COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters are being prioritised over the flu vaccine to help protect as many people from coronavirus as quickly as possible.
If you are eligible for the flu vaccine, you may not receive it until the new year.
More information 
http://www.gov.scot/…/steps-to-accelerate-booster…
Adults over the age of 18 are being urged, where possible, to book their booster vaccination appointment in advance using the online portal to help avoid queues and keep everyone safe.
You can book your appointment at: http://www.nhsinform.scot/vaccinebooking
When you book an appointment, you can select the venue that you wish to attend. Confirmation of your booking, including the time and location will be sent to the email address linked to your portal registration.
DROP- IN CLINICS FOR BOOSTER VACCINE
Drop-in clinics for booster vaccinations for people over the age of 40 have been rolled out in some vaccination clinics across Lothian. However, it must be stressed that if you choose to use a drop-in clinic, instead of booking an appointment in advance, you may have to wait in queues to be seen.
If you choose to drop-in, please help keep everyone safe by wearing a mask and maintaining social distancing, even if you have to queue outside. If you have already booked an appointment and choose to drop-in beforehand, please cancel your slot to ensure it doesn’t go to waste.
There are lists of vaccination clinics running across Lothian which offer pre-booked appointment slots, but only some in East Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian will offer dedicated drop-in clinics for people aged 40 and over.
Available Drop-in clinics
Edinburgh:
| Allermuir Health Centre, 165 Colinton Mains Drive, Edinburgh EH13 9AF | Saturday and Sunday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
| Craigmillar Medical Centre, 106 Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh EH16 4DT | Saturday and Sunday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
| Tollcross Health Centre, Ponton Street, Edinburgh EH3 9PX | Saturday and Sunday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
| Gracemount Health Centre, 24 Gracemount Drive, Edinburgh EH16 6RN | Saturday and Sunday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
| Leith Community Treatment Centre, 12 Junction Place, Edinburgh EH6 5JQ | 7 days | 9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -6pm (last drop in 3.30pm Saturday and Sunday) |
| Pennywell All Care Centre, 1 Macmillan Crescent, Edinburgh EH4 4WL | 7 days | 9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm |
| Sighthill Health Centre, 380 Calder Road, Edinburgh EH11 4AU | 7 days | 9.30 – 11.30am – 1 -3pm |
| Lowland Hall, Royal Vaccination Centre, Ingleston, Newbridge EH28 8NB | 7 days | 9.30am – 6.30pm |
| Ocean Terminal (first floor) | 7 days | 12 – 6.30pm |
| Conan Doyle Medical Centre, 4 Nether Liberton Loan, Edinburgh EH16 5TY | Saturday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
| Mountcastle Health Centre, 132 Mountcastle Drive South, Edinburgh EH15 3LL | Saturday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
| South Queensferry Medical Practice, 41 The Loan, South Queensferry EH30 9HA | Saturday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
| Pentlands Medical Centre, 44 Pentland View, Currie EH14 5QB | Sunday | 9.30am – 3.30pm |
You can find out more about all the vaccination clinics running across Lothian and stay up to date with the latest news via the websites of the Health and Social Care Partnerships:
· Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership
· West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership
· Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
· East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership
We are still encouraging those who have yet to receive their first dose or who are now due their second dose of the COVID vaccine to come forward.
Please note, as per the latest Scottish Government guidance, we are currently not offering second doses for those aged 12-15.
AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are available at all the below locations. If you are using public transport to get to your appointment, see details below. You might find it useful to plan your journey either on Traveline Scotland’s website or Lothian Buses.
Pyramids Business Park, Easter Inch Steadings, Bathgate EH48 2EH. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
You can get directions for driving here, and Lothian Buses’ travel advice is here.
Lowland Hall, Royal Highland Vaccination Centre, Ingliston. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
You can use Lothian Buses to attend the mass vaccination centre at Lowland Hall; see this document for more information.
Gorebridge Vaccination Centre, Hunterfield Road, Gorebridge, EH23 4TX. Mon-Sun, 08:00-19:00
If you’re travelling to Gorebridge Vaccination Centre by bus, you can plan your journey using Borders Buses or Traveline Scotland (as mentioned above).
Edinburgh, Leith: Ocean Terminal, 74 Ocean Dr, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ. Mon-Sun, 11:00-19:00.
