Housebuilder CALA Homes has created a free activity pack to help parents keep children entertained at home. Downloadable from the CALA website, it includes a whole host of fun activities and creative projects to help kids uncover some hidden secrets about where they live.
Tasks include researching the history of their home, looking at the different property styles on their road, identifying the materials their home is made up of and discovering the variety of wildlife that share their outdoor space.
There are also some creative project ideas, from designing a bedroom of the future to writing a poem or short story on what home means to them. There’s even a quick quiz to see if children can name the residents of some famous addresses from Buckingham Palace to Bikini Bottom.
Philip Hogg, regional sales and marketing director for CALA Homes East, said: “Many of us are facing the same challenge of keeping our children entertained and stimulated as we all stay at home. The Your Home Activity Pack is full of ideas to keep them occupied and help them discover more about the place they call home.”
“We’ve designed the pack to cover a variety of different activities so there should be something to suit a range of interests and age groups. We’re asking people to share their completed projects with us and we can’t wait to see their creative ideas!”
The First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women and Girls (NACWG) is urging Edinburgh residents to get behind the #GenerationEqual movement by sharing their experiences in its latest discussion surrounding racism and inequality and the need to eradicate racism to achieve equality in Scotland.
Women and girls continue to face inequalities that negatively affect their daily life and the NACWG wants to find out more about these intersectional issues, including employment and career progression. The Advisory Council would like to hear from individuals of any gender and those who don’t identify within Edinburgh to understand any/all challenges of racism and inequality.
The NACWG was established as a catalyst for change, playing a leading role in raising the issue of gender inequality on Scotland’s agenda by providing a challenging voice to the First Minister.
Focusing on different spotlight themes, the Advisory Council encourages people to share ideas and opinions on different gender equality issues. The NACWG’s spotlight is on ‘Racism and Inequality’ until June as part of its efforts to better understand racism in Scotland and help create a society where we are all equal.
To participate in the national conversation and show support, individuals are encouraged to form a ‘Wee Circle’ with family, friends or colleagues to discuss the issues surrounding racism and inequality for women and girls.
Feedback from Circle discussions can be submitted online at onescotland.org/NACWG. Alternatively, people can share their thoughts on social media using the hashtag #GenerationEqual.
Dr Ima Jackson, joining Louise Macdonald OBE as Co-Chair of The NACWG in 2020, said: “Racism and inequality is still a problem within Scotland, particularly for women. Women and girls are too often discouraged within society to reach their full potential because of both their gender and the colour of their skin.
“We invite people acrossEdinburgh to share their views and experiences, whether they themselves or someone they know is affected by these issues. We will use this feedback to help advise the First Minister what is needed to tackle gender inequality and racism through our recommendations. This is an opportunity for the people of Edinburgh to play a part in real and lasting change for everyone in Scotland.”
Scottish Conservatives Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, has called for the Scottish Government to publish an NHS Scotland Recovery Plan to restart services disrupted by Covid-19, particularly cancer services.
In preparation for the Covid crisis NHS Scotland went to great lengths to free up capacity and many services were paused.
Elective surgeries were postponed for three months to free up beds and cancer screening programmes for breast, cervical and bowel cancer as well as some cancer operations were also indefinitely halted.
Now cancer charities have issued a plea to the Scottish government to get cancer services up and running again and the Scottish Conservatives have asked for a plan to deal with the backlog in treatment and operations.
In NHS England cancer treatments restarted over two weeks ago.
In addition, this morning ISD Scotland published figures showing that attendances at A&E services have dropped dramatically since the end of march, due to the measures put in place to respond to COVID-19.
The statistics highlight that during the week of the 3 May only 16,107 people were seen at A&E, compared to 27,845 for the same week in 2019, the previous year, a staggering drop of over 40%.
Miles Briggs, Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary said: “It is vital that the Scottish Government brings forward an NHS Recovery Plan – a plan to restart our health service, particularly cancer services and operations, in Scotland.
“Over the last two months, in so many ways, people have selflessly put their own needs on hold.
