Tag: masks

Huge differences between effectiveness of best and worst face masks revealed by Which? tests

Which? is urging manufacturers and retailers to up their game on face coverings after the consumer champion’s lab tests revealed alarming differences in the effectiveness of widely-available reusable masks.

Which? found that the best performing face coverings were able to block more than 99 per cent of potentially harmful bacterial particles from penetrating the mask material – similar to the standard of surgical masks.

But the worst only managed to filter out a paltry 7 per cent – allowing up to 93 per cent to escape.

With face coverings now an essential purchase and considered important for minimising the spread of coronavirus, Which?’s latest research looked at a range of popular brands and styles of face coverings and masks, including those sold by pharmacy chains, supermarkets, high street stores and online retailers.

Scientists tested for how well they filter bacteria, how breathable they are, and how they fare after multiple washes.

Three out of the 15 face coverings Which? tested performed so poorly that they were deemed a ‘Don’t Buy’. At the bottom of the table and earning the lowest scores overall were a face covering from Termini8 sold at Lloyds Pharmacy (£2), one from Asda (£3) and one from Etiquette (£3), which is sold at Superdrug.

All were lightweight and breathable as they were made with only one layer, but this affected their ability to filter potentially harmful particles, earning each mask only one star out of five in this category.

Which? awarded two of the products tested Best Buy status. The NEQI reusable face mask (£15 for 3), which is available from retailers including Boots and Ocado as well as Bags of Ethics Great British Designer face coverings (£15 for 3), available at Asos and John Lewis, were both considered comfortably breathable, earning the full five stars in this category without compromising on filtration (four stars out of five).

The lab tests revealed that masks with multiple layers are much more effective than single layer masks at filtering particles. However, Which? found that there was a clear trade off between breathability and how effective the mask was at filtering potentially harmful particles. In fact, the fabric masks that scored five out of five for filtration were also those that scored the lowest for breathability.

These included the Firebox reusable mask (£15), which is made with double-layered polyester and uses a double filter, Maskie Loop UV Sanitized reusable Face Mask (£6), which is made of three layers, and the Smart Mask (£14), which is also made of three layers and markets itself as the number one rated face mask in the UK, which all got one star for breathability. The AB Mask (£10), which is available at Boots, also received full marks for filtration but got two stars for breathability.

If a face covering isn’t breathable, it can get damp more quickly with condensation from trapped breath and might encourage people to adjust or remove their mask, especially if they wear glasses.

The Asos (£12) and AB Mask were the only two that avoided glasses steaming up and were rated highest for glasses-wearers’ comfort, with both scoring five stars in this category.

The Which? tests also revealed that almost all of the face coverings got better at filtering particles after being washed. Face coverings were re-tested after five hot wash cycles, and most improved, due to the fibres compressing.

While reusable fabric face coverings are not designed to block ultra-fine particles such as Covid-19 like a higher-grade medical respirator mask would, they are intended to help block larger droplets and aerosols breathed out by the wearer, who may be infected but asymptomatic.

The prevailing scientific thinking is that this should help protect the wider community by minimising exhalation of virus particles in enclosed public spaces.

Which? is urging manufacturers to use these findings as a basis for improving their products, while retailers should seek to ensure they are selling products that will effectively filter out potentially harmful particles. In the meantime, the consumer champion is encouraging consumers to research the best available options for themselves and their loved ones before making a purchase.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services, said: “With face coverings now such an important part of daily life, they not only need to be durable and comfortable, but also provide effective filtration from harmful particles in order to keep us and others safe.

“Our results prove that there is a huge difference in quality between reusable masks sold in stores around the country and online. We would urge manufacturers to use our findings to up their game and improve their products – until then it is worth taking time to research the best option for yourself and your loved ones.”

Screen & Shield: tying up with style!

Screen & Shield, local supplier of high quality, multi-choice face masks, is hoping to see their coverings being worn by some of the UK’s best-known celebrities.

They have collaborated with beauty director and celebrity stylist influencers This is Mothership – who have a large, engaged and loyal following, including a host of TV and reality stars – to produce the Dot Blizzard #sasMASK.   

When Screen & Shield arranged an informal tie-up with This is Mothership last month, they sold out of their Dot Blizzard #sasMASK in less than two hours. 

