The Council has published advice and guidance to help residents manage the impact of planned strike action in the city.
The industrial action by members of the GMB and Unite unions, scheduled to last from tomorrow, 18th –30 August, is expected to cause significant disruption to the city’s waste and cleansing services.
Residents are being asked to check the dedicated pages on the Council’s website and social media channels for advice on how to manage their waste safely and responsibly during the strike.
Regular updates on suspended services and on when collections will restart following the strike will be posted as and when they become available.
It is anticipated that all bin collections and street cleaning will be affected. The city’s three recycling centres will be closed and bulky uplift and flytipping services will also be paused as a result of the action.
Commercial waste services for businesses are not collected by the Council and will continue as normal, as will street cleansing on the High Street and Mound Precinct, which are managed by the Fringe Society.
Council leader Cammy Day said:“It’s now looking increasingly likely that industrial action will go ahead here in Edinburgh and in other cities across the country. Together with my fellow council leaders, I’ll continue to press the Scottish Government to resolve this as quickly as possible.
“I firmly believe that all council colleagues deserve to be paid fairly for the work they do and have every right to take this action and have their voices heard. As the lowest funded council in Scotland, it’s time for the Scottish Government to properly fund our Capital city and its services.
“I fully appreciate the impact this action will have on our city and we’re asking residents to be patient and work with us to help manage the inevitable impacts by planning ahead and following our advice.
“We’ve published tips on what to do with their waste and recycling and how they can help us to keep the city as clean as possible during and after the strike.
“We’re also reaching out to our tenants and housing associations, businesses, festivals and other partners asking them to share our messaging and provide whatever support they can during this busy and important time for our Capital city.
“We’re developing a detailed recovery plan so clean ups can begin and services can resume as quickly as possible after the strike.
“Please continue to check our website and social media channels for updates.”
NOTE: The pictures above were taken earlier this week – i.e. BEFORE the strike starts
Are you hosting someone from Ukraine? Scottish Refugee Council is holding free online info sessions on the Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor scheme.
If you have questions about the process, join us on Tuesday, 31 May or Thursday, 9 June to find out more.
We’ve teamed up with the Scottish Government to run online information sessions on the Ukraine Super Sponsor Scheme.
When:
Tuesday, 31 May from 12.45 pm-2.15 pm
Thursday, 9 June from 10am-11.30am
These sessions are for anyone who is interested in hosting, or has registered to host people from Ukraine, either privately, or through the Scottish Government’s Ukraine Super Sponsor scheme.
We will:
Introduce the Scottish Government Ukraine Super Sponsor Scheme: Guidance for Hosts
Cover key aspects of hosting such as eligibility criteria to become a host, the role and expectations of hosts
Share information about resources and further support available for hosts
Respond to questions around hosting.
How to join our information session:
The sessions will be held on Zoom and will run for 90 minutes.
The Highest Risk List – formerly known as the Shielding List – will be formally ended on 31 May, as a result of the success of the vaccination programme and the introduction of new treatments for COVID-19.
The decision has been taken following a careful review of growing clinical evidence by a team of specialist clinicians.
It shows that, for the vast majority of those on the list, the risk of hospitalisation or death from COVID-19 has been significantly reduced and is no greater than that of the general public.
For some time now, the clinical advice has been for those on the Highest Risk List to follow the same guidance as everyone else in Scotland unless specifically advised otherwise by their own GP or clinician.
The list is not being used to identify people who are eligible for vaccine prioritisation or new treatments, and the NHS will continue to be able to contact those people when needed.
Support remains in place for those who are immunosuppressed and who may still have some reduced immunity. This group are likely to need general protection from a range of infections in addition to Covid-19.
Wellbeing support is also available for those on the List, and the Scottish Government has allocated an additional £120,000 to the British Red Cross to fund their Connecting With You service to help people reconnect with activities and friends, to rebuild their confidence in going out and to help them regain a better quality of life.
The Distance Aware Scheme is in place to provide free badges and lanyards to people who wish to show others they would welcome additional space and extra care while out in public.
The Chief Medical Officer will shortly write to everyone on the list to advise them of the change, and sign-post them to ongoing support.
The Highest Risk List is ending.
The success of vaccines and new treatments mean most people on the List are no longer at higher risk from #coronavirus
Those eligible for priority vaccinations or treatments will still be contacted.
Dr John Harden, Deputy National Clinical Director, said: “At the beginning of the pandemic we introduced shielding to protect the most vulnerable from a virus we knew little about. Clearly shielding did not come without impact, particularly for those who were socially isolated or feeling particularly anxious due to being labelled at ‘highest risk’.
“In March 2020, we used the information we had at that point to identify those with certain health conditions who we reasonably thought would be at higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19.
“Thankfully, we know a lot more about the virus now. Combined with our successful vaccination programme and the availability of new treatments, means the clinical evidence clearly shows that the vast majority of people who have been on the Highest Risk List no longer need to consider themselves at any significantly higher risk.
“Support is still in place for the small number of immunosuppressed people who are unable to mount a full immune response due to their condition or ongoing treatment. We will publish separate advice for this group and have put in place an identification process to be able to rapidly generate an accurate and current list of individuals to provide additional advice to, should it be needed in future.”
Public Health Scotland reports from January 2021 and March 2022 both highlighted the negative impact of shielding on those asked to do so.
The Distance Aware scheme was launched by Wales’ health and care think tank The Bevan Commission in August 2020. The Scottish Government invested £55,500 in developing the scheme for a Scottish audience, including procuring and distributing badges, lanyards and promoting the scheme.