Edinburgh, Leith: Leith Community Treatment Centre, Junction Place, Edinburgh, EH6 5JQ. Mon-Fri, 08:30-12:00 / 13:00-18:00.
Bonnyrigg: Midlothian Community Hospital, 70 Eskbank Road, Dalkeith, EH22 3ND. Mon-Fri, 08:00-19:00.
Haddington: East Lothian Community Hospital, Alderston Road, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 3PF. Open for appointments only, between 8.20am and 4.30pm, seven days a week. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca all available.
Musselburgh: Musselburgh Primary Care Centre, Inveresk Rd, East Lothian, Musselburgh EH21 7BP. Open for appointments only seven days a week between 8.20am and 4.30pm.
NHS Lothian will re-launch a city centre mass vaccination centre as part of the battle to beat the OMICRON variant of COVID-19.
Vaccination teams will move back into the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) to open on Tuesday at 9am (December 21) to help provide lifesaving vaccines to as many people as possible.
The clinic will offer a combination of booked and drop-in appointments to help make it as easy for people to get their booster.
Just a month ago, on November 16, the programme was delivering 5,500 booster vaccines. Now a total of 10,942 doses are being administered in one day.
NHS Lothian is confident that the reintroduction of the EICC and opening of the Corn Exchange in East Lothian will help boost that figure even higher.
Pat Wynne, Nurse Director, Primary and Community Care, NHS Lothian, said: “Vaccination is more important now than it has ever been and we are really pleased to be back in the EICC in the heart of the city once more.
“We would urge anyone who still needs a first, second or booster dose of the vaccine to make an appointment or drop in to the EICC or one of the many other clinics in Lothian as soon as they are eligible.
“The best way to get your vaccine is to book in advance, using the online booking portal. That way you can avoid queues and help keep everyone safe.
“We are expecting our sites, especially our dedicated drop-in clinics, to be busier than ever before. We will run separate queues for booked and drop-in appointments, but people should be prepared to wait if they are attending a drop-in. If you do have to queue, please be sure to wear a face mask over your mouth and nose and keep your distance – even if you’re outside.”
Vaccination teams have been working flat out with EICC team to prepare the clinic for a re-opening as part of the nationwide effort to help protect lives.
Marshall Dallas, CEO of the EICC, said: “We are proud to continue to support NHS Lothian and NHS Scotland with the roll-out of the vaccine and now the vaccine booster.
“Traditionally, our venue would be closed over the Festive period, allowing our team annual leave during this time, so I can’t credit our people enough for giving up their holiday time to be on site at the venue to make this possible.
“Since re-opening to events in August, we have safely and successfully hosted a series of back-to-back conferences, and we look forward to welcoming delegates back to the EICC early in the new year.”
A total of 15 vaccination stations will run in the Cromdale Hall initially while more work is done to extend the facility to provide 25 booths. The rest of the venue, including the Lennox Suite, will continue as normal for conference and events.
Mr Wynne added: “We are grateful to all of the teams from the EICC for working with us once again and helping to pull this together at such short notice. Centre staff would normally be on annual leave soon and they have cancelled their holidays over the festive period just to help re-launch the clinic – we could not be more thankful.”
The EICC will join a list of other vaccination centres, which are being run by the four Health and Social Care Partnerships within Lothian, and is designed to bolster those efforts.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced the breakdown of a lifeline £100 million financial package to support businesses experiencing cancellations due to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant.
The £100 million support package is broken down into:
Final details of the funding available and how to apply is being determined in discussion with business organisations and will be published next week.
Eligible hospitality businesses will be contacted directly by their local authorities and will not need to apply for support.
Food and Drink wholesalers can apply for funding through a re-run of the Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund in January 2022.
Guidance has also been published to enable businesses to take reasonable measures to limit the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The steps we are asking people to take are already having a severe economic impact, particularly for sectors like hospitality and culture, which have been badly affected by previous waves of Covid and were hoping for a better Christmas period this year. This is why we have found £100 million to help businesses in those sectors.
“The support we’re providing is significant – but we know it won’t fully compensate for the impact of Omicron. Business now needs the type and scale of financial support that was available earlier in the pandemic and that can only come from the UK Government – which has borrowing powers that the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments do not.
“The best way to support business sustainably, is to get the virus back under control. Please get your boosters and stay at home as much as possible just now.”
Downing Street confirmed that The First Minister spoke with Prime Minister Boris Johnson later in the afternoon.