10% of all sales will go to This is Mothership’s adopted charity Camp Simcha and a further 10% of sales will go to NHS Charities Together.

Edinburgh-based Screen & Shield was created after self-employed dad Hass Paymani became alarmed at the unavailability, distribution and quality of face coverings.

Hass said: “We believe we offer the best masks in the market in terms of quality and style, so this collaboration with This is Mothership is the perfect partnership.

“We’re looking forward to seeing some of their best-known followers from the TV and celebrity world, as well as their many loyal followers, wearing our mask.

“We’re also delighted to help This is Mothership continue to raise much-needed funds for Camp Simcha.”

This is Mothership – Samantha Silver and Gemma Rose Breger – who described their blog as a fashion and beauty destination for busy mamas, has some 55,000 followers on Instagram.

This is Mothership stated on their Instagram Page: “We’re smiling behind here, we promise, because the other week we did a shout out asking if anyone who couldn’t access a re-usable mask for any reason to get in touch with us. @screenandshield, a brilliant small business, have worked with us to provide re-usable face masks for families in need and they are on route to them now.

“We’ve also collaborated with @screenandshield on the This Is Mothership Dot Blizzard print mask. It’s triple-layered, reliably sourced cotton and monochrome, with a nose guard that doesn’t steam up glasses. It’s £10 and we are donating all of our proceeds from the collaboration to the charity @campsimchauk – supporting seriously ill children and their families.”

Hass Peymani set up his Screen and Shield brand from scratch just two months ago – but since then, he’s had tens of thousands of masks produced to keep up with demand.

Unlike many of the masks on the market, the #sasMASK is manufactured in Europe and complies with the latest material and layering guidelines for non-medical-grade face coverings.  

The #sasMASK has not only been designed to be washable, comfortable and affordable but also comes in more than 50 designs.        

As well as sales to individuals, Screen & Shield have increasingly set up relationships with many businesses, community groups and organisations to supply masks to their networks.

Screen & Shield is using its website https://screenandshield.co.uk/ and social media to drive awareness and sales, particularly facebook.com/screenandshield/.  

For more information on Screen & Shield – go to: https://screenandshield.co.uk/

For more information on This is Mothership – go to :

https://www.thisismothership.com/

Safety in Schools

Important information for Edinburgh’s parents,carers and pupils

The EIS has responded to the Deputy First Minister’s announcement that Secondary school pupils aged 12 and over will be required to wear face coverings in school communal areas from the 31st of August.

EIS General Secretary Larry Flanagan said: “The EIS welcomes this decision by the Scottish Government today, which reflects the updated advice from the World Health Organisation recommending face coverings for those aged 12 and over, where 1m distancing cannot be maintained. Schools are busy places with a large number of adults and young adults moving around.

“The use of face coverings in these circumstances is a sensible and appropriate step to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading through school communities.

Mr Flanagan added: “While we welcome the announcement, the EIS believes that effective physical distancing between pupils is the best means of reducing the risk of COVID-19 spread in schools.

“This is an area where the guidance from the Scottish Government currently lacks specificity; there needs to be a much sharper focus on ensuring social distancing in schools to protect pupils, staff and the wider community. Smaller class sizes to ensure appropriate physical distancing of pupils are essential.”

He concluded, “Across all sectors, smaller classes would be a huge boost, also, to the educational recovery of those pupils most disadvantaged by the impact of lockdown. The Scottish Government, indeed, all political parties within the Scottish Parliament, should prioritise the expenditure required for the extra teachers needed to help our pupils.”

Face covering u-turn shows Ministers must listen to workers

In England, the GMB union has welcomed Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s U-turn on face coverings in schools.

GMB, the union for school staff, says the Government’s u-turn on face coverings shows Ministers must learn to listen to workers.

Karen Leonard, GMB National Officer, said: “GMB wrote to the Education Secretary back in mid-July challenging the Government’s position on face coverings in school during the pandemic.

“Schools know social distancing will be extremely difficult and large ‘bubbles’ present a covid-19 risk. All we wanted was for staff who felt the need to wear a mask not to be actively discouraged from doing so.

“The Government appears to be ignoring the science in order to avoid a political hit. Now they’ve performed yet another u-turn.