“The A&E figures show that people have been staying away from the NHS meaning many people may be suffering in silence.
“But further delays will mean more patients could have poorer outcomes.
“It is now over two weeks since NHS England restarted cancer treatments, we could too.
“Thanks to the incredible work from everyone who works in our NHS, our health service has not been overwhelmed during this crisis.
“The Scottish Government must publish a plan to deal with the current backlog of operations and treatments and give everyone access to the healthcare they need before it’s too late.”
Police are urging motorists to drive safely after a number of people were charged in connection with high level speeding offences over the bank holiday weekend.
Between Friday 8 May and Sunday 10 May, 12 men were detected driving at speeds between 93mph and 111mph on the M876 J2 near Larbert. The men, aged between 19 and 66, will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal.
Other notable incidents across Scotland between Friday 8 May and Monday 11 May include:
• On 8 May a 47-year-old man was detected driving at 57mph in a 30mph limit on the A803 Bonnybridge.
• On 9 May, a 46-year-old man was detected driving at 55mph in the 30mph limit also on the A803 Bonnybridge.
• Also on 9 May, a 27-year-old man was detected driving at 119mph in a 70mph limit on the A90 near Blackdog, Aberdeenshire.
• On 10 May, a 21-year-old man was detected driving at 103mph in a 70mph limit on the M8 near Euro Central.
• On 11 May, a 29-year-old man was detected driving at 101mph in a 60mph limit on the A90 near Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
Chief Superintendent Louise Blakelock, Head of Road Policing said: “The dangers of speeding are well known and have been shown time and again as being a significant factor in fatal and serious injury collisions.
“Speeding increases your risk of being involved in a collision. With the current challenges facing us just now, we need to protect the NHS and save lives, therefore, drivers need to be more cautious and consider other road users.
“The high speeds detected over the weekend show that despite the clear risks involved a minority of drivers are still willing to take their chance. Officers will continue to patrol the road network to deter and detect illegal driving behaviour in an effort to keep the public safe.
“Additionally, the stay at home message from the Scottish Government is still in place, therefore, we would ask people to consider if their journey really is essential. If it is, drive safely.”
Two student nurses have documented their experiences of life on the frontline at Glasgow’s Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
It has been just over one month since Stephanie Clark and Rebecca Mason, third year adult nursing students from the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) joined the fight against COVID-19.
Both nurses currently work alongside teams at the RAH to help care for COVID-19 patients and filmed their experience over the course of two weeks.
Rebecca, who was on placement in the orthopaedics department at the beginning of the out break, said: “The way the staff at the RAH initially responded to the outbreak really inspired me to want to opt in and help in any way I could.
“I was in Spain on placement when I heard about coronavirus,” Stephanie added. “But I knew the first thing I wanted to do upon travelling back was opt in to help.”
Stephanie and Rebecca are two of the 1,200 nursing, midwifery and biomedical science students from UWS supporting teams at hospitals and care settings across Scotland during the pandemic.
Both pre-registration student nurses in their final year of study, Stephanie and Rebecca have been based in elderly medicine and COVID-19 wards at the hospital since opting in.
“I’m helping by taking observations, supporting patients who can’t have any visitors just now, and helping clinical practitioners, whilst also learning as much as I possibly can,” Stephanie explained.
Rebecca added: “It can be tough at times, of course. One of my patients deteriorated really quickly and my role was to ensure I was providing comfort to the patient, who didn’t have any relatives with them.
“It can be hard when you’re wearing full PPE – the patients can only see your eyes, but it is so important to show empathy and compassion.”
“The patients are ill and vulnerable, but providing the best support I can to my team and my patients is my number one priority,” Stephanie said.
“The staff have been so supportive and I really feel like I’m starting to find my feet and my role within the team,” Rebecca said. “While it is challenging at times, I feel privileged to be involved and grateful for this opportunity.”
“It’s really important to me to follow the correct infection control policies that have been put in place for all staff at the hospital. While I am a third year student and I do work in the hospital, I’m also a mum and I need to make sure I’m doing what I can to protect my husband and two kids.”