The Scottish Government is asking organisations, businesses and employers to promote this to their staff, customers and members. A toolkit is available to provide further support and information.
Prime Minister confirms next steps for living with Covid-19
Vaccines will remain first line of defence against the virus with further boosters this spring for the most vulnerable
All remaining domestic covid regulations restricting public freedoms to end this week as part of the Living with Covid Plan
Vaccines will remain the first line of defence against Covid-19 as the Prime Minister sets out the Government’s plans to live with and manage the virus.
The UK was the first country in the world to authorise the use of the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, the first European country to vaccinate 50% of its population and has delivered the fastest booster programme in Europe.
Over 31 million boosters have been administered across England and almost 38 million UK wide helping break the link between infections and hospitalisations. In England, the number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to decline and are far below the levels of previous waves, with boosters offering strong protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.
Thanks to our hugely successful vaccination programme, the immunity built up in the population and our new antiviral and therapeutics tools, the UK is in the strongest possible position to learn how to live with Covid and end government regulation.
To save lives and protect the NHS, unprecedented measures were taken on a global scale that interfered with people’s lives and livelihoods. Billions of pounds were spent on supporting a locked down economy as the public stayed at home.
The Prime Minister has been clear that restrictions would not stay in place a day longer than necessary. The British public have made extraordinary sacrifices during the 2020 lockdowns, the Roadmap, and recent Plan B measures in response to the Omicron variant.
The Plan, published yesterday, sets out how vaccines and other pharmaceutical interventions will continue to form our first line of defence. The UK Government has accepted the JCVI recommendation to offer an additional booster to all adults aged over 75, all residents in care homes for older adults, and all over 12s who are immunosuppressed.
An autumn annual booster programme is under consideration, subject to further advice. Further detail on deployment on the spring booster programme will be set out in due course. The Government will continue to be guided by the JCVI on future vaccine programmes.
The plan covers four main pillars:
Removing domestic restrictions while encouraging safer behaviours through public health advice, in common with longstanding ways of managing other infectious illnesses
Protecting the vulnerable through pharmaceutical interventions and testing, in line with other viruses
Maintaining resilience against future variants, including through ongoing surveillance, contingency planning and the ability to reintroduce key capabilities such as mass vaccination and testing in an emergency
Securing innovations and opportunities from the COVID-19 response, including investment in life sciences
The public are encouraged to continue to follow public health advice, as with all infectious diseases such as the flu, to minimise the chance of catching Covid and help protect family and friends. This includes by letting fresh air in when meeting indoors, wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, and washing your hands.
The Prime Minister yesterday confirmed domestic legal restrictions (in England – Ed.) will end on 24 February as we begin to treat Covid as other infectious diseases such as flu. This means:
The remaining domestic restrictions in England will be removed. The legal requirement to self-isolate ends. Until 1 April, we still advise people who test positive to stay at home. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.
From April, the Government will update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to be careful and considerate of others, similar to advice on other infectious diseases. This will align with testing changes.
Self-isolation support payments, national funding for practical support and the medicine delivery service will no longer be available.
Routine contact tracing ends, including venue check-ins on the NHS COVID-19 app.
Fully vaccinated adults and those aged under 18 who are close contacts are no longer advised to test daily for seven days and the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate will be removed.
Our testing programme has been a crucial part of our response to the virus. Over 2 billion lateral flow tests have been provided across the UK since 2020 ensuring people could stay safe and meet family and friends knowing they were free of the virus.
As set out in the Autumn and Winter Plan, universal free provision of tests will end as our response to the virus changes.
From the start of April, the government will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups and we will set out further details on which groups will be eligible shortly. Free symptomatic testing will also remain available to social care staff. We are working with retailers to ensure that everyone who wants to can buy a test.
The Test & Trace programme cost £15.7 billion in 2021/22. With Omicron now the dominant variant and less severe, levels of high immunity across the country and a range of strategies in place including vaccines, treatments, and public health knowledge, the value for taxpayers’ money is now less clear. Free testing should rightly be focused on at-risk groups.
The Government remains ready to respond if a new variant emerges and places unsustainable pressure on the NHS, through surveillance systems and contingency measures such as increased testing capacity or vaccine programmes. Our world-leading ONS survey will allow us to continue to track the virus in granular detail to help us spot any surges in the virus.
Further changes being made include: * Today the guidance has been removed for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing. * On 24 February, removing additional local authority powers to tackle local COVID-19 outbreaks (No.3 regulations). Local Authorities will manage local outbreaks in high-risk settings as they do with other infectious diseases. * On 24 March, the Government will also remove the COVID-19 provisions within the Statutory Sick Pay and Employment and Support Allowance regulations.
From 1 April, the UK Government will:
Remove the current guidance on voluntary COVID-status certification in domestic settings and no longer recommend that certain venues use the NHS COVID Pass.
No longer provide free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
Remove the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their risk assessments.
PM statement on living with COVID
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement in the House of Commons on the government’s strategy for living with COVID.
And before I begin, I know the whole House will join me in sending our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen for a full and swift recovery.
It is a reminder that this virus has not gone away, but because of the efforts we have made as a country over the past two years we can now deal with it in a very different way, moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility.
So we protect ourselves without losing our liberties – and maintaining our contingency capabilities so we can respond rapidly to any new variant.
Mr Speaker, the UK was the first country in the world to administer an approved vaccine, and the first European nation to protect half our population with at least one dose.
