vaccination is the best way of protecting against the risks of Covid in pregnancy – and these include admission of the pregnant mother to intensive care, and also the possible premature birth of the baby. Already in Scotland alone, more than 4,000 pregnant women have received the vaccine, and there are thousands and thousands more across the world who have received the vaccine. The evidence of its safety is overwhelming.
Further information is available from the Public Health Scotland website, and also from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. But essentially, the message is if you are pregnant, and you are invited for the vaccine, please do get it – it will help you to protect yourself and protect your baby.
The progress of the vaccination programme is very important, of course in considering the current state of the pandemic.
The Scottish Government as you know, hopes to lift more of the remaining Covid measures with a move beyond level 0 from Monday 9 August, and this time next week, I will make a statement to the Scottish parliament setting out whether – and to what extent – we think we are able to go ahead with that.
What we will be doing between now and then is weighing up the different factors that will inform that decision. Several of these factors give us really strong grounds for hope, and that’s positive, although others remind us of the need for continued caution.
So I want to quickly summarise some of those in my remarks today.
First of all, there is no doubt – as I have said before and already highlighted today – we are in a much better place than we were last March at the start of the pandemic or at the beginning of this year or even at the start of this month.
Thanks to vaccination, the very high case numbers we have seen in the past 2 months or so haven’t resulted in same number of deaths or hospitalisations as in previous waves – though I think it is important to say that every single death or every instance of somebody requiring hospital treatment matters. That’s not something we should ever be complacent about.
Vaccination is also one of the factors that helps to explain why case numbers in Scotland are reducing as significantly as they are right now – and to give some context to that – case numbers have more than halved in the last 3 weeks.
Last week – up to 23 July – there was a daily average of 1,523 new cases.
That’s down from 3,305 per day on average in the week up to 2 July.
The average test positivity rate is also down from more than 10% at the start of the month to just over 7% now. As I said earlier, the test positivity reported today is actually the lowest we’ve seen since mid-June.
To put all of this in comparative terms, within the UK at the start of this month, Scotland accounted for 5 of the top 10 local authority covid hotspots across the UK. At this stage, we have none in the top 150 local authority hotspots across the UK.
We are now seeing hospital admissions start to fall as well. 421 people were admitted to hospital with Covid in the most recent week, down from 577 in the previous week.
As a result of that, we would hope to see the number of people in intensive care with Covid, and the number of people dying, also start to reduce soon.
So, in short, we have seen some very positive developments recently and that does give us, certainly gives me, grounds for optimism that we will be able to continue our progress out of restrictions.
That said, we do still need to be cautious.
It’s good that cases are lower than they were three weeks ago. That comes as a relief, I know, to all of us. But they are still 9 times higher than at the start of May. And we know that the Delta variant is significantly more infectious than previous variants.
So just as a sensible degree of caution up to now has helped us get case numbers back on a downward path, a sensible degree of continued caution in the period ahead will help avoid sending that progress into reverse.
It will also help us do something that is really important, to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect the most vulnerable in our society from Covid.
We know from our own quite recent experience how quickly progress can be reversed. And we can see it in other countries right now as well.
So while we should be pleased and indeed relieved about our current process, we should not take it for granted.
Covid is still capable of causing serious illness and death, and the of course the impact of long Covid should not be underestimated.
And, the virus can still put significant pressure on the NHS – and indeed, it is doing exactly that right now. Because, although case numbers are reducing, the lag effect means that we are not yet seeing just as big a decline on the pressure on the NHS. Hopefully that will follow in the days and weeks to come.
So, these are the factors we will be weighing up in the days ahead.
In short, to try to summarise that, I am confident we will make progress – and while we are already living with far fewer restrictions, than has been the case at previous stages of the pandemic, all of us want to see the remaining restrictions eased as quickly as possible – that’s important to all of us as individuals. It is very important to businesses and the economy as well. But we will need to do that with appropriate caution and an appropriate degree of care.
And we will weigh all of that up in the days to come. I will set out our conclusions this time next week in a virtual session of parliament.
But for today, let me finish again by stressing the three key things all of us can do – because all of us have a part to play here – to keep things moving firmly in the right direction.
