Tag: lockdown

Lockdown restrictions strengthened

Further measures to help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and limit non-essential contact will be introduced this weekend.

Nobody who lives in a Level 4 area should leave or remain outside their home except for essential purposes.

Working from home arrangements will be strengthened through updated statutory guidance. Working from home should now be the default position for all businesses and services, and only those who cannot do their job from home should be asked to go to the workplace. 

From Saturday non-essential click and collect retail services will be prohibited in Level 4 areas and further changes will be put in place to how services open for essential purposes operate. 

Timeslots will be required for collection and people should not enter a store to collect an item. 

Businesses providing takeaway food will also operate on a ‘non-entry’ basis only, meaning customers cannot enter the premises when placing or collecting orders.

Restrictions banning the consumption of alcohol in public places will also be introduced.

In a statement to Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The situation we face in relation to the virus remains extremely serious.

“We must continue to do everything possible to reduce case numbers – this is essential to relieve the pressure on our NHS and to save lives.

“Both individually and collectively, these additional measures – in further reducing the interactions that allow the virus to spread – will help our essential efforts to suppress it.

“At this critical and dangerous moment, please: Stay Home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.”

The new regulations apply to all parts of Scotland currently in lockdown and will come into effect at 00.01 on Saturday

Read the Coronavirus (COVID-19): stay at home guidance

Responding to the latest announcements, David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “The situation with the pandemic is fast moving and we fully recognise government wants people to stay home. However these further revenue-crushing restrictions and the fresh complexity they bring, together with constant chopping and changing to the Covid Strategic Framework, are disconcerting and come at an incredibly difficult time for retail.

“Firms operating click and collect or food-to-go takeaway have taken every reasonable step to make their operations as safe as possible, complying with every twist and turn to government guidance and often at pitifully short notice. They have demonstrated they can operate safely and have invested significantly to make their premises Covid-secure, and it appears no evidence to the contrary has accompanied this announcement.

“The businesses affected – who have already lost much of their income during the crisis – are trying to make the best fist possible of the current severely curtailed trading conditions, and that just got even harder as a result of this decision which will add to their cash flow woes.

“The blunt reality is that the taxpayer-funded grant support on offer won’t make up for lost sales and firms’ mounting bills and debt during this pandemic. Even when we eventually emerge from lockdown shops will be unable to trade at capacity due to physical distancing and caps on numbers in stores, while the threat of a return to full business rates liability in April still looms. Decisive action is urgently required to extend rates relief into 2021-22 and avoid April’s reverse cliff edge which will see 100% reinstatement of business rates.”

“It’s vital shoppers continue to play their part, by shopping considerately, where possible alone, wearing face coverings, and following in-store signage. These are incredibly difficult times and it’s up to everyone to follow the rules to keep us safe and the virus at bay.”

Dr Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “Today’s announcement will be very disappointing to those who have carefully adapted their businesses to be COVID safe and continue the trading that has kept them afloat up to this point.

“The lack of any certainty over when currently closed shops would be allowed to re-open added to the importance of Click and Collect services propping up many small and independent retailers.

“The Scottish Government must provide detailed evidence on how these new measures will support public health restrictions and urgently provide sufficient finance to support Scottish businesses if they are to get through yet more rules suddenly imposed upon them without prior consultation.

“Otherwise, it will only add to the growing desperation of businesses who have put finance and time aside to make their business COVID compliant, only to have to close anyway, with no clear route back to reopening.’’​

STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer has voiced union frustration at the absence of definitive new restrictions to meet the upsurge in infection risk and new virus strain.

She condemned the refusal to require closure of non-essential manufacturing and construction. The STUC welcomed the pledge to strengthen the obligation on employers to allow their staff to work from home whenever possible but said it would seek urgent engagement on how this will be implemented.

Roz Foyer said: “It is becoming increasingly clear that the Government has a blind-spot in some sectors when it comes to introducing similar safeguards to last year’s first lockdown. This is causing confusion for workers and, in too many cases, allowing employers to play fast and loose with government advice.