Stephanie added: “We are hugely grateful to the public too, who are staying at home to keep safe and protect the NHS.”
Paul Hendry, NHSGGC’s Lead Nurse for the Emergency Care Medical Specialty Team at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, said: “The contribution made from the student nurse cohort has been a tremendous boost in supporting in the care of patients.
“Joining the frontline at the best of times can be daunting, and to see the skill, professionalism and enthusiasm brought by the students is a testament to their training.
“They work closely with the staff across services, who help support them in the delivery of everything from day-to-day tasks to planning and delivering care in both the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards.
These are unprecedented times and everyone is working together, adapting to changing circumstances and experiencing new kinds of pressures. Despite this, by working jointly, we’re able to continue delivering effective person centred care throughout and I’m extremely proud of the way the whole team has responded to the pandemic.
“This has been a career defining moment for everyone within healthcare.”
UWS is Scotland’s largest provider of nursing and midwifery education, with all four of its Scottish campuses equipped with state-of-the-art clinical skills simulation facilities, replicating hospital, primary care and domestic environments.
Julie Edgar, Dean of the School of Health and Life Sciences at UWS, said: “It is hard to put into words how proud we are of all of our students who have risen to the challenge and opted in to help our NHS at this vital time.
“It has been fantastic to watch Rebecca and Stephanie’s video diaries of their time based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
“Hands-on experience is a key component of all of our programmes, with a large proportion of our pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes delivered in practice. It is with this in mind that we had absolute confidence our students would be well-prepared to lend an important hand in supporting the NHS and others on the frontline at this time.
“Each and every one of our students should feel incredibly proud of themselves and know that UWS is here to support them every step of the way.”
An initial £50 million to help the social care sector deal with the financial implications of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed.
Edinburgh’s share is £4.05 million.
The funding will help address immediate challenges faced in the social care sector and support ongoing provision of social care.
Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland have all put in place mobilisation plans to ensure the health and social care system is as well placed as possible to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “We know the social care sector is at the frontline of the current pandemic and the Scottish Government has been undertaking a detailed review of additional costs incurred by the sector.
“This funding is part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to support resilience in social care provision and ensure that any increasing need for social care as a result of the pandemic is met.
“I hope this will reassure the social care sector that additional costs related to COVID-19 will be provided and we will continue to work closely with COSLA and NHS Boards to ensure they have the resources needed throughout this pandemic.”
Welcoming the announcement, SNP MSP for Pentlands Gordon MacDonald said: “The social care sector is at the frontline of the current pandemic and will inevitably face additional costs.
“This funding demonstrates the Scottish Government’s commitment to social care and will ensure that any increasing need for social care as a result of the pandemic is met.
“I’m sure I speak on behalf of everyone in Edinburgh when I share my utmost gratitude towards those working in social care, and all of our frontline key workers, who are doing vital work in the most difficult of circumstances.”
NHS Lothian has welcomed 910 new nurses and midwives to support the Health Board to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new recruits are made up of nursing staff and midwives and will be working in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Western General Hospital and St John’s Hospital, Livingstone as well as across the community.
All 910 of the new staff were recruited through a national effort to boost the workforce during the pandemic and beyond, during the national recovery phase.
One of the new Staff Nurses, Alex Simpson, said: “I’m really enjoying doing my bit to help and the team have been so welcoming and supportive of me.”
Jacqueline Reid, Senior Charge Nurse, said: “What a privilege it is to have all these students volunteer to come and work with us and our patients during the current pandemic of Covid-19. An inspiration to us all.”
Craig Stenhouse, Deputy Chief Nurse for Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Associated Services, said: “Having the student nurses join our team has allowed us to continue to provide the high level of care we strive for.
“Each of the students I have met so far have been motivated, enthusiastic and excited to start working in their new teams. It is difficult to believe how quickly these new members of staff have become part of our team.”
This year on International Nurses Day NHS Lothian joined health organisations around the world to celebrate the exceptional work preformed every day by nurses and midwives.