The first of course is to get vaccinated.
Remember, if you are over 18 and haven’t had your first dose yet; or indeed if you turn 18 before the end of October; or if you had your first dose 8 or more weeks ago – you can simply go to a drop-in clinic to get your either your first or second dose as appropriate.
There are drop-in sites now in every mainland health board area. You can find out where they are through the vaccinations section of the NHS Inform website, or through your local health board’s website, or by following your local health board on social media.
You will see lots of examples right now, here in Lothian and Glasgow for example, of innovative locations for setting up vaccination sites to make it as easy and as accessible for people as possible.
That said, you can also book an appointment, if that’s easier for you. And you can do that also through NHS Inform.
Second thing we’re asking everybody to do is get tested regularly.
You can get the free lateral flow tests through NHS inform, by post or you can collect them from testing sites and local pharmacies.
Remember, if you test positive through one of these devices – or if you have symptoms of the virus – self-isolate, and book a PCR test as quickly as possible.
And third and finally, stick to the rules that are still in place for now, and keep following the basic hygiene measures.
All of these things are really helping us get the situation under control. If we can keep it under control, then we have a greater chance of continuing to move in the right direction.
So, meet other people outdoors as much as possible.
Having had some good weather in the past couple of weeks, I think we’ve got a few days ahead of not so good weather to put it mildly. But still, try and stay outdoors as much as you can.
If you are meeting indoors, open windows if at all possible – the better ventilated a room is, the relatively speaking, safer that’s going to be.
And for now, stick to the limits on group sizes. In someone’s home right now, you can currently meet in groups of up to 8 people, from up to 4 households.
And lastly remember, please remember physical distancing, hand-washing, face coverings – all of these things are as important now as they have ever been.
They are helping us get a really difficult situation at the start of this month back under control. And, they will help us continue to make the progress that all of us are desperate to see.
‘It is essential that lifeline services and critical national infrastructure are maintained‘ – FM NICOLA STURGEON
Changes are being made to self-isolation rules for close contacts of COVID cases to allow essential staff in critical roles to return to work to maintain lifeline services and critical national infrastructure.
It will be possible to apply to exempt those who work in critical roles where staff shortages are in danger of putting essential services, such as health and social care, transport and the provision of food supplies at risk.
Exemption will only be granted in respect of members of staff who voluntarily agree not to self isolate, and the employers’ duty of care to all their employees must be respected.
Strict conditions will apply – staff must be double-vaccinated and in receipt of their second dose at least two weeks previously. They will also require to have a negative PCR test and to agree to undertake daily lateral flow tests.
Applications may be made via the Scottish Government website.
Exemptions will be made on a temporary basis and last only for as long as there is an immediate risk to business or service continuity.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “It is essential that lifeline services and critical national infrastructure are maintained and we are implementing these changes now – ahead of possible changes to self-isolation rules for close contacts that may apply more generally in future – to ensure staff shortages do not put key services at risk.
“We have seen significant staff shortages in a small number of organisations in recent days and we have worked with them to protect services. Applications for exemptions are being considered from today and we will consider applications as they come in.
“Clinical evidence tells us we can safely and effectively release some critical staff from self-isolation, with appropriate safeguards. However, this is a very limited change at this stage, to be applied on a case by case basis and only where absolutely necessary.
“We will not allow key services to be threatened by staff shortages but equally we must continue to protect public health.”
GMB Scotland: THINK AGAIN!
Responding to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement , GMB Scotland Secretary Louise Gilmour said: “The decision taken by the Scottish Government to introduce exemptions for critical workers from self-isolation guidance has been driven by resource, not by what’s safe for the workers or their families.
“It’s not frontline workers following COVID precautions that threatens to put key services at risk, but the cuts, underfunding and understaffing of these services that means we don’t have the capacity we need to respond in times of crisis.
“Whether it’s in the NHS, our social care sector or in our supermarkets, the story is the same: it’s low paid, exhausted and predominantly women workers who have to make sacrifices as a result of the failure of those at the top to plan and invest.
“GMB is urging the Scottish Government to rethink their decision to gamble with the lives of our key workers, before it’s too late.”