In a statement, the PM’s office said:
‘The Prime Minister has spoken to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon to discuss the ongoing response to the Omicron variant.
The Prime Minister and the First Minister agreed on the importance of close collaboration for the benefit of citizens across the UK.
They discussed the shared challenges including the economic disruption caused by Covid and will continue to work together.
The Prime Minister confirmed UK Government will be convening a COBR meeting over the weekend with counterparts from the devolved administrations to continue discussions.
City council leaders have urged residents to be extra vigilant and follow the guidance in place to help minimise the impact of the Omicron Covid variant.
Speaking at yesterday’s full Council meeting, Council Leader Adam McVey appealed to the public to test regularly, minimise social contacts and stay at home as much as possible in the lead-up to Christmas.
He also stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, and highlighted the efforts being made to facilitate vaccinations, including at the soon to be opened Edinburgh International Conference Centre mass vaccination centre.
Cllr McVey said: With cases of the Omicron variant now doubling every two or three days this is an area of huge concern, both for public health officials and ourselves as policy makers.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of following the rules around hand-washing, mask-wearing and ventilation and testing – visit our website for details of community testing sites or to order a home testing kit.
“Perhaps most importantly, getting vaccinated is probably our biggest weapon against serious illness and hospitalisation and I would urge everyone to make their appointment for first, second and booster vaccinations as quickly as possible.
“We’re working really hard with partners to maximise capacity for administering vaccinations, and this has included keeping the Royal Highland Centre open for appointments and reopening the Edinburgh International Conference Centre for vaccinations as soon as next week. Please visit the NHS website for more information and to book your appointment.
“As we approach Christmas, I also want to echo the First Minister’s advice to stay at home as much as possible – more than we normally would at this time of year – and minimise contacts.
“I know this is hard to do but we have it in our power to minimise the impact of this virus by reducing the chance for it to spread.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day added: “We face a rapidly evolving situation and we’re constantly monitoring the guidance with regard to our own buildings and services and also to provide guidance and support to businesses across the city to continue to operate safely.
“As well as having to adapt to the latest guidance, this is an extremely uncertain time and a particular concern for our local businesses and I’d like to take the opportunity to encourage everyone to shop local wherever possible.
“As soon as details of national support for business schemes are confirmed our teams are ready to help administer this too, as we have done throughout the pandemic.
“We’ll do all we can to keep any disruption to an absolute minimum but there’s every chance that we’ll have to make changes over the coming weeks. We’re planning ahead and liaising with partners to make sure we’re prepared. Keep an eye on our website and social media channels for further information and service updates.”
Lord Provost Frank Ross said earier this week: “As we look forward to Christmas and the New Year, we all have a duty to do so responsibly with the safety of others foremost in our minds.”
NOTE: The Scottish Government published the updated business guidance yesterday afternoon
Community test centres and mobile test centres are open for people with no Covid symptoms. Full details of these, and how to order home lateral flow testing kits, are available online.
Book a vaccination on the NHS website.
New guidance to help limit the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in Scotland has been published. This latest guidance took effect from 00.01 this morning (Friday 17 December).
Businesses will now be legally required to take reasonable measures to minimise transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).
The guidance will support businesses to put in place a range of public health measures that will help keep people safe, including enabling home working for those who are able to work from home – something that is key to breaking chains of transmission.
Masks should be worn in all businesses, and retail and hospitality businesses should consider ‘reasonable measures’ to reduce crowding and manage queues.
Workplace testing is being extended and businesses with more than 10 employees are encouraged to sign up to receive free lateral flow test kits to ensure staff are able to test regularly.
To help mitigate further economic harm as a result of this vital public health guidance, a £100 million financial package for eligible businesses is also being established to support them through this period. £100 million for self-isolation support grants is also being made available to those who need it.
The Economy Secretary is engaging with affected business groups and details of the funding is to be set out shortly.
Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said yesterday: “The Omicron variant is spreading at a rapid pace and we have had to work extremely quickly to get revised guidance in place for businesses, to take effect from 00.01 Friday 17 December.
“It is crucial that everyone follows this guidance to support businesses to keep their premises safe and prevent transmission of Omicron, especially as we ramp up booster vaccinations. Please get your booster, test regularly, follow the guidance, wear a mask and distance from people when you’re out and about. All of these layers of protection will help to limit the spread of Omicron, especially as we approach the festive period.