“It’s time Ministers learned to listen to the concerns of the school staff who will be instrumental in keeping our schools safe and, importantly, open.”

Screen and Shield face masks have charities covered

Homegrown face mask supplier Screen & Shield has raised more than £7,000 for frontline health and care workers and local communities in its first two months of operations.

The Edinburgh-based firm has followed through on its pledge to give-back a portion of sales to NHS Charities Together and other worthy causes, thanks to the rapid growth of its operation.

Hass Peymani set up his #sasMASK brand from scratch, just 60 days ago – but since then, he’s had tens of thousands of masks produced to keep up with demand.

Hass, 40, who created the business from home while in lockdown with his family, said: “A fundamental aim of the #sasMASK was to raise funds for both charities that support frontline workers and local communities that were struggling in these difficult times. 

“It seemed to me that – in a health crisis – anyone who was selling masks should be giving back to the community, and especially to those hardest hit.

“10% of all online sales go to NHS-related charities, but any participating groups / charities / influencers also receive 10% of the sales to support their own causes and communities – as well as their members benefiting from a 10% discount. No one else has offered a scheme to support communities like this.      

“£7,000 may seem a relatively small sum given the scale of the problems, but – given our humble beginnings – we’re very proud of this figure and we are looking forward to making substantially more donations as we continue to grow.”

Ellie Orton, CEO of NHS Charities Together, said: “Thank you to Screen and Shield for supporting NHS Charities Together. Every donation will make a difference and will help NHS charities across the UK to support hospitals, community healthcare and social care with the ongoing and long term effects of the virus.”  

Unlike many of the masks on the market, the #sasMASK is manufactured in Europe and complies with the latest material and layering guidelines for non-medical-grade face coverings.  

The #sasMASK has not only been designed to be washable, comfortable and affordable but also comes in more than 50 designs.        

Hass Peymani set up Screen & Shield from scratch after becoming alarmed at the poor quality and unavailability of face masks for his family as he faced lockdown with a pregnant wife and his dad in a high-risk category.

As well as sales to individuals, Screen & Shield have increasingly set up relationships with many businesses, community groups and organisations to supply masks to their networks.

Screen & Shield is using its website https://screenandshield.co.uk/ and social media to drive awareness and sales, particularly facebook.com/screenandshield/.  

For more information on Screen & Shield – go to: https://screenandshield.co.uk/

Hospitality rules tightened

Face coverings to be mandatory across more indoor public premises 

Settings where face coverings must be legally worn in Scotland is expanding to include certain indoor public places such as cinemas, galleries, museums and banks, from today (Saturday 8 August).

Further rules for the hospitality sector, including the introduction of new statutory guidance, have been announced to increase compliance and keep the sector safely open.

While the new guidance won’t come into effect until Friday 14 August, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has emphasised that the hospitality industry should already be doing the right thing, and if not then they should start now.

Hospitality premises should be collecting customer contact details for Test and Protect. Tables should be pre-booked where possible, with no queueing. There should be no background music and TVs should be muted to reduce the need for people to shout or lean in to each other, and no more than three households at a time should be meeting in a group.

From next Friday (14 August), it will be mandatory to collect contact details of customers in a range of hospitality and public settings.

Face shields may be used but only if they are worn in addition to a face covering. While exemptions to face coverings will apply, the new settings face coverings must now be worn in will include:

  • any premises open to members of the public and used for the retail sale or hire of goods or services. This now includes: shops; takeaway restaurants; estate agents; and beauty parlours. This does not extend to hospitality premises such as sit-in cafes and restaurants
  • aquariums, indoor zoos or visitor farms, and any other indoor tourist, heritage or cultural site
  • banks, building societies and credit unions
  • cinemas
  • community centres
  • crematoriums and funeral directors premises
  • libraries and public reading rooms
  • museums and galleries
  • places of worship
  • post offices
  • storage and distribution facilities, including collection and drop off points

The First Minister said: “To say that the incident in Aberdeen is deeply regrettable is an understatement. But it underlines an extremely important point: any time one of us fails to abide by the rules, we put others at risk and give this virus the chance to come roaring back. 

“That’s something which we simply cannot afford to do. We’ve seen – every day of this outbreak – how easily COVID-19 can spread.