“We have been contacted with a wide range of worker concerns about employers who are choosing to interpret the government’s position to allow them to stay open and/or require staff to attend work rather than operate from home.

“We will be urgently seeking details on how the Government intends to legislate for employers to default to home working.”

CAMRA’s Scotland Director Joe Crawford said: “Pubs are a force for good in our communities and they deserve to be supported through these latest restrictions, which have dealt another devastating blow to trade for hospitality businesses. When this nightmare is over, pubs and social clubs will be vital to the nation’s healing process – so long as they are still standing. 

“Whilst no one wants to see irresponsible drinking in the streets during a lockdown, it is good that the Scottish Government is allowing pubs and breweries to continue selling alcohol in sealed containers for people to take home. This helps pubs, clubs and brewers to compete with the large supermarkets, and means that people can still get cask beer, which is under threat due to months of forced pub closures. 

“I’d encourage everyone to safely and responsibly support their local breweries, clubs and pubs where they are still able to act as an off-licence and sell beer and cider to enjoy at home.” 

Industry representatives wrote to the Scottish Government on Tuesday, insisting takeaways should remain permitted. Some had feared the worst, so yesterday’s announcement offers at least some respite.

Ten representative organisations from across Scotland’s Food and Drink industry wrote a joint letter to the Scottish Government’s Rural Economy Secretary, Fergus Ewing MSP, to request that food and drink takeaway services be permitted to continue.

The letter stated:-

“Dear Mr Ewing,

Potential Restrictions on Food and Drink Takeaway

Last Thursday the First Minister stated she wanted takeaway businesses to switch to delivery where possible, and we understand from subsequent media reports Ministers are considering prohibiting food takeaway activity from taking place.

Food and drink, hospitality, and catering businesses are concerned at the move away from the transparency and certainty which the Government was able to provide in the final months of last year through the Strategic Framework.

It is worrying we appear to be returning to a less considered approach – one which doesn’t effectively engage affected businesses in advance – which is less likely to provide the benefits of consultation and rounded decision making provided by the earlier approach.

It goes without saying food and drink businesses are facing an incredibly difficult time. The desired outcome of the current restrictions, with people broadly staying at home, means footfall for businesses has collapsed.

The inability to offer sit-in facilities should hopefully help prevent the spread of Covid – but it comes at a very high economic price.  In the context of a very uncertain economic outlook, these are very challenging trading conditions.

One of the few chinks of light in this dim outlook has been the ability for food and drink businesses to provide takeaway and click/telephone and collect services to customers. These services allow local businesses and suppliers to keep colleagues employed, provides a service to people – many of whom now are essential workers doing vital tasks – and of course are easy for smaller businesses to operate and establish. Limiting trade to home delivery only will force some businesses to close – and also ensure customers are more likely to purchase food and drink from grocers – ensuring more people are congregating in a smaller number of places.

Beyond this we are concerned at how any measures would be implemented into legislation. From our point of view how you would distinguish between a sandwich or sausage roll or hot or cold drink sold from a pub, bakery, café, restaurant, carry-out, newsagent, petrol station, or grocery store seems impossible to ascertain, but all are providing fundamentally the same service. The same applies across hundreds of product categories and thousands of businesses.

With these points in mind we remain very concerned at the suggestion this commercial activity could be suspended – especially as there is no indication when these businesses will be able to return to normal trading.  Our members undertaking these services have complied with every change to government guidance and put in place many mitigation measures and invested significantly to keep shoppers and workers as safe as possible. They are providing an important service in difficult circumstances, helping to support key workers as well as the Scottish food and drink industry.

Of course, we all support every effort to tackle Covid. If there is clear and unequivocal evidence measures in this area will proportionately suppress the virus we would recognise that.  However, we haven’t been sighted on any data or public health evidence as to why takeaway services are a risk. As such, forced closure seems somewhat arbitrary and marginal in terms of contributing to the suppression of the virus – not least as the new ‘stay at home’ order has just come into effect and is substantially reducing footfall.