“I am also making a plea to be considerate to staff who are doing their best during this challenging period.
“In addition to guidance, we know that businesses need financial support now. We are working to get funding out to businesses as soon as we can but the Treasury must also step up and provide urgent funding beyond what we are able to provide.
“I wrote to the Chancellor last night and the First Minister has requested talks with the Prime Minister – this situation is serious and we need the UK Government to engage with us on further support.”
The number of military staff assisting with the autumn/winter vaccination programme has been increased to support the acceleration of the booster roll-out in Scotland.
With the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, all those aged 18 and over will be offered a booster jab by the end of the year with everyone aged 18-59 currently invited to book an appointment via the online portal or attend a drop-in clinic.
An additional 100 military vaccinators are joining the existing 100 staff who are working to help with the roll-out. There are also 15 nurses and six support staff currently assisting with the programme and this support will remain in place until 28 February.
The new personnel will undergo final training before delivering vaccinations from next week. Discussions are taking place to ensure they are deployed where they are needed most and this will kept under continual review with staff reassigned when appropriate.
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “We are so grateful to everyone who has been involved in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Scotland, including the military, which has ensured more than 10.5 million doses – first, second, third and boosters – have already been delivered.
“We are now in the midst of an extremely busy period for the national autumn/winter vaccination programme with COVID-19 booster injections being offered to all those aged 18 and over.
“The emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is adding to the winter pressures usually faced by the NHS which is why we have again requested military support to complement our existing resources and ensure we can get vaccinations into arms as quickly as possible.
“Demand for boosters may mean you may have to wait in a queue at drop-in centres but we urge everyone to be patient.
“At this time it is also particularly important that we continue to take all precautions to prevent transmission. So test regularly for the virus, limit socialising in the run up to Christmas, wear face marks where required and open windows to improve ventilation.”
The Scottish Government will publish updated Covid guidance for businesses later today.
In a further development, HM Treasury has rejected an appeal for additional cash to support Scottish businesses.
Scotland’s finance secretary Kate Forbes wrote to the Chancellor last night, but the UK Government said devolved governments are getting the certainty they had requested.
Doubtless this argument will rumble on …
Good afternoon everybody.
As of today, every eligible adult in England can use the national booking service to Get Boosted Now.
If you’re over 18 and had your second jab at least three months ago, then you can get jabbed right now. And it’s absolutely vital that you do.
Because the wave of Omicron continues to roll in across the whole of our United Kingdom, with over 78,000 Covid cases today, the highest ever daily number reported, and the doubling rate of Omicron in some regions is now down to less than two days.
And I’m afraid we are also seeing the inevitable increase in hospitalisations, up by 10 per cent nationally week on week and up by almost a third in London.
But we are also seeing signs of hope, because since we launched our Emergency Omicron appeal on Sunday night a great national fight back has begun and people have responded with an amazing spirit of duty and obligation to others.
And I want to say that each and every one of you who rolls up your sleeve to get jabbed is helping this national effort.
And I want to thank everyone who has come forwards, whether you’ve had to queue around the block at a walk-in centre, or whether you’ve booked online.
And, of course, on behalf of the whole country, I want to thank our NHS, our GPs our pharmacists, who with barely a day’s notice – 48 hours’ notice, have so accelerated the programme that we began this week with the biggest Vaccination Monday ever in England and yesterday the biggest booster day yet, with more than 650,000 boosters delivered across the whole UK.
And across the country, after all they have been through, those teams are going to keep going through Christmas and beyond.
Jab heroes like Kim Kirk, leading the King’s Mill hospital vaccination hub in Mansfield, who was asked a year ago to do it for four weeks and has been doing it ever since, with 180,000 jabs and counting.
Dr Laura Mount and the team at Central and West Warrington PCN, who have been organising pop-up vaccination clinics for the homeless.
Or the team at Home Park in Plymouth who have been regularly jabbing until 2am, because they just carry on for as long as there are people there wanting a booster.
And I want to thank those from every walk of life who are stepping forward to support them.
The military personnel deployed across every region of the country, including an additional 100 in Scotland from yesterday – as well as 2,500 firefighters.
And since Sunday night, we’ve seen more than 20,000 new volunteers signing up to help with the booster effort as stewards, taking the total number to almost 33,000.