Yesterday was the 200th birthday of Florence Nightingale, who is considered to be the pioneer of modern nursing. Whilst the profession had developed considerably since, it continues to evolve in scope and importance and in the range of roles open to the modern nurse.
Gillian McAuley, Nurse Director for Acute Services in NHS Lothian, said: “One of the biggest challenges for us right now is making sure we really connect with our patients and their families. It’s an important part of in making sure really outstanding ,compassionate care is delivered.
“The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can create barriers between us and our patients. A lot of nurses have said can be hard when patients can’t see our expressions, like seeing us smile and of course it’s not possible for a nurse to give a bereaved family member a simple hug.
“We’ve had to do a lot of work learning how to show our expressions and emotions through our eyes and using other forms of expression. We’ve done things like creating cards called ‘a hug in a card’ to try and keep that connection with our patients and their families.”
Alex McMahon, NHS Lothian Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals said: “We’ve had to cancel a lot of events we’d been planning to mark International Year of the Nurse but, despite that, we know there has never been a better time to celebrate nursing.
“We welcome our new recruits who know there has never been a more exciting time to be a nurse. There are a whole range of specialisms to choose from and nursing remains a profoundly rewarding and fulfilling profession.”
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “The recruitment of 910 nurses and midwives is very welcome during these exceptionally difficult times.
“NHS Lothian will face significant challenges after Covid-19 in improving waiting times and getting patients treated and these new recruits will go a long way to overcoming these challenges.”
Lothian Buses will introduce an update to its critical services network from Sunday (17 May) to help keep key workers across Edinburgh and the Lothians moving during this time.
Since the introduction of the Critical Services Network on Sunday 29 March, teams across Lothian have continued to analyse customer travel patterns and customer feedback to ensure the business is meeting the needs of as many key workers and essential travellers as possible.
Nigel Serafini, Interim Managing Director at Lothian Buses, said: “Over the past six weeks, our services have provided vital links for those who require to travel for work or to obtain essentials such as food and medicine.
“Our teams have continued to monitor customer travel patterns and have listened to both customer and colleague feedback. Today we are announcing additional revisions to our Critical Services Network which will better meet the needs of key workers and those for whom travel remains essential.
“Every team across our business has continued to go above and beyond to provide these vital services and my thanks go to each and every one of them both on the frontline and behind the scenes. I would also like to thank our customers who have shown an enormous amount of support and understanding throughout what continues to be an incredibly challenging operational time.”
Customers can view updated timetables here and from Wednesday customers can plan journeys on Lothian’s website or through the Lothian app which offers journey planning tools and real-time service updates, all integrated with Google Maps. It can be downloaded from tfeapp.com.
Revised timetable with additional journeys from Mayfield in the early morning, Monday to Friday.
Service 4
Route extended to operate between Asda The Jewel to Oxgangs every hour. Buses will turn at Oxgangs Bank (just before the library).
Service 16
Frequency increased to every 15 minutes between Silverknowes and Morningside Monday to Saturday daytime with improved morning running times. Torphin, Colinton and Oxgangs will continue to be served every 30 minutes.
Buses terminating at Morningside will operate a loop via Morningside Drive, Craighouse Road, Craighouse Gardens, and Balcarres Street.
Service 19
Revised timetable with all journeys operating to and from Leith Street
Service 21
Revised timetable with additional journeys. Route extended from Westside Plaza to Clovenstone Roundabout.
Service 30
Frequency improved from every 30mins to every 20mins on Monday to Saturday daytime.
Service 37/47
Revised timetable with most Monday to Friday service 37 buses now serving Deanburn (except a few early morning and late evening journeys which will continue to serve Ladywood).
Introduction of hourly service 47 from Penicuik Ladywood to Granton Harbour, Monday to Friday to provide additional links to Straiton, to the NHS sites at Lauriston Place, the Western General Hospital and a service for residents of Granton Harbour/Waterfront Avenue.
Service 41
On Mondays to Saturdays the last evening return journey to Cramond is withdrawn. The Sunday service is also withdrawn.