Finally, it is only a week since the First Minister announced the new stay at home restrictions, which explicitly allowed takeaway businesses to trade. It’s very difficult for businesses to plan in any sense when government announcements emerge without warning, providing a metaphorical damoclean sword above any business trading right now.

These are very difficult circumstances for government. We want to work with you and your officials to continue to develop and deliver the proportionate measures which will suppress Covid and keep everyone safe. We hope you will look to engage constructively with us over the next few months.

Yours sincerely

Alasdair Smith, Chief Executive, Scottish Bakers

Colin Wilkinson, Managing Director; Scottish Licensed Trade Association

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, Head of Policy; Scottish Retail Consortium
Jim Winship, Director; The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association

Jim Winship, Director; The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association

Marc Crothall, Chief Executive; Scottish Tourism Alliance

Paul Togneri, Senior Policy Manager; Scottish Beer & Pub Association  

Dr Pete Cheema OBE, Chief Executive; Scottish Grocers’ Federation
Stuart Reddish, National President; NFRN

Willie Macleod, Executive Director, Scotland; UK Hospitality

Dental group to continue offering treatments through lockdown

SCOTLAND’S largest dental group has announced it will continue to provide its patients with essential dental care treatments throughout the second national lockdown.

Clyde Munro Dental Group has reassured its patients they will be able to receive fundamental care in all 45 of the group’s practices, with the exception of a few treatments.

The group’s three Edinburgh practices, Earl Grey Dental Practice, Gilmore Dental and Bellstane Dental Care, will remain open throughout lockdown for essential dental work.

Essential travel, including leaving home for healthcare, has been permitted by the Scottish Government meaning patients can travel to their dental surgery for a scheduled appointment.

Patient safety is deemed Clyde Munro’s number one priority with measures introduced throughout all of its practices.

Jim Hall, founder and Chief Executive of Clyde Munro, said: “Once again we have gone into national lockdown in order to keep our loved ones safe, but we would like to reassure all our patients that our practices will remain open during this period and our practices will be available to carry out essential dental care throughout this lockdown.

“The safety of our staff and patients is our top priority and we have worked hard to ensure we have in place all the necessary precautions to safely provide the essential care our patients need during this challenging time.

“Please contact your local Clyde Munro practice to find out what treatments are available to you.”

Those attending their practice are asked to observe a wide range of safety procedures which include, filling in forms digitally before attending, using on site sanitising stations, observing strict social distancing, and paying by contactless methods where possible.

Virtual consultations with dentists are also available for patients using a video link prior to visiting the practice.

Patients with dental emergencies are also being encouraged to call their practice during opening hours, or contact NHS 24 on 111 out with opening hours.

Clyde Munro was founded by Jim Hall in 2015 with the acquisition of seven practices. Since then, it has enjoyed rapid growth through acquisition and has plans to continue expanding.

It now comprises 45 practices across Scotland, with more than 200 dentists, 350 staff and 400,000 patients. The group’s ambition is to become Scotland’s “local dentist”, operating an expanding network of family dentists across Scotland, with each devoted to providing the best dental care, while reflecting the needs and character of its community.

An update from Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Simon Roberts

I have spent a lot of time in our stores over the past few days and I need to ask for your help with two key issues to keep you and all my colleagues safe.

When shopping in our stores, you must wear a mask or visor unless you have a medical exemption. And you should also shop on your own. Thank you for your support.

Security guards will support our colleagues at the front of store and will challenge customers who are not wearing masks or who are shopping in groups. I know you’ll understand and support what we are trying to do.

We have also significantly reduced the number of customers allowed in our stores at any one time to ensure social distancing is maintained at all times.

Together, these steps will go a long way to keep everyone safe, whether you are shopping or working with us.