And having made that decision to refocus our NHS this Winter on the campaign to Get Boosted Now, we were the first major European nation to boost half our population too.
And it is because of the extraordinary success of this vaccination programme, that we have been able to lift our restrictions earlier than other comparable countries, opening up last summer, while others remained closed, and keeping things open this winter, when others shut down again, making us one of the most open economies and societies in Europe, with the fastest growth anywhere in the G7 last year.
And while the pandemic is not over, we have now passed the peak of the Omicron wave, with cases falling, hospitalisations in England now fewer than 10,000 and still falling, and the link between infection and severe disease substantially weakened.
Over 71 per cent of all adults are now boosted in England, including 93 per cent of those 70 and over, and together with the treatments and scientific understanding of the virus we have built up, we now have sufficient levels of immunity to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments as our first line of defence.
As we have throughout the past two years, we will continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as they decide how to take forward their own plans, and today’s strategy shows how we will structure our approach in England around four principles.
First, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.
From this Thursday, 24 February, we will end the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test, and so we will also end self-isolation support payments, although Covid provisions for Statutory Sick Pay can still be claimed for a further month.
We will end routine contact tracing, and no longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those under 18 to test daily for seven days.
And we will remove the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate.
Until 1 April, we will still advise people who test positive to stay at home. But after that, we will encourage people with Covid-19 symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate to others.
Mr Speaker, it is only because levels of immunity are so high and deaths are now, if anything, below where you would normally expect for this time of year, that we can lift these restrictions.
And it is only because we know Omicron is less severe, that testing for Omicron on the colossal scale we have been doing is much less important, and much less valuable in preventing serious illness.
We should be proud that the UK established the biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world.
But this came at a vast cost.
The Testing, Tracing and Isolation budget in 2020-21 exceeded the entire budget of the Home Office.
It cost a further £15.7 billion in this financial year, and £2 billion in January alone at the height of the Omicron wave.
We must now scale this back.
From today, we are removing the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.
And from 1st April, when Winter is over and the virus will spread less easily, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
We will continue to provide free symptomatic tests to the oldest age groups and those most vulnerable to Covid.
And in line with the practice in many other countries, we are working with retailers to ensure that everyone who wants to can buy a test.
From April 1st, we will also no longer recommend the use of voluntary Covid-status certification, although the NHS app will continue to allow people to indicate their vaccination status for international travel.
And Mr Speaker, the government will also expire all temporary provisions of the Coronavirus Act.
Of the original 40, 20 have already expired, 16 will expire on 24 March, and the last 4 relating to innovations in public service will expire six months later, after we have made those improvements permanent via other means.
Second, we will continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccines and treatments.
The UK government has procured enough doses of vaccine to anticipate a wide range of possible JCVI recommendations. And today we are taking further action to guard against a possible resurgence of the virus, accepting JCVI advice for a new Spring booster offered to those aged 75 and over, older care home residents, and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.
The UK is also leading the way on antivirals and therapeutics, with our AntiVirals Task Force securing a supply of almost 5 million – more per head than any other country in Europe.
Third, SAGE advise there is considerable uncertainty about the future path of the pandemic, and there may of course be significant resurgences.
They are certain there will be new variants and it’s very possible those will be worse than Omicron.
So we will maintain our resilience to manage and respond to these risks, including our world-leading ONS survey, which will allow us to continue tracking the virus in granular detail, with regional and age breakdowns helping us spot surges as and where they happen, and our laboratory networks will help us understand the evolution of the virus and identify any changes in characteristics.
We will prepare and maintain our capabilities to ramp up testing.
We will continue to support other countries in developing their own surveillance capabilities, because a new variant can emerge anywhere.
And we will meet our commitment to donate 100 million vaccine doses by June, as our part of the agreement at the UK’s G7 summit to provide a billion doses to vaccinate the world over the next year.
In all circumstances, our aim will be to manage and respond to future risks through more routine public health interventions, with pharmaceutical interventions as the first line of defence.
Fourth, we will build on the innovation that has defined the best of our response to the pandemic.
The Vaccines Task Force will continue to ensure the UK has access to effective vaccines as they become available, already securing contracts with manufacturers trialling bi-valent vaccines, which would provide protection against Covid variants.
The Therapeutics Task Force will continue to support seven national priority clinical trial platforms focused on prevention, novel treatments and treatment for long-Covid.
We are refreshing our biosecurity strategy to protect the UK against natural zoonosis and accidental laboratory leaks, as well as the potential for biological threats emanating from state and non-state actors.
And building on the Five Point Plan I set out at the United Nations and the agreements reached at the UK’s G7 last year, we are working with our international partners on future pandemic preparedness, including through a new pandemic treaty, an effective early warning system or Global Pandemic Radar, and a mission to make safe and effective diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines available within the first 100 days of a future pandemic threat being identified.
And we will be hosting a global pandemic preparedness summit next month.
And Mr Speaker, Covid will not suddenly disappear.
So those who would wait for a total end to this war before lifting the remaining regulations, would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.
This government does not believe that is right or necessary.
Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental wellbeing, and the life chances of our children.
And we do not need to pay that cost any longer.
We have a population that is protected by the biggest vaccination programme in our history.
We have the antivirals, the treatments, and the scientific understanding of this virus, and we have the capabilities to respond rapidly to any resurgence or new variant.
And Mr Speaker it is time to get our confidence back.
We don’t need laws to compel people to be considerate of others.
