Following advice from the UK Health Security Agency and in the light of the rapid increase in Omicron cases, the UK Chief Medical Officers and NHS England National Medical Director have recommended to ministers that the UK COVID-19 alert level should increase from Level 3 to Level 4.
Transmission of COVID-19 is already high in the community, mainly still driven by Delta, but the emergence of Omicron adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and healthcare services.
Early evidence shows that Omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic disease from Omicron is reduced. Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalisations from Omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly.
When vaccine protection is reduced in the way that is happening with Omicron it is essential to top up that protection with a booster. Both booster vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) increase the immune response substantially and show good effectiveness although with some reduction compared to Delta.
The NHS is currently under pressure mainly driven by non-COVID-19 pressures. With a variant spreading with increased transmissibility and reduced vaccine effectiveness, we are likely to see this pressure rise soon.
It is extremely important that if you are eligible, you get your COVID-19 vaccination now – whether this be your first, second or booster dose.
People should continue take sensible precautions including ventilating rooms, using face coverings, testing regularly and isolating when symptomatic.
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty
Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Professor Sir Michael McBride
Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Professor Gregor Smith
Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton
NHS England National Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis
An inquiry into the cause of increased excess deaths in Scotland since the start of the pandemic has been launched by the COVID-19 Recovery Committee.
Recent data published by the Scottish Government shows deaths in Scotland are 11% above the average for this time of year and have been above the average for the last 26 weeks. The Committee will investigate whether this rise in deaths is being caused by COVID-19 directly, or the indirect