Please wear a mask or visor and please shop alone in our stores. Thank you for helping us to keep everyone safe.

Best wishes

Simon

Stress: Tips for parents

Some useful tips from CHILD MIND INSTITUTE for parents trying to cope during the latest lockdown:

Focus on basic needs

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with the basic needs of yourself and your child: getting good sleep, eating healthy foods and doing some physical activity.

When those basic needs are taken care of, you can set additional goals. Begin with what has to get done. Then, consider adding what you’d like to get done.

Take small breaks

To be able to help your child, it’s important that you also take care of yourself. Small breaks throughout the day, even if it’s just to stretch, take some deep breaths or drink water, can help you manage stress and feel more in control.

Ask for help

There’s nothing wrong with asking for help from your community or support network. You can seek support from your child’s teacher, your faith or spiritual community, another parent or a family member. Remember that when you ask for help, you’re modelling that behaviour for your child, too.

Be kind to yourself

When you’re having a challenging day, imagine a good friend, partner or parent by your side, giving you support and help. Talk to yourself the way this person would talk to you. Remember that self-compassion is a skill you can develop through practice.

Stay connected

When trying to balance work and parenting, it can be hard to make time to connect with friends and family. Consider scheduling regular check-ins with your support system. These conversations can help structure your days and give you something to look forward to. Even a 5-minute chat can help you feel connected.

Celebrate small victories

Remind yourself that you’re a good parent doing the best you can. Every success is worth celebrating, no matter how small. Try keeping a list of what you did well each day and focus on these when you’re feeling frustrated.

Accept uncertainty

If you’re experiencing a lot of uncertainty, you may be feeling uncomfortable or exhausted. Try practising acceptance and make decisions based on the information you have now. When planning for the future, avoid focusing on worst-case scenarios. Taking a rational approach can be a big help when you’re feeling powerless against uncertainty.

Practise empathy

This current situation is difficult for everyone, your child included. It’s normal for children to be anxious, which may make them act out. If your child’s emotions or behaviour get out of hand, take a few deep breaths. Have a calm discussion about the issue with your child. You can acknowledge what your child is feeling and be honest about your own feelings, too. When things are going well, be generous with praise and reinforce positive behaviour.

Financial education for school children at home during lockdown

Yorkshire Building Society has launched six online lessons of its financial education programme Money Minds, to support parents, carers, teachers and all Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 primary school pupils as well as Key Stage 3 secondary pupils through the coronavirus pandemic.

Due to new national lockdown measures leading to the closure of schools, the Society has released two Key Stage 1 (aged 5-7) digital Money Minds lessons on the topics of ‘Keeping Money Safe’ and ‘Wants and Needs’ and two Key Stage 2 (aged 8-11) lessons on the topics of ‘Vacation Venture’ and ‘Project Party’ to teach them about the importance of budgeting.

The Society has also launched two new Key Stage 3 (aged 11-14) digital lessons for students on the topics of ‘Bills and Budgets’ and ‘Project Profit’ to teach them about the importance of budgeting and being financially resilient.

The video lessons should take between 25-40 minutes to complete and are presented by colleagues from the Society.

Money Minds is a free programme consisting of a series of activities and projects designed to promote discussion and learning amongst children and young people and is usually delivered in schools by colleagues from the Society as part of its volunteering programme.

Society colleagues working in branches are key workers and are supporting customers with essential financial services through the Covid-19 outbreak and new lockdowns.

Sharon Stirling, manager at Yorkshire Building Society’s Edinburgh branch filmed the ‘Keeping Money Safe’ and ‘Project Party’ lesson which teaches children how to budget whilst planning a party.

She said: “We know that there have been really hard times over the last nine months for children, teachers, parents and guardians. Now with schools closing again I hope that our digital Money Minds lessons will help in any small way in making their lives a little easier by providing some quality ‘go to’ content available to use for home-schooling or in classrooms for vulnerable children and those of key workers.