“We need to do everything we can to stop it in its tracks and that is why we are expanding the mandatory use of face coverings in more indoor public spaces, and will be implementing further regulations for the hospitality sector. Many of these measures should already be in place as part of the guidance, but in order to keep the sector open – safely – we are now placing them in law.

“We are the frontline in making sure that Covid doesn’t spread, and so we all need to keep doing the right things.”

The Scottish COVID-19 Workbook has also been published. It brings into one place advice on how local and national public health agencies will provide support to prevent virus spread, together with advice on outbreak management.

Alongside the workbook the Scottish Government will publish ‘Sector Advice Cards’ that details how different sectors can take action to prevent the spread of the virus, avoid outbreaks, reporting and helping to manage outbreaks. The first Sector Advice Card for schools was published yesterday.

Further detail on the mandatory collection of contact information of people in hospitality sectors will be published next week.

Face coverings to become mandatory on public transport in England

  • UK Government asks transport operators in England to make wearing face coverings a requirement of using public transport from 15 June to coincide with the next stage of carefully easing restrictions
  • bus, coach, train, tram, ferry and aircraft passengers must wear a face covering on their journey to help reduce the risk of transmission when social distancing is not always possible – with government also working with operators to ensure staff are provided with face coverings where appropriate
  • guidance remains to work from home if you can and avoid public transport where possible.

Face coverings are to become mandatory on public transport in England, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.

This differs to advice in Scotland, where it is recommended that you consider using face coverings in limited circumstances – on public transport and when shopping, for example – as a precautionary measure.

Wherever possible people should continue to avoid public transport and walk, cycle or drive, but for some people this may not be an option. Transport usage has been slowly increasing, including on the tube which has seen around a 20% rise this week compared to last week.

When necessary to use public transport people may be more likely to be in enclosed spaces for longer periods of time where we know there is a greater risk of the spread of the virus and social distancing is likely to be difficult to follow consistently.

This differs from enclosed spaces like shops, for example, where people can more easily go outside if social distancing is not possible and where shop owners can place limits on the number of customers allowed inside at any one time.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has set out that using face coverings in this setting can provide some small additional protection to fellow passengers and can help people to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus if they are suffering from coronavirus, but not showing symptoms.

Speaking at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing yesterday, Grant Shapps confirmed the government is asking operators to introduce face coverings as a requirement for travel from 15 June 2020.

The UK government will also work closely with the transport industry to help them implement the plans.

The changes will be made under legislation such as the National Rail Conditions of Travel and Public Service Vehicle Regulations for buses. While the government expects the vast majority of people to comply with the changes, operators will be able to refuse travel or issue penalty fines for those who fail to wear a face covering, in a similar way to the rules on having a ticket for travel. British Transport Police will also support the implementation of these changes.

Social distancing and hand washing remain by far the most important disease prevention measures but it is also vital all passengers travelling on buses, coaches, trains, trams, ferries and aircraft should wear a face covering and the government will also work with operators to ensure staff are provided with, and wear face coverings, where appropriate for their role.

People should wash their hands or use hand sanitiser before putting their face covering on and after taking it off and it is important that people don’t touch their face covering when wearing it, where possible, to avoid hand to mask transmission of the virus.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “People should continue to avoid public transport wherever possible. But, as restrictions are carefully eased when it is safe to do so, it’s likely that we will see more people needing to use public transport.

“So, while respecting social distancing and maintaining good hand hygiene remain the most important steps we can all take to stay safe, wearing a face covering can play a role in helping us to protect each other.

“This is about the small changes we can take to help control the virus, which is why I urge everyone using transport to wear a face covering, to help keep us all safer.”

Face coverings are not the same as face masks. It is important that people do not use medical grade PPE masks to ensure these remain available for frontline staff.

Last month, the UK Government set out advice for people on how to make their own face coverings easily at home, using scarves or other textile items.

These face coverings should cover the mouth and nose while allowing the wearer to breathe comfortably and can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head to give a snug fit.

Paul Plummer, Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “Wearing face coverings on trains will help to ensure that those who need to travel by rail can do so with confidence.