Service 44
Minor timetable changes on Monday to Saturday. Sunday frequency improved from every hour to every 45 minutes
Service X18
Minor timetable changes on all days of the week, including a new Journey introduced from Whitburn to Edinburgh on Mondays to Saturdays at 07:52
Service X27
Revised timetable on all days of the week
Service X28
Revised timetable on all days of the week, including a new earlier morning journey from Livingston Bus Terminal to Bathgate and a later Sunday evening journey from Edinburgh to Bathgate. On all days of the week, the last evening journey from Edinburgh which currently terminates at Deans North will extend to Bathgate.
Business Secretary Alok Sharma gave the UK Government’s 12 May daily press briefing on the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Good afternoon. I am joined today by Professor Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England and Sarah Albon who is the Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive.
First, I want to update you on the latest data on the coronavirus response.
2,007,146 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 85,293 tests carried out yesterday.
226,463 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 3,403 cases since yesterday.
11,605 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus, up from 11,465 the previous day
And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 32,692 have now died. That’s an increase of 627 fatalities since yesterday.
This is of course devastating news for families across the UK, and we all need to stay alert and control the virus.
I just want to remind people of the details of the next phase of our fight against coronavirus that we set out this week.
If we turn to the first slide, in order to monitor our progress, we are establishing a new COVID Alert Level System, with five levels, each relating to the level of threat posed by the virus.
The alert level will be based primarily on the R value and the number of coronavirus cases.
And in turn that alert level will determine the level of social distancing measures in place.
The lower the level the fewer the measures; the higher the level the stricter the measures.
The social distancing measures remain critical in our efforts to control the virus.
Throughout the period of lockdown, which started on March 23 we have been at Level 4.
Meaning, a COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation, and transmission is high or rising exponentially.
But thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of the British people in this lockdown, you have helped to bring the R level down and we are now in a position to begin moving to Level 3, in careful steps.
As you see on the next slide, we have set out the first of three steps we will take to carefully modify the measures, gradually ease the lockdown, and begin to allow people to return to their way of life – but crucially, while avoiding what would be a disastrous second peak that overwhelms the NHS (NB – This applies to England only – Ed.).
After each step we will closely monitor the impact of that step on the R and the number of infections, and all the available data, and we will only take the next step when we are satisfied that it is safe to do so.
Step 1. From this week:
Those who cannot work from home should now speak to their employer about going back to work.
You can now spend time outdoors and exercise as often as you like.
You can meet one person outside of your household outside provided you stay 2 metres apart.
Step 2. From June 1, at the earliest, as long as the data allows, we aim to allow:
Primary schools to reopen for some pupils, in smaller class sizes.
Non-essential retail to start to reopen, when and where it is safe to do so,
Cultural and sporting events to take place behind closed doors, without crowds.
And then Step 3. No earlier than July 4, and again, only if the data says it is safe, we aim to allow:
More businesses and premises to open, including potentially those offering personal care such as leisure facilities, public places, and places of worship.
Many of these businesses will need to operate in new ways to ensure they are safe, and we will work with these sectors on how to do this.
As you will see from slide 3, having taken the first step in carefully adjusting some of the measures, and our advice to people on what to do, we have also updated our messaging.
We are now asking people to Stay Alert, Control the Virus and Save Lives. Yes – staying alert, for the vast majority of people, still means staying at home as much as possible.
But there are a range of other actions we’re advising people to take.
People should stay alert, by:
Working from home if you can.
Limiting contact with other people.
Keeping distance if you go out – 2 metres apart where possible.
Washing your hands regularly.
Wearing a face covering when you are in enclosed space where it’s difficult to be socially distant – for example in some shops and on public transport.
And if you or anyone in your household has symptoms, you all need to self-isolate.
As slide 4 shows, if everyone stays alert and follows the rules, we can control coronavirus by keeping the R down and reducing the number of infections.
This is how we can continue to save lives, and livelihoods, as we begin as a nation to recover from coronavirus.