“I’ve delivered numerous face-to-face Money Minds lessons for the Society to pupils in the past and know from experience how impactful they are. The feedback we have received so far on our online sessions has been really positive so we are really pleased they are being well received.”

Louise Neill, Community Manager at Yorkshire Building Society has developed the financial education lessons. She said: “We’re committed to supporting children and young people in teaching financial education through our Money Minds programme. As we usually have our colleagues volunteering in schools we have had to adapt the way we deliver these.

“It’s incredible that our branch colleagues, classed as key workers supporting customers with essential financial services through the lockdowns, have been able to extend the help they can offer by providing these lessons which will continue to improve financial capability in the next generation in the UK.”

More than 25,000 pupils across the UK have now received a Money Minds lesson since the programme launched in 2015.

When children have completed the lesson their parents or guardians can e-mail the Society and they will be emailed a certificate.

Parents, teachers, guardians and children can view all available online Money Minds lessons at www.ybs.co.uk/media-centre/money-minds-home-school

More information about Money Minds can be found at www.ybs.co.uk/your-society/money-minds.    

Council Leader: ‘Stay away from Holyrood demo’

Demonstrators ‘not welcome’

City Council Leader Adam McVey is urging members of the public to stay at home and not attend a planned demonstration at the Scottish Parliament today.

The council leader said: “We’ve been liaising with Police Scotland and we fully support their advice that people should stay at home. While people are entitled to express their opinions, to do so in this way and at this time puts our residents at unnecessary additional risk.

“This simply isn’t safe. To attend a protest like this now would be incredibly selfish and those doing so would be putting our families and communities at greater risk when numbers of transmissions are already far too high in Edinburgh.

“This attempt to create a crowd is utterly disrespectful to our businesses and residents who are sacrificing so much to try and keep all of us safe.

“Anyone thinking of breaking the rules by travelling to Edinburgh to attend this event should not do so – they are not welcome.”

Government efforts to narrow digital divide will still leave disadvantaged children in the cold

Education expert welcomes new help but says inevitable rush by schools to access what’s on offer will slow delivery

The UK Government’s last-minute decision to close schools to the vast majority of children has again highlighted the so-called digital divide – the large number of homes where there are insufficient digital devices for pupils to work on – or no broadband connection at all. 

About 9% of children in the UK – between 1.1 million and 1.8 million – do not have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet at home, according to Ofcom. More than 880,000 of them live in a household with only a mobile internet connection. 

But pupils in England who have no access to laptops have now been designated ‘vulnerable’, the Department for Education has said, meaning that they can continue to attend school for face-to-face learning during lockdown. 

And Three UK, which has an 11% market share of mobile subscriptions in the UK, said on Tuesday that it would provide unlimited data upgrades to disadvantaged schoolchildren in England until the end of the school year in July, amid pressure on others to do the same. 

There is an existing DfE scheme for disadvantaged children who do not have access to a home broadband connection to temporarily increase their mobile data allowance. Schools, trusts and local authorities need to request the support on a pupil’s behalf.

As for the tablets themselves, the Department for Education says it had delivered more than 560,000 devices to schools and councils in England between the start of the pandemic and the end of last year, though there have been widespread complaints from schools that the numbers promised have not arrived. 

Ministers say they aim to have delivered a further 100,000 laptops and tablets to schools by the end of this week to help it reach its overall target of 1 million devices.

Former primary school teacher Oli Ryan of education resources experts PlanBee, which has produced learning packs to help parents having to home-school their children, says: The government scheme looks pretty good – at least in theory.

‘In addition to laptops and tablets which schools and local authorities can order, they can also get 4G routers, apply for extra data allowances on parents’ mobile phones, and get their entire school set up on either Google or Microsoft’s virtual classroom learning platforms,’ he says.

He continued: ‘There’s training available for staff on distributing, setting up and using all the tech, too. The site says that once a school has registered that they are closed due to outbreak, or supporting a vulnerable child learning from home, they can get the tech delivered within two days of placing an order.’