We can rely on that sense of responsibility towards one another, providing practical advice in the knowledge that people will follow it to avoid infecting loved ones and others.
So let us learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves without restricting our freedoms.
And in that spirit, I commend this Statement to the House.
PM statement at Covid press conference
The Prime Minister gave a press conference on the plan to live with COVID-19
Good evening, when the pandemic began, we had little knowledge of this virus and none about the vaccines and treatments we have today.
So there was no option but to use government regulations to protect our NHS and save lives.
But those restrictions on our liberties have brought grave costs to our economy, our society, and the chances of our children.
So from the outset, we were clear that we must chart a course back towards normality as rapidly as possible, by developing the vaccines and treatments that could gradually replace those restrictions.
And as a result of possibly the greatest national effort in our peacetime history, that is exactly what we have done.
Thanks to our brilliant scientists.
Thanks to the extraordinary men and women of our NHS and to every one of you who has come forwards to get jabbed and get boosted – the United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to administer an approved vaccine, and the fastest major European nation to roll out both the vaccines and the booster to half our population.
We have emerged from the teeth of the pandemic before many others, retaining one of the most open economies and societies in Europe and the fastest growth in the G7 last year.
And while the pandemic is not over, we have passed the peak of the Omicron wave, with cases falling, and hospitalisations in England now fewer than 10,000 and still falling, and so now we have the chance to complete that transition back towards normality, while maintaining the contingencies to respond to a resurgence or a new variant.
As we have done throughout the past two years, we will continue to work with the Devolved Administrations as they decide how to take forwards their own plans.
In England, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.
From this Thursday, it will no longer be law to self-isolate if you test positive, and so we will also end the provision of self-isolation support payments, although Statutory Sick Pay can still be claimed for a further month.
If you’re a fully vaccinated close contact or under 18 you will no longer be asked to test daily for seven days.
And if you are close contact who is not fully vaccinated you will no longer be required to self-isolate.
Until 1 April, we will still advise you to stay at home if you test positive.
But after that, we will encourage people with Covid symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate towards others.
It is only because levels of immunity are so high and deaths are now, if anything, below where you would normally expect for this time of year that we can lift these restrictions.
And it is only because we know Omicron is less severe, that testing for Omicron on the colossal scale we have been doing is now much less valuable in preventing serious illness.
We should be proud that the UK established the biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world.
But its budget in the last financial year was bigger than the Home Office – and it cost – the testing programme cost – £2 billion just last month alone.
So we must scale back and prioritise our resources for the most vulnerable.
From today, staff and students in most education and childcare settings will no longer be asked to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.
And from 1st April, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
But we will continue providing free symptomatic tests to those at the highest risk from Covid.
And in line with the practice of many other countries, we are working with retailers to ensure you will always be able to buy a test.
We should be clear the pandemic is not over and there may be significant resurgences.
Our scientists are certain there will be new variants and it’s very possible that those will be worse than Omicron.
So we will continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccinations and treatments and we have bought enough doses of vaccine to anticipate a wide range of possible JCVI recommendations.
Today this includes a new Spring booster, which will be offered to those aged 75 and over, older care home residents, and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.
We will also retain disease surveillance systems and contingency measures which can ensure our resilience in the face of future waves or new variants.
And we will build on the innovations that defined the very best of our response to the pandemic, including continuing the work of the Vaccines Task Force, which has already secured contracts with manufacturers trialling new vaccines which could provide protection against new variants.
Today is not the day we can declare victory over Covid, because this virus is not going away.
But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enabled us to protect ourselves while restoring our liberties in full.
And after two of the darkest grimmest years in our peacetime history, I do believe this is a moment of pride for our nation and a source of hope for all that we can achieve in the years to come.
Thank you very much.
REACTION:
Responding to the statement from the Prime Minster on the Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ strategy, which includes the removal of free Covid-19 tests for the public from 1 April in England, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “Today’s announcement fails to protect those at highest risk of harm from Covid-19, and neglects some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“We recognise the need, after two years of the pandemic, to begin thinking about how we adjust our lives to manage living alongside Covid-19, but as the BMA has persistently said the decision to bring forward the removal of all protective measures while cases, deaths and the number of people seriously ill remain so high is premature.
“Living with Covid-19 must not mean ignoring the virus all together – which in many respects the Government’s plan in England seems to do.
“On the one hand the Government says it will keep monitoring the spread of the virus, and asks individuals to take greater responsibility for their own decisions, but by removing free testing for the vast majority of the population on the other, ministers are taking away the central tool to allow both of these to happen.
“Far from giving people more freedom, today’s announcement is likely to cause more uncertainty and anxiety.
“Crucially, it will create a two-tier system, where those who can afford to pay for testing – and indeed to self-isolate – will do so, while others will be forced to gamble on the health of themselves and others.
“Covid-19 has already disproportionately impacted those on lower incomes, in insecure employment and from ethnic minorities. This move threatens to exacerbate these health inequalities.
“People will want to do the right thing, and not knowingly put others at risk if they are infected, but how can they make such a judgement if they have no way of knowing if they’re carrying the virus or not? This is especially important for those who come into contact with people who are at much greater risk of becoming ill with Covid-19, such as elderly relatives or those who are clinically vulnerable.
“Providing free tests to clinically vulnerable people – and only once they develop symptoms and are potentially very unwell – but not providing any free tests to friends or family who come into contact with them is completely illogical, as the priority should be protecting them from infection in the first place. The same goes for care home staff, who will only be tested if they have symptoms, by which time they could have passed on the virus to vulnerable residents.