With every day we’re expanding the ranks of these healthcare auxiliaries, an emerging Territorial Army of the NHS – in a race against time to get those jabs in arms and save lives.
And if you’re watching this and you want to get involved, just visit the website nhsvolunteerresponders.org.uk and do something this Christmas that you can tell your grandchildren about many Christmases from now.
In total, we’ve now boosted more than 45 per cent of all adults in England, including more than 88 per cent of those aged 70 and over,
And while hospital admissions are going up, nationwide we are starting to see admissions coming down among some of the more vulnerable older age groups where we have already got those boosters in arms.
From tomorrow, we’re speeding things up even further by removing the 15 minute post-vaccination waiting time.
And while we’re at it, from Monday, 12 to 15 year olds can book in for a second jab.
And we know how crucial it is to keep children in school, so let’s all make sure our children and young people are vaccinated before they go back next term.
As we take forward our national mission, we are of course supporting similar efforts by the Devolved Administrations, which are also rapidly increasing vaccination rates across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A COBR meeting with Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast is taking place this evening.
But already the pace of rollout across the four nations is such that the UK as a whole now has twice as many boosters per head as the EU and more than twice as many as the United States.
So let’s keep going.
Let’s carry on giving Omicron both barrels.
Let’s slow its spread and give the vaccines more time:
And we’re helping to get you the tests that you need. I want to thank the Royal Mail who are doubling home deliveries of testing kits to 900,000 a day from Saturday.
So let’s slow down Omicron’s spread – and at the same let’s reduce the harm Omicron can do to us by building up our vaccine defences.
We’re jabbing in hospitals, we’re jabbing in surgeries, We’re jabbing in pharmacies and in pop-up centres, We’re jabbing in shopping centres and on high streets and in football stadiums – with mass events planned at Stamford Bridge and Wembley this weekend and daily “jabbathons” at Elland Road in Leeds.
We’re throwing everything at it.
Wherever you are, we’ll be there with a jab for you.
So please Get Boosted Now.
Thank you very much.
Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty is calling on the public to get a booster vaccination, in a nationwide advertising campaign launched yesterday (Tuesday 14 December) to further galvanise the booster programme.
This comes as a total of 24 million boosters and third doses have now been administered in the UK.
75% of over 50 year-olds across the UK have had their booster or third dose and over 1 million people have booked a booster vaccination appointment since the National Booking Service opened yesterday to people aged over 30 in England. The booking service will expand to all adults in England tomorrow.
The NHS in England experienced its busiest Monday ever for vaccinations this week since the rollout began in December last year when 418,000 boosters were delivered, with 185,000 of these delivered by community pharmacies.
The latest preliminary data has shown vaccine efficacy against symptomatic infection is substantially reduced against Omicron with just two doses, but a booster pushes protection back up to over 70%, showing how vital the top up jab is to bolster immunity.
In the advert, Professor Whitty says: “There is a new variant of COVID-19 – Omicron – which is highly infectious and spreading fast.
“Every adult in the country needs to get a COVID-19 booster vaccine.
“Boosters give you the best possible protection against the virus and should significantly reduce your risk of serious illness and hospitalisation.
“Get your COVID-19 booster vaccine to strengthen your protection. Please, get boosted now.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “We know a booster jab increases protection against the Omicron variant and in our race against the virus it’s crucial everyone gets their top-up jab.
“Our heroic NHS staff and volunteers are working around the clock to speed up our vaccination programme, helping millions of people to get boosted now – so play your part, roll up your sleeves and get protected.”
Data suggests Omicron is extremely transmissible and is rapidly becoming the dominant variant as cases double every 2 to 3 days. The Chief Medical Officer is encouraging “every adult in the country” to get a booster vaccine and strengthen their protection.
The UK has the fastest booster rollout in Europe, with over 23 million people having received their boost so far, but to stay ahead in this race against the virus the booster programme is opening up to give every adult the chance to get their booster before the New Year.
To boost the booster programme the UK government and the NHS are:
Council Leaders have called on the public to continue following measures to limit the spread of Covid, as new guidance to reduce a rise in Omicron infections is announced.
The appeal by Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Leader Cammy Day follows yesterday’s update from the First Minister, which included advice to limit social interactions and for businesses to reintroduce physical distancing.
People were also urged to book vaccinations, including boosters, where eligible. The public was encouraged to test regularly and follow existing guidance around hand washing, mask wearing and ventilation too.