“Greater use of face coverings will boost the othehttps://www.facebook.com/DHSCgovuk/videos/804076303453181/?t=4r measures we are putting in place to keep people safe, like more thorough cleaning, improved information on potential crowding and one-way systems at busier stations.”

https://www.facebook.com/DHSCgovuk/videos/804076303453181/?t=4

To ease pressure on public transport, the UK Government has announced measures to encourage people to choose other forms of transport, including £2 billion for cycling, and the acceleration of e-scooter trials across the country.

To capitalise on the increase in cycling uptake in recent months, the government is also encouraging more people to commute by bike with initiatives such as the Cycle to Work scheme to help with the cost of bikes, including e-bikes.

In Scotland, it is recommended that you consider using face coverings in limited circumstances – such as public transport and when shopping – as a precautionary measure.

70 million face masks for NHS and care workers through new industry deal

  • Government agrees deal with technology company Honeywell to manufacture 70 million face masks for frontline workers
  • New deal part of plan to unleash potential of UK industry to scale up domestic personal protective equipment (PPE) manufacturing
  • The production line has capacity to produce up to 4.5 million masks each month and will create 450 new jobs at the production site

More than 70 million face masks will be manufactured in Scotland and delivered to frontline health and care workers following an agreement with a global technology company, the UK government has announced.

FFP2 and FFP3 masks will be produced over an 18-month period at Honeywell’s site in Newhouse, Scotland, with production set to begin as early as July. Each month will see up to 4.5 million masks roll off the production line, ready for distribution to frontline NHS and social care workers.

It marks a significant moment in the government’s ‘make’ programme, headed up by Lord Deighton, which seeks to unleash the potential of UK industry to scale up domestic PPE manufacturing.

The move supports the government’s continued efforts to ensure PPE reaches those fighting the virus on the frontline, with over 1.25 billion items of PPE delivered to health and social care workers since the outbreak began.

Additionally, the new production line will create approximately 450 new jobs at the Scotland site.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “These 70 million masks are the result of our challenge to UK industry to scale up domestic PPE manufacturing.

“This deal is brilliant news for the whole United Kingdom which will not only deliver the masks we need but create around 450 jobs in Newhouse, Scotland.

“I’m delighted to team up with Honeywell to open up another avenue to get millions of masks to the frontline and strengthen our ongoing response to the outbreak.

Lord Paul Deighton, adviser to the Secretary of State on PPE, said: ““As countries around the world face unprecedented demand for PPE, British industry is stepping forward to make sure vital pieces of equipment reach our workers on the frontline.

“My role is to increase our homegrown PPE supplies, both now and in the future, by investing in the potential of UK manufacturing. This fantastic deal announced with Honeywell today marks a significant step along the way.”

The government has ordered 70 million of the locally produced FFP2 and FFP3 Honeywell SuperOne disposable respirator masks. These are certified to the highest international PPE standards, compliant with EU regulations, and must meet UK quality and safety standards before being delivered to healthcare settings via the NHS Supply Chain from July.

Will Lange, President of Honeywell’s PPE business, said: “As a global leader of high-quality personal protective equipment, Honeywell is committed to getting safety gear to those who need it most, including workers on the frontline in the fight against COVID-19.

“Our Newhouse facility has both the physical capacity and technical capabilities to launch a large-scale respirator production line in such a short timeframe, and we are proud of our teams who are bringing new manufacturing capabilities to the United Kingdom as quickly as possible to support the country’s response to the pandemic.”

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “As well as creating 450 new jobs and boosting the local economy it is great a company with manufacturing facilities in Scotland can help ensure our heroic frontline workers have the PPE they need to carry out their lifesaving work.

“Our UK-wide strategy is continuing to manage and supply protective equipment to the people that need it in all 4 nations.”

The agreement announced today is the latest in a number of steps the government is taking to ramp up PPE production and distribution. New collaborations between the government and organisations including Amazon, the Royal Mint and Jaguar Land Rover, will see increased production and delivery across all PPE products.

A PPE distribution network with the NHS, industry and armed forces, and a 24-hour NHS-run helpline that’s received around 35,000 calls since it was set up, have also been established as part of the government’s national PPE plan.

Scots encouraged to use face protection in enclosed public places

Coronavirus update: First Minister’s speech Tuesday 28 April 2020:

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

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

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 10,721 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 200 from yesterday.

A total of 1,754 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – that is an decrease of eight from yesterday.