But he warns that although the government technology offer is now better established than during the first lockdown, there are likely to be significant delays getting the technology into the hands of those who need it most: disadvantaged children.

‘It’s bad enough that learning is being interrupted for all pupils, as teachers scramble to prepare remote learning materials, but even worse is the fact that, once again, it’s the children in poorer families who will suffer for longer while they wait for laptops, tablets and 4G routers to arrive.’

He says that had the decision to close schools been made sooner, and more notice given, schools could have placed orders in time for the start of the new term.

‘Now, many primary schools and local authorities will all be applying for laptops at the same time; there are bound to be issues with delivery as a consequence.’

PlanBee’s Learn at Home Packs each contains eight lessons with teacher-led teaching input videos, parent-friendly friendly lesson plans, slideshow presentations and printable worksheets.

‘We hope these packs will take some of the pressure off parents who are new to home schooling. They’re designed specifically for mums and dads, so there’s no educational jargon. Educating your children at home can seem a pretty daunting prospect, but with these packs, we think we’re helping with the heavy lifting.’

He added: ‘We have kept the need for technology to an absolute minimum, but all education providers have to rely on it to some extent, even if it’s only to download PDF worksheets.

‘The Government needs to get the digital divide sorted – and fast.’

PlanBee have put a lesson videos up online for FREE, so you can get a taste of what’s included in the packs. And there are lots of free teaching resources for parents here.

Revised plan for College and University study resumption

University students will be taught online throughout January and February, with the vast majority not expected back on campuses until the start of March, as part of a revised plan for their return in light of the spread of the new variant of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Only very small numbers of students will be allowed back on campus this month, for example, those:

  • who have remained over the winter break
  • whose attendance is critical and whose education cannot be delivered remotely or postponed, essential placements,  or for reasons of student well-being

Where attendance is time-sensitive to the ability to graduate and cannot be delivered remotely or further postponed, very limited numbers of students may be able to return from mid-February. However all arrangements are subject to a future review of COVID-19 conditions.

Colleges will follow the level guidance for their local authority area which in practice means with limited exemptions the majority of  college students’ studies will be on line in January and  into February

The current state of the pandemic, the impact of suppression measures and the roll out of the vaccine will all be taken into account in considering whether it is possible for a return at any point.

Richard Lochhead, Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science, said detailed sectoral guidance will be published as soon as possible next week, but that his basic message to students remains that they should not return to their term-time accommodation until in-person teaching resumes, as advised by their institution.

Mr Lochhead said: “These changes reflect the current status of the virus, the reality of the new strain, and the rise in cases in recent weeks.

“The return of students to campus, including returning to term-time accommodation, involves the mass movement of thousands of people across the country. The mixing of people on that scale, including the potential movement of tens of thousands of students to university halls and private-rented flats, simply isn’t safe right now. It would fuel the virus, and that is something no one wants.

“Our immediate priority right now is to say to students, other than in specific special circumstances, they must not return to their campus or term-time accommodation before they are specifically told to do so by their institution.

“For the overwhelming majority of university students, this means all learning will be online-only at least for January and February, and students should not expect to return to campus or student accommodation before the end of February.

“We will review plans in light of the state of the pandemic nearer the time, but right now even the very limited number of returns that were previously planned for phase 2 of the restart dates, cannot happen until at least the middle of next month for the majority of students, supported by rapid-result testing on arrival.

“We would like to thank everyone for their patience and fortitude in dealing with the pandemic over past months, and we understand this is more difficult news – but we want to give students and staff as much certainty as we can so they can plan effectively. That’s why we are setting this plan out now.

“As we have all seen, this virus moves fast and changes quickly but even in light of that reality, hopefully by setting out a clear plan that gives certainly for at least the next two months, everyone can now plan with a greater degree of confidence.”