And to underpin this in the workplace, we have published new ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidance on working safely, available to UK employers (NB: currently only applicable in ENGLAND -Ed.), across 8 work settings, which are allowed to be open and where their employees cannot work from home.
This also includes guidance for shops which we believe may be in a position to begin a phased reopening at the earliest from the 1 June.
Firms, unions, industry bodies and the devolved administrations have all fed into this guidance to give businesses and their employees the confidence they need to work safely.
And I believe we have reached a consensus in doing that.
We have also worked with Public Health England and the Health and Safety Executive, to develop best practice on the safest ways of working across the economy.
The guidelines outline practical steps for employers to take, including carrying out a COVID-19 risk assessment, in consultation with employees or trades unions.
A downloadable notice is included in the documents, which employers should display in their workplace to show their employees, customers and other visitors, that they have followed this guidance.
We have also provided practical steps for employers to consider such as putting up barriers or screens in shared spaces, creating “fixed teams” or “partnering” to minimise the number of people in contact with one another, and frequent cleaning of work areas and equipment between uses to reduce transmission.
To support employers and employees through this, the government has made available up to an extra £14 million for the Health and Safety Executive, equivalent to an increase of 10% of their budget.
This is for extra call centre employees, inspectors and equipment, if needed.
We know how important the Job Retention Scheme has been in helping businesses through this difficult time.
And today the Chancellor has announced a four-month extension of the scheme to help provide certainty to businesses.
To date, 7.5 million jobs have been furloughed, protecting livelihoods across the nation.
Until the end of July, there will be no changes to the scheme.
Then from August to October the scheme will continue, for all sectors and regions of the UK, but with greater flexibility to support the transition back to work.
Employers currently using the scheme will be able to bring employees back part time.
And, as the economy reopens, we will ask firms to start sharing, with government, the cost of paying people’s salaries.
To be clear, the same level of support of 80% of people’s current salary, up to £2,500 will continue to be met, but through a shared effort between employers and government.
We will be setting out more details on the changes before the end of the month.
Throughout this pandemic, I have been struck by the way people have looked out for one another.
These measures are produced in that spirit.
So to employers I say: use this support and guidance to know you are doing the right thing and work with your unions and workers to keep each other safe.
And to workers I say: we are looking out for you; we want you to feel confident that you are financially supported and returning to a safe workplace.
Because in this time like no other, we all need to work together safely, as we rebuild our economy.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St. Andrew’s House, Edinburgh on Tuesday 12 May:
Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing. I want to start, as usual, with an update on some of the key statistics in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.
As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can tell you that there have been 13,763 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 136 from yesterday.
A total of 81 people last night were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and that is an increase of 1 since yesterday.
In terms of the numbers in hospital, I want to give a little bit more context to this figure today. As of last night, a total of 1618 patients were in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 – that is an increase of 165 from yesterday.
However, and this point I want to stress, that increase is entirely in suspected cases. The number of confirmed cases is 1,131 and that is a decrease of 14.
So, we are exploring this rise in suspected cases further. But as you know, all people over 70 admitted to hospital are now being tested even if they don’t have COVID symptoms. It may therefore be that until a test result is known, some health boards are automatically counting these patients as suspected even if they don’t have symptoms of the virus.
So I wanted to say that today to just alert you to the fact that this is something we will be investigating further – but at this stage I’d caution against having any undue concern about the hospital figure that I have reported to you today.
I am also able to confirm that since 5 March, a total of 3,167 patients who had tested positive and been hospitalised for the virus have been able to leave hospital. I’m sure of all us wish them well.
Unfortunately I also have to report that in the past 24 hours, 50 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,912.
Tomorrow we will have the latest National Records of Scotland publication which will report deaths, not just those confirmed through a test but also those that are presumed to be related to the virus.
As always, I want to stress that behind each of these statistics is a unique and irreplaceable human being whose loss right now is a source of grief to many. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus and to say I’m sure that everybody across the country is thinking of you.
I also want to thank again our health and care workers. All of us are enormously grateful to you for the work that you are doing.