A total of 126 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is also a decrease of 8 since yesterday.

These figures continue to give us cause for cautious optimism.

I am also able to confirm today the positive news that since 5 March, a total of 2,448 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

On a much sadder note, I have to report that in the last 24 hours, 70 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,332.

Tomorrow of course will see the publication of National Records of Scotland weekly statistics that cover not just those who have die having had a positive test,  but those where Covid-19 is a presumed factor in the deaths.

These numbers, as I stress every day, are not just statistics. Behind each of these numbers is a unique and irreplaceable individual whose loss is a source of grief to many. So once again, I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to thank – as I always do and consider it important that we always do – our health and care workers. Everyone across Scotland is grateful to you for the extraordinary work that you are doing.

Many of us will have joined the minute’s silence at 11 o’clock today to honour the frontline workers – including, of course, health and care workers – who have sadly lost their lives while working to tackle this pandemic.

It was a reminder of the selflessness of our health and care workers – choosing to treat and care for others during a time of crisis – and it was also a reminder of the government’s duty to do everything we can to keep those workers safe.

I have two issues I want to update you on today.

The first relates to testing. We have been making steady progress on increasing our testing capacity over the last month – from an initial starting capacity that could cope with 350 tests a day to a capacity of at least 3,500 by the end of this month.

We will give a further update on testing capacity at the end of the week.

As a result of the work we have been doing so far to build capacity, we have already been able to expand testing in some priority areas.

Tests are currently made available and processed within NHS labs for:

  • people in hospital with symptoms of Covid-19 and all those in intensive care
  • people who have been referred for testing by their local Covid hubs
  • people in care homes who have symptoms
  • people who are being admitted to care homes
  • and key workers in our health and care services and where appropriate their family members. More than 20,000 people in that category have now been tested.

In addition, of course, key workers in other sectors – for example the prison service – are now able to book tests online for the drive through centres established at different locations around the country.

We are today expanding testing further.  All NHS Boards are now being asked to put in place procedures to test all those over 70 who are admitted to hospital for any reason – not just those with Covid symptoms.

As we know, the virus can have an especially severe impact on older people. And so although we don’t usually test people without symptoms – because the test isn’t totally reliable in those cases – we do think that there could be a benefit in testing older people both on their admission to hospital and then at intervals thereafter.

So patients in this category will be tested on admission, and then every four days throughout their stay in hospital.

This will help us identify if the virus is being transmitted in hospital, and if so, how and where. It will also help us provide better care for older people in hospital and therefore contribute to our wider efforts to slow the spread of the virus.

The second issue I want to address relates to face coverings, an issue which has attracted lots of attention recently. Guidance on this has just been published on the Scottish Government’s website.

I want to stress at the outset that I am talking here about face coverings made of cloth or other textiles, such as a scarf. I am not talking about medical grade face masks that health and social care workers wear.

The guidance makes clear that the most important step we can all take to prevent transmission of the virus is to comply with the current stay at home, social distancing and hygiene rules.

Face coverings are not – I repeat not – a substitute for any of that.

The guidance also makes clear that the evidence on use of face coverings is still limited.

However, it recognises that there may be some benefit in wearing a face covering if you leave the house and enter an enclosed space where you will come into contact with multiple people and safe social distancing is difficult – for example on public transport or in shops.

Of course just now, most shops are closed so this would apply in particular to food shops.

To be clear the benefit comes mainly in cases where someone has the virus but isn’t aware of that because they are not experiencing  symptoms and therefore not isolating completely – so wearing a face covering in these circumstances may reduce the chance of that person transmitting the virus to others.

The Scottish Government is now recommending the use of face coverings in these limited circumstances as a precautionary measure.

Given that the evidence is relatively weak, we are not at this stage making this mandatory or suggesting that it will be enforced, though we will keep that under review as we go into future phases of managing and tackling the pandemic.

And of course it is worth bearing in mind that there are some people – people with asthma, for example – may have very good reasons for choosing not to cover their mouth and nose when they are out and about.

And we are not recommending the use of face coverings for children under the age of two.

However, to repeat we are recommending that you do wear a cloth face if you are in an enclosed space with others where social distancing is difficult, for example on public transport or in a shop.