“There must also be urgent clarity around testing provision for NHS workers. People visit hospitals and surgeries to get better, and not to be exposed to deadly viruses, and the continuation of testing for healthcare workers is invaluable in protecting both staff and patients.
“That plans are underway for a new booster programme is sensible but we must not – as we have continued to state – rely solely on vaccination to protect the nation. The necessity for further boosters underlines that Covid-19 will continue to present a challenge for healthcare services and wider society for potentially many years to come. And while the Prime Minister talks about Omicron resulting in a mild illness for most, others will still become very unwell with Covid-19, and an estimated more than one million people continue to live with long-Covid – themselves needing ongoing care.
“As part of ‘learning to live with Covid’, protections must be maintained for the most vulnerable, including the provision of enhanced face masks, and clear guidance for both patients and clinicians.
“Meanwhile, all people must be financially supported to do the right thing, and the removal of self-isolation payments, and then access to statutory sick pay in a months’ time, is incredibly concerning, as it will mean people cannot afford to stay at home if they are unwell. In healthcare settings, enhanced infection prevention measures – including mask-wearing for patients and enhanced PPE for staff – must remain, while in the longer-term premises are in desperate need of improvements, such as higher standards of ventilation, to limit the spread of infections.
“And with such a planned scale back of free testing, it is imperative that the Government keeps its commitment to continue other surveillance methods, including the ONS infection survey1, and to not hesitate to act on worrying surges of infections or new dangerous variants.”
Responding to today’s ending of Covid restrictions, Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing at older people’s charity Independent Age, said: “We know that many people aged 65 and over are worried about the upcoming relaxation of Covid restrictions, particularly the ending of self-isolation.
“We are concerned that this sudden change in direction of public safety is likely to increase anxiety among older people, and even cause some to shield themselves and limit daily activities.
“Our research revealed that the challenges faced by those in later life due to the pandemic have worsened many people’s mental health with many people we spoke to expressing fear at catching the virus in public settings. If the requirement to isolate is removed at the same time free lateral flow tests for most age groups stop, this fear is likely to increase as is the likelihood of coming into contact with someone who has Covid.
“Recent polling showed that a majority (56%) of older people thought isolating should always be a requirement for somebody who has tested positive for Covid, and a further 27% said it should at least be a requirement for the next few months.
“It’s essential that older people are able to live their daily lives safely. Now the government has announced the relaxation, it must clarify how it plans to protect those in later life from the virus.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will lay out Scotland’s response when she addresses the Holyrood parliament this afternoon.
So Boris Johson urges ‘personal responsibility’? Yes, Boris ‘Partygate’ Johnson – the great leader who would not even follow the rules he wrote himself? Oh, the irony! It really would be funny it it wasn’t quite so serious.#covid #gieyetheboak
As Omicron continues to spread, the Scottish Government is setting out new guidance and measures to take effect from midnight on Friday to stem the flow of transmission, keep businesses and services open, and protect against pressure on health services.
Evidence shows that the new, highly transmissible Omicron strain of COVID-19 can infect those who have been vaccinated, or previously infected, so it is considered necessary to reintroduce some protections to prevent hospital admissions.
Guidance has been updated on reducing social interaction at home or in indoor public places to a maximum of three households at any time, with everyone encouraged to take a lateral flow test before meeting.
This will also be reflected in updated guidance for visiting care homes – with no more than two households to visit a resident at a time – and in hospitals, with no more than two visitors at any time. In all settings, people should take a lateral flow test before meeting, to support people to continue to connect with their loved ones.
Additional funding of £100 million to ensure the Self-Isolation Support Grant is available to those who need it, and a £100 million financial package for eligible businesses is to be made available.
Business support funding has been allocated to enhance adherence to the necessary public health measures and support businesses in hospitality ,and food supply and in the culture sector that have lost crucial bookings during this key trading period.
The Finance Secretary will be engaging with affected sectors immediately to consult on and confirm the details of support and money will be available as soon as possible.
The COVID-19 booster programme continues to accelerate, with the online portal for 18-29 year-olds opening on Wednesday 15 December and the waiting period following vaccination reduced from 15 minutes to five minutes. COVID-19 booster jabs will be prioritised over the remainder of the flu vaccination programme to speed up vaccination times and enable more appointments.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Getting fully vaccinated is the best thing any of us can do to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and the country. So please, book your booster jag as soon as possible. Speeding up vaccination is essential and I want to assure the nation that it is the government’s top priority.
“While we are speeding up vaccination, we must also try to slow down Omicron. That is why we are also proposing today, albeit reluctantly, some further protective measures. I am appealing to everyone to follow today’s advice, to help slow Omicron down while more of us get our boosters.
“I am not asking anyone to ‘cancel’ Christmas – but in the run up to and in the immediate aftermath of Christmas, I am asking everyone to reduce as far as possible, and to a minimum, the contacts we have with people in other households.
“We are not banning or restricting household mixing in law as before – we understand the negative impact this has on mental health and wellbeing – but we are asking everyone, and we will issue strong guidance to this effect, to cut down as far as possible the number of people outside our own households that we are interacting with just now. This will help break transmission chains.
“Turning to Christmas Day specifically – or Christmas Eve or Boxing Day or whenever you have your main family celebration – we are not asking you to cancel or change your plans, and we are not proposing limits on the size of household gatherings. Places of worship will also remain open, with appropriate mitigations. But we will issue guidance to help you make Christmas safer.