Morrisons makes more Click & Collect slots available to help customers during lockdown

– Click & Collect slots now available from 447 Morrisons stores across the UK –

– Up to 37,000 slots available every day

– Slots available to book now nationwide for collection tomorrow

Morrisons is expanding its Click & Collect service to 447 stores across the UK to help feed the nation during the third national lockdown. 

At the start of March 2020, there were just 14 Morrisons stores offering the Click & Collect service, growing to 280 in the second lockdown in November. Now, Morrisons has extended the service even further to help customers during the latest January lockdown, with 447 stores now fulfilling Click & Collect orders across the country.

Morrisons’ Click & Collect service allows customers to complete a Morrisons.com order online and then collect from a store, without an additional delivery charge and contact-free, at a time that suits them best.

Since the first lockdown, Morrisons has introduced lots of new ways to help customers shop, including:

  • Its Doorstep Delivery service for elderly and vulnerable customers wishing to place a next day delivery order.  Anyone  wishing to use the service should call 0345 611 6111 and select option 5
  • Same-day deliveries with Amazon and Deliveroo for quick and convenient shopping
  • A selection of Food Boxes available online, which will be delivered next day if ordered before 3pm

Morrisons is also offering 10% discounts on shopping to key workers, which include NHS, Teachers and Blue Light Card holders. There is also an NHS shopping hour which takes place at 6am – 7am, Monday to Saturday to make it easier for the nation’s key workers to do their shopping. 

Miles Foster, Morrisons Online Operations Director said: “We are doing everything we can to increase the amount of home delivery slots available but we recognise that the slots get snapped up quickly in lockdown. Click & Collect is an excellent alternative and is proving really popular with customers.

“Since the first lockdown we have expanded our Click & Collect service significantly and it is now available from 447 of our stores across the country.  We have slots available now nationwide so our customers can get the groceries they need in a contact-free and convenient way.”  

For more information visit: www.morrisons.co.uk.

City Council: Delivering essential services throughout lockdown

The Council is working to minimise the impact of new temporary lockdown measures on services.

National restrictions for mainland Scotland, which require the public to stay at home, came into force at midnight on Monday (4 January). Following this we carried out a review of services which may be impacted by the new rules.

Other than the extended closure of schools, early learning and childcare throughout January with online learning in place, service changes outlined for level four, introduced on Boxing Day, will continue.

We will continue to keep service delivery and the use of Council buildings under review, responding to any changes in guidance. Full details of Council services affected by COVID restrictions are available on our website, which will be regularly updated.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “This is an extremely difficult time for everyone, and we want to minimise any additional impact new restrictions will have on the services that residents rely on.

“Our main concern is keeping the public safe and supporting our most vulnerable citizens and we will continue to monitor and review our service delivery throughout lockdown to ensure this.

“I know postponing the return to school will pose a challenge for many but we’re working hard on our digital roll-out to make sure all children have access to learning resources while we’ll keep providing free school meals throughout January.

“We’ll also continue to support local businesses, processing business grants and seeking clarification from Government on any further funding available. Getting out and about for daily exercise will be key to coping over the coming weeks so I’m pleased that our parks and playparks will remain open during this time too.

“We must not lose sight of the goal here – we have already worked so hard to combat the spread of COVID-19. We must keep this collective effort up in the face of a new, virulent strain of the virus if we are to keep one another safe and, eventually, see our communities recover from this crisis.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: The introduction of a lockdown across the country demonstrates just how dangerous the situation is and we must take heed. It’s crucial that we listen to the advice of public health experts if we are to minimise the impact of COVID, and that means sticking to the guidance.

We know we can look forward to better times in 2021, with the ongoing roll-out of vaccines around the world. But right now we must act decisively and stay at home, except for essential purposes, to keep the rate of infection down and to protect the NHS, which we need so much at this time.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals, families and businesses who have observed restrictions over the last year, and for their continued adherence to the rules – together we can get through this. We’ll be updating our website with any service changes under lockdown, so keep an eye on our Coronavirus pages.

Find out more about services affected by COVID on the city council website.