Let me emphasise the key point here which is that you should not really be in situations very often like that right now if you are complying with the stay at home rules.

The guidance states that there is no evidence at this stage to suggest that there are benefits to wearing a face covering outside, except in unavoidably crowded situations. Again, we are keeping that aspect under review.

The guidance also includes some information on how to safely apply and wash coverings.

When you are applying or removing the face covering, you should wash your hands first, and avoid touching your face. And after each time you wear the covering, you must wash it at 60 degrees centigrade, or dispose of it safely.

The detailed guidance, as I’ve said, is available on the Scottish Government’s website, and the guidance on the NHS Inform website will also be updated very soon.

The most important point I want to stress is this one. The wearing of facial coverings is an extra precaution that you can and, we are suggesting, you should take. It may do some good in some limited circumstances. It is not – and must not be seen as – a substitute for the other rules and guidelines that we have been stressing. 

In particular, anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 – and all members of their household, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms – must self-isolate. Guidance on that is available on the NHS Inform website.

And physical distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene – covering up coughs with disposable handkerchiefs, or even with your sleeve – remain the most important and effective measures we can all adopt to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

So please, above all else, continue to follow the rules that we have set out.

Stay at home, except for essential purposes such as buying food or medicine, or exercising.

If you do leave the house, you should stay 2 metres apart from other people, and you should not meet up with people from other households.

And you should wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

I know that sticking to these rules is really, really difficult but it is essential. It is how all of us can help to slow the spread of the virus, to protect the NHS, and continue to save lives. So thank you for sticking with it.

Surgical masks for police officers

Police officers and staff across Scotland will be given surgical face masks to wear as they respond to incidents or deal with the public where it is not possible to adhere to social distancing measures.

We have secured initial stocks of type 2 fluid resistant surgical masks and are distributing them to our workforce in response to advice from Health Protection Scotland, Public Health England and the UK Government.

Officers and staff will be able to choose to use the type 2 masks in certain low risk situations where they are unable to maintain a two-metre distance from their colleagues or members of the public.

Officers and staff who are in contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have coronavirus will still follow existing guidance which recommends the FFP3 mask.

A total of 4,000 officers and staff in divisions across Scotland have already been trained in the use of, and supplied with, FFP3 mask, which offers an enhanced level of protection through a face-fitted respirator.

More info ➡️ http://ow.ly/71MH50zfZq6

 

University produces face masks for frontline health workers

Edinburgh Napier is rushing out scores of specially-designed visors to protect health workers on the Covid-19 frontline.

Workshop technician Colin Malcolm began churning out the face shields using a laser cutter at the Merchiston campus just hours after hearing about nurses trying to make their own from cotton before going on shift.

The masks – strips of polypropylene sheet plastic fastened to a clear acetate visor– are now being delivered to nurses and care workers who run the risk of infection every time they turn up for work.

The quick turnaround production line was set up on Monday after Ruth Cochrane, Enterprise Lead for the School of Arts and Creative Industries, heard from a relative who works as a community nurse in Ayrshire that she had been trying to make her own surgical mask from fabric.

Ruth also saw a social media post about design technology staff at Edinburgh Academy manufacturing face shields to donate to the NHS, and began discussions with Colin about how the University could modify the school’s design to produce a protective mask on our own workshop equipment.

Two large sheets of plastic, a laser cutter and a rivet gun were enough to inspire Colin’s own version of the design

After getting the go-ahead from University managers to be on the premises during the lockdown period, Colin made 20 of the protective masks during an initial session on Monday and hopes to have produced more than 100 by the weekend.

Ruth said: “The design is rudimentary and the masks are reasonably disposable but they will work as a stop-gap measure until official supply lines get going and I don’t think there will be a shortage of people to deliver them to.

“I have given a batch to a community nursing team, and the efforts of Edinburgh Academy have led to requests from nurses, care homes and hospices.

“We are in a situation where nurses are trying to make surgical masks in their own home, so we can certainly use our skills to create a better solution. Even if it only made one nurse safer at work for one day then it would have been worth having a go.”

Colin said: “At a time of national crisis many people are going the extra mile to make life a little bit more comfortable for others, so we are pleased to be able to use our skills and resources to bring a measure of protection to those who are working so hard in healthcare settings.”