In the coming days the Scottish Government will issue additional guidance for businesses, which the Council will be closely assessing to provide support and advice.
Council Leader Adam McVey said: “The advice issued by the First Minister today will have made for difficult listening for many, particularly as we approach the festive season, but we know that it’s the right thing to do – particularly as transmission numbers increase across our communities.
“It’s clear that the Omicron variant of Covid is spreading rapidly, and we simply can’t hang around to see what impact this will have on services, the NHS and, of course, our own health.
“Over the coming days we’ll be carefully reviewing the public health guidance shared by the Scottish Government to assess what measures we need to take, both in our own buildings, schools and events being held in the city.
“We’ll also be considering the support we provide to businesses – since the beginning of the pandemic we’ve administered over 19,000 payments totalling over £250m to businesses – and we’re gearing up to help the Scottish Government to distribute £100m of national funding to those most affected by these most recent changes.
“We’ve come a long way since March 2020, and, collectively, have made many sacrifices to help limit the spread of this virus to protect ourselves and families and the NHS. I know it’s hard, but it’s essential that we now redouble our efforts to follow the latest guidance, and the advice already in place.
“By doing things like wearing masks, washing hands, ventilating rooms and limiting social interactions – as well as regular testing and getting vaccinated when eligible – we can protect one another and avoid being overwhelmed by this virus.”
Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “The introduction of further protections in the lead-up to Christmas is not what we had hoped for but we know it’s for all the right reasons.
“This virus is spreading exponentially and we still don’t know how badly it can affect us. There’s a lot we can do though, first and foremost getting our booster jags – I would urge everyone who’s eligible to book theirs as soon as possible.
“I know many people will be hoping to enjoy Christmas with their friends and families but it’s crucial that we take extra precautions to do so. By limiting social interactions, practising good hygiene and self-isolating where required, amongst all the other measures in place, we can hopefully enjoy a safe holiday together.”
Lord Provost Cllr Frank Ross wrote in today’s Evening News: ‘In what continues to be an unsettling time for us all I would like to send my deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones this year and wish a speedy recovery to all who are currently battling coronavirus.
‘As we continue to find ourselves faced with uncertainty on what the upcoming months will be like we must remain proud of what we’ve achieved while we remain resilient, continuing to support our family, friends, neighbours and communities as we face the challenges that still lie ahead.
‘As Lord Provost, I continue to be proud to represent our diverse and vibrant city. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege to meet or visit with some of the fantastic people and organisations who have gone above and beyond to support fellow citizens.
‘We were able to host small civic receptions and in September I was able to honour some of the dedicated volunteers who give their time, energy and commitment to the people of Edinburgh at the Inspiring Volunteer awards.
‘I’ve also been able to visit a number of community organisations which have been really inspiring and great examples of the marvellous community spirit and how people have pulled together to support those in need over the past year.
‘The pandemic continues to have far-reaching consequences beyond the spread of the disease and efforts to limit its transmission. As we prepare to begin 2022 be assured that the Council remains focussed on how we continue to respond, support and inform our residents.
‘We’re also doing everything we can to support businesses in light of changing guidance. With so many businesses struggling to recover from the effects of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever that we all try to shop local and support businesses in our area. Campaign activity lead by our Forever Edinburgh channels like our #ShopHereThisYear and Resident Rewards really shines a light on what’s on our doorsteps.
‘On behalf of the city I would like to thank the outstanding commitment and care demonstrated by our NHS and emergency services, the doctors, nurses, hospital staff and care workers who have kept going under the most intense pressures. My thanks also to all front line workers and council employees who have been working so hard in these challenging times to make sure our services are maintained.
‘With the emergence of this latest variant, we must continue our efforts to limit its transmission, particularly through the cold winter months. Please get vaccinated – get both your jags and, if eligible, your third, booster dose.
‘It’s also crucial that we test ourselves regularly, especially if we’re mixing with others, and, of course, carry on following the public health guidance on handwashing, face-coverings, ventilation and meeting outdoors wherever possible.
‘As we look forward to Christmas and the New Year, we all have a duty to do so responsibly with the safety of others foremost in our minds.’
Community test centres and mobile test centres are open for people with no Covid symptoms. Full details of these, and how to order home lateral flow testing kits, are available online.
Find out more about Council services during the pandemic on the Council website.