“Omicron will be especially concerning to people on the Highest Risk List – the Chief Medical Officer will be writing to all of you shortly with further advice and assurance.”
Further guidance on additional measures announced by the First Minister will be published by the end of the week. These include:
Businesses, service providers and places of worship asked to take all reasonable measures to avoid crowding, encourage wearing of masks and support distancing in their premises
This will include guidance to ensure that people who can work from home, do so – for those in sectors where working from home is not possible, regular testing with lateral flow tests should be undertaken
Reinforcement of protective measures in retail and other settings including distancing, managing customer flows, and protective screens
Reinforcement of protective measures in hospitality settings including collection of contact tracing information and measures to reduce crowding
Guidance to increase mask wearing in outdoor crowded areas such as Christmas markets or festive celebrations
The Scottish Government’s strong recommendation continues to be that everyone should take a lateral flow test beforehand, on any occasion that you will be meeting another household, as an important way we can all reduce the risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to other people.
It remains vitally important to strictly adhere to all public health advice, being stringent around use of face coverings in all required settings, isolating for the full period when advised to, and ensuring good ventilation in spaces where households will mix.
We’ve had a busy November, discussing this funding with as many people as we can.
To try to make it more accessible, instead of long application forms we’re asking you to fill in a few key details setting out what you think your organisation or group can do to meet the needs of communities in Edinburgh. Please also tell us what support you might find helpful.
These expressions of interest will be publicly available for others to see on our website from mid-December, so do check back in a week or two. We hope this open process will stimulate partnerships and ideas.
Expressions of Interest All expressions of interest need to be submitted using this online form, but we’ve also created a word version of the form to help you draft your application.
The closing date for expressions of interest is Fri 14 Jan 2022.
For details of the process after this point please see the Partnership Plan.
Other Ways to Get Involved If you don’t plan to apply to the fund, but would like to be involved in the process – e.g. as part of the decision-making collaborative – we would really welcome this and can discuss funding for your time where appropriate.
Word version of the expression of interest form to help you prepare for completing the online form. Please note we are only able to accept applications submitted using the online form above.
Fund Guidance – a two-page document summarising key points like who can apply, what can be funded.
Partnership Plan (Tue 30 Nov) – this document has been updated to reflect partnership conversations and sets out Edinburgh’s approach to the funding in more detail and how the process will work.
£1.255 million has been allocated to Edinburgh to support Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing, for those aged 16 and above.
The fund is to support mental health and wellbeing at a small scale, grassroots, community level. It can be used to increase capacity for existing groups and projects or for new initiatives.
Groups do not have to have mental health and wellbeing as their main focus, but there needs to be a clear benefit to the mental wellbeing of people in their community.
Initiatives with a focus on addressing mental health inequalities by supporting those who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic will be prioritised, particularly those supporting communities experiencing multiple forms of marginalisation.
As Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging online shoppers in Scotland to avoid being hit with unexpected customs charges.
Changes introduced on 1 January 2021 means that consumers who previously had to pay charges when buying certain items from non-EU sellers may now also need to do the same when buying goods from the EU.
Katherine Green and Sophie Dean, Directors General, Borders and Trade, HMRC, said:“With Christmas rapidly approaching, we don’t want shoppers to be caught out by unexpected charges which will take the fun out of their shopping experience.
“There are now a number of factors that people will need to consider when purchasing goods from the EU, so shoppers are being advised to check guidance to ensure they know what they will owe.”
HMRC recommends people look at the seven top tips below to determine whether there will be charges on their goods.
If there are charges to pay, shoppers may also need to pay a “handling fee” to the courier company before their goods are released.
Be aware of where you, the recipient, are based.
Shoppers based in Northern Ireland won’t be affected by these changes due to the Northern Ireland Protocol, however those in Great Britain should be prepared for potential changes.
2. Check whether your order contains excise goods, such as tobacco, alcohol or perfume.
Unlike other items, there is no lower threshold for customs charges when it comes to excise goods, so there will be charges due no matter the value or origin of your goods.
Shoppers buying excise goods will need to pay import VAT and excise duty. They may also need to pay customs duty (see tip 7 for more info).
Check whether your order is worth more than £135, before extra costs, such as shipping and insurance are applied.
Shoppers buying stocking fillers or small value items, not including excise goods, don’t need to worry as goods sent in consignments worth less than £135 should not attract additional charges, as UK VAT is collected by the seller on behalf of HMRC at the point of sale. This also applies to goods being purchased from non-EU countries.
Anyone buying a more expensive product from abroad – over £135 – will now need to pay import VAT and may need to pay customs duty. The amount due will depend on a range of factors, including shipping and insurance costs so, to avoid surprises, consumers should consult their seller.
Shoppers who already know they will need to pay import VAT should make sure their seller does not charge them VAT, otherwise they may be charged twice (see tip 5 for more info).
Be mindful of new charges when sending or receiving gifts from an individual based overseas.
If you’re lucky enough to receive a gift from someone based in the EU and it is valued at less than £39 and it does not contain excise goods, it will be exempt from import VAT and customs duty. Above the £39 threshold, import VAT will be due and once the value of the gift reaches £135, customs duty will also be payable. You could also get charged a “handling fee” (see tip 5 for more info).
If you are planning on sending a gift to someone based overseas, you should check guidance published by the relevant customs authority to check their specific rules and charges.
5. Be aware of how and when you could be notified of charges.
Anyone needing to pay customs charges will be contacted by the courier company and asked to pay the charges before they can receive their goods. Alternatively, the seller may arrange to pay any charges upfront on your behalf, but you should check with the seller to avoid any unwelcome surprises.