Today – 12 May – is the International Day of the Nurse. Myself and the Chief Medical Officer are joined today by the Chief Nursing Officer, Fiona McQueen.
And I want to say an extra special thank you to all of Scotland’s nurses – the past few weeks have demonstrated yet again just how much all of us owe to your compassion, your dedication and your expertise. From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you.
I have three issues I want to briefly update on today.
The first relates to the social care sector, which of course is being placed under immense pressure by this virus. The Scottish Government is working hard to support the sector in every way we can – we have, for example, expanded testing in care homes, we are also and have been for some time, ensuring that any care home with an urgent need for personal protective equipment that can’t be sourced through normal routes, can receive it from our national stockpile of PPE.
Today, I can confirm that we are making an additional £50 million available, to help meet extra costs in the care sector that have been incurred as a result of COVID-19.
The funding will be allocated across every local authority area in the country – and it will cover both care home services, and care at home services. It will help to ensure that care services around the country can cope, with the immense pressures they are facing at this time.
The second issue I want to update on is to tell you we are setting aside £31 million to extend eligibility to the Small Business Grants Scheme.
The extension applies to premises which qualified for Charitable or Sports Rates Relief – but which would otherwise, if they hadn’t qualified for those reliefs, have been eligible for the small business bonus.
Charities occupying these properties can now receive small business grants. Those grants, as you may recall, are worth £10,000 for the first property, and £7,500 for any subsequent property owned by the same organisation.
We know that many charities which run small premises – such as day centres, offices or workshops – have been really hard hit by a loss of revenue during the pandemic.
Many of these charities – which include providers of health and care services – are still providing vital support to those who need it. Extending the small business grants scheme is one way in which we can help them at a time when the help that they provide is more important than ever.
The final point I want to make today is that, as I have emphasised over the past couple of days, the lockdown restrictions remain in place for Scotland.
And so it’s maybe worth stressing what this currently means in relation to employers and employees.
I know that the UK Government published guidance for businesses yesterday. I want to stress that this guidance is not yet operational in Scotland at this stage, since we are not currently encouraging more people to go back to work.
I would ask instead that all employers follow the Scottish Government guidance. I am very grateful for the fact that the vast majority of employers have been so responsible throughout this crisis – so I am sure that most will do this, and will not urge workers to come back to work prematurely.
And for employees, I would remind you that if you think your working conditions are unsafe, you have rights under employment legislation. If you have a trade union in your workplace, and you have concerns about your working conditions, you should also be able to talk to them.
The Scottish Government is working with employers and trade unions to develop guidance on safe workplaces which has the confidence of businesses and workers.
We have therefore established working groups across 14 sectors to consider how quickly, and in what manner, we can start to return to work.
Early priorities, as I have stated before, are the retail, manufacturing and construction sectors. However the working groups also cover sectors such as tourism, energy, finance and food and drink.
We believe that this partnership approach is the right and responsible way to proceed. It will allow businesses to reopen when they can safely do so, and we all want that to be as soon as possible, and it will hopefully provide employers, workers and the wider public with the vital reassurance that reopening will not be putting your health at unnecessary risk.
Finally, I want to restate what the lockdown restrictions mean for all of us. Our fundamental advice in Scotland remains unchanged. Please stay at home – except for essential work that can’t be done at home, for buying food or accessing medicines, or exercising.
You can now go for walks, runs or bike rides more than once a day if you want to. But when you are out, please stay more than two meters from other people and don’t meet up with people from other households.
Wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport. And isolate completely if you or someone in your household has symptoms.
As I say every day, I know these restrictions are very hard and they get tougher to comply with every single day that passes. But we are doing it for a reason because by complying with these restrictions now, we will all come out of lockdown sooner and we will do so in a way that minimises the number of lives that are lost to this horrible virus.
So please stick with these restrictions for now. Because that is the way that we will continue to slow the spread of the virus, it’s how we will continue to protect the NHS and as I said a moment ago, it is how we will save lives. So my thanks again to all of you for your cooperation so far.