6. Check the guidance available to you.
To help shoppers navigate these changes, HMRC has produced diagrams outlining three fictional scenarios about buying goods from the EU and has published a simple guide on GOV.UK, which also contains essential information on how to dispute a charge, return unwanted goods and to get a refund on the charges paid.
7. Check with the seller whether the goods originated in the EU and whether they qualify for a “zero tariff”.
Customs duty won’t be due on goods if they meet criteria set out in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and a “zero tariff” can be correctly applied.
The “Rules of Origin” requirements mean that even if your parcel is valued above £135, if the goods you are buying originate in – or have been sufficiently worked or processed within – the EU, the seller confirms this and the zero tariff is claimed on the customs declaration, you will not need to pay any customs duties although import VAT will still be due.
If customs duty is due, the rate – or the Tariff – for each item can be found within the trade tariff tool but it’s recommended you check with your seller to find out exactly what you will owe.
For more information on the changes as well as finding crucial information about how to return goods and get a refund on charges go to GOV.UK
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer has written to CBI Scotland calling on the organisation to reconsider its public call for a return to offices for non-essential workers.
The letter takes the business organisation to task for contradicting the Scottish Government’s view (shared by the STUC) that there should be a pause in any return to offices where working from home is possible:
Updated guidance on physical distancing measures has been updated and was confirmed yesterday, says The Scottish Licensed Trade Association. This guidance includes information on calculating physical distancing capacity in public settings.
Some of the new elements of this guidance are effective from 17 May 2021, but operators should read the guidance and take the appropriate steps as soon as possible.
Information on the updated guidance can be found here.
A joint statement on staying safe at Christmas from the UK Government, Scottish Government, and Welsh Government:
As we approach the festive period, the UK Government, Scottish Government, and Welsh Government are seeking to balance pragmatism with the overriding priority of protecting public health.
To do this, we have joined together to issue clear guidance and recommendations, as follows:
We know the extraordinary lengths that people have gone to this year to protect their loved ones and the NHS. We know that people want to see life return to normal. And with vaccines now being deployed, next year we are confident it will do. But to get there safely, this cannot be a normal Christmas. We must continue to work together to prevent the spread of the virus, and to protect our friends, our families and our front-line workers.
In some areas, the number of people with COVID-19 is rising rapidly, as it is in much of Europe. It is vital that we all act responsibly over Christmas to limit the risk of further transmission and keep each other as safe as possible. One in three people who have COVID-19 don’t show symptoms but can still pass on the virus.
To protect you and your loved ones, we recommend that you think very carefully about the risks of forming a bubble. Discuss alternatives to meeting up in person, or ways of meeting up outdoors instead. Only form a bubble if you feel you absolutely need to.
If you do decide you need to form a Christmas bubble, take precautions to minimise risk by stopping unnecessary social contact outside your immediate household as soon as possible, and for at least five days before you meet other households in your bubble, and by working from home if you can. On no account should you visit another household if you, or anyone in your household, is feeling unwell or is self-isolating.
Scientific advice is clear: the longer you meet others for, the higher the risk of you catching and spreading the virus. If you do intend to form a bubble, you should keep the bubble small and your visits short.
The five day period is a window of opportunity and should be seen as a legal maximum, not a target. If you do form a bubble, we recommend that you meet with it for the shortest possible time. You should not stay overnight unless absolutely unavoidable.
It is particularly important to think about the greater risks to more vulnerable people. If you are over 70 or clinically extremely vulnerable, think carefully about the risks. The safest approach may be not to form a Christmas bubble.
If you do form a Christmas bubble, then be especially careful to observe the guidance: meet outdoors where possible, wash your hands regularly, keep a distance from those you do not live with. If you meet indoors, ensure good ventilation by letting in fresh air. The clinically extremely vulnerable and the elderly will be prioritised for vaccination in the early part of next year.
If you are in an existing household or support bubble with someone who is clinically extremely vulnerable, think carefully. To help reduce the risks to their health, the safest approach would be to celebrate with your household or support bubble and not with others.
If you are forming a Christmas bubble you should consider carefully the risks of travelling at all. If you live in an area with the highest level of protection, for example, tier 3 in England and level 4 in Scotland, you should avoid travelling to lower prevalence areas where possible.
Each administration will issue specific travel advice based on its own circumstances. If you have to travel, book ahead to enable you and others to travel safely and plan your outward and return journeys carefully. Once you arrive you should stay local and not travel within the area.
If you form a Christmas bubble, practise safe behaviours: washing your hands, making space between members of different households wherever you can, and letting in fresh air. Following these behaviours, even within the home, will greatly reduce the risk of transmission.
We will all need to carry on practising safe behaviours after Christmas. This means shopping only if you can do so safely: shop online where you can; avoid crowds; and, if you are in crowded areas, wear a face covering and only go where it is well ventilated.
It is also really important to cut down on social contact after seeing your Christmas bubble, to reduce the risk of chains of transmission. This includes not meeting up with friends or family outside your household for New Year’s Eve. The tier or level rules will be in place on New Year’s Eve / Hogmanay and it is essential, as the minimum, that these are followed by everyone.
By taking these steps together, we can all enjoy a safer Christmas.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has joined with the leaders of the UK Government and the Welsh Government in issuing guidance on how the public should approach Christmas celebrations this year.
The First Minister has stressed that the strong recommendation of the Scottish Government to people across Scotland is to celebrate Christmas this year within your own household and in your own home – and as far as possible to keep any interaction with other households to a minimum. This is by far the safest way to spend this Christmas and keep your loved ones safe.
However, certain flexibilities were agreed in recognition of the impact of loneliness over Christmas on wellbeing and the fact that some people will not be willing to leave loved ones alone.
These provide a window of opportunity and should be seen as legal maximum to work well within. The guidance being issued seeks to reduce risks as far as possible for anyone choosing to use these flexibilities.
The First Minister stressed that the following key points should be taken into consideration by anyone choosing to spend time with other households indoors: keep the duration of any interaction as short as possible: keep any bubble as small as possible; avoid travel and overnight stays unless unavoidable; and comply with all distancing and hygiene advice.
She said: “Our strong advice this Christmas is to stay at home with your own household. Any interaction with other households should, as far as possible, be outdoors. That is the best way of keeping yourself and your loved ones safe this Christmas.
However, we recognize that in some cases, the isolation caused by being alone over Christmas will in itself cause harm to people’s welfare and that is why we have created a window of flexibility with accompanying guidance, to ensure that any household mixing is done as safely as possible,
“If you choose to form a bubble over the Christmas period, then you should take into consideration these key points:
“First, minimise the number of people in the bubble – while three households is the legal maximum, our recommendation is that two households would be better, and you should keep as far within the maximum of eight people over the age of 12 as you can. In short, the smaller the bubble is, the better and safer it will be.
“Second, you should minimise the time spent with your bubble, especially indoors. The five days is a window of opportunity, not a recommended time that it is safe for you to spend together – indeed, the Scottish Government recommends that you do not meet up with people in your bubble on any more than one day over the period and do not stay overnight unless it is unavoidable. And you should minimise the distance you intend to travel.
“You should also avoid all travel between high prevalence areas and low prevalence areas – in particular, that means avoiding travel to or from Scotland and Tier 3 areas in England, and to or from any Level 4 areas in Scotland (of which there are currently none).
The First Minister concluded: “Being asked not to see loved ones at Christmas unless absolutely essential is one of the toughest things imaginable. But, this year, it is essential to help keep people safe.
“With a vaccination programme now underway, a return to more normal life is on the horizon – and I hope that the prospect of brighter days ahead will help all of us get through this difficult Christmas as safely as possible.”
PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON’S CORONVIRUS UPDATE STATEMENT
‘So have yourselves a merry little Christmas – and I’m afraid this year I do mean little’
It is just a week since the United Kingdom began the biggest vaccination programme in our history.
And the public is coming forward at an extraordinary pace to get a jab, to protect themselves, beginning with the elderly and the most vulnerable.
With 138,000 recipients of the first dose – and more joining them every minute – there is no doubt we are winning and we will win our long struggle against this virus which makes it all the more important that we hold our nerve this winter.
Because we are now in a race to protect us all while doing everything we can to keep the virus under control.
And thanks to the colossal collective effort in November we did bring the R below 1; we did get the infection rate down.
But I must be frank with you – we are already seeing worrying rises in some parts of the country: Kent is still seeing rising infections; the number of cases in London is at 270 per 100,000 people. And that’s why we acted quickly by moving London into Tier 3 from today.
And tomorrow (Thursday) the Health Secretary will announce the outcome of the latest tiering review.
And so like every other European country facing similar challenges we have come to this moment, a great global festival – a turning point, a time of year that is of immense emotional and spiritual importance.
But also a moment for us to exercise extreme caution when we must remember that one of the most striking features of this virus is that it spreads invisibly from people who don’t even have symptoms which is in fact around 1 in 3 of everyone infected.
And that’s why from the beginning this virus has been so hard to fight and that’s why it’s so important to follow the rules – and why this Christmas it’s vital that everyone exercises the greatest possible personal responsibility.
And having looked at the latest data – with our colleagues in the Devolved Administrations, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we have decided that the overall situation is, alas, worse and more challenging than we had hoped when we first set the rules.
So while it would not be right to criminalise people who have made plans and simply want to spend time with their loved ones, we are all collectively across the UK, governments at every level, asking you to think hard and in detail about the days ahead and whether you can do more to protect yourself and others.
We are keeping the laws the same – but we all want to send the same message: a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas, and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas.
When we say three households can meet on five days, I want to stress these are maximums, not targets to aim for.
And of course it is always going to be safest to minimise the number of people you meet.
And that means that if you are visiting others over Christmas, we are asking you – in the five days beforehand, as early as this Friday – to reduce the number of people you are in contact with to the lowest possible, because this virus spreads from human contact.
If possible don’t travel from a high prevalence to a low prevalence area and avoid staying away from home overnight if you can.
Remember, the vaccine is on the way and our aim is to inoculate everyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable or elderly in the early months of next year.
So if you’re elderly, the best way to minimise your personal risk is to wait to be vaccinated before spending time indoors with others.
And if you have an elderly relative, you might want to delay seeing them until they’ve been vaccinated.
And whatever your plans for Christmas, please think carefully about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day Sales
And no one should be gathering in large groups to see in the New Year – remember the rules in your local area will apply.
In most places across the UK, I’m afraid that means you cannot mix with other households indoors.
All the information about how best to protect yourself and your loved ones is being made available on gov.uk.
So have yourselves a merry little Christmas – And I’m afraid this year I do mean little
But with the vaccine, and all the other measures that we are taking, we do know things will be better in this country by Easter. And I’m sure that next year Christmas will be as normal for every family in the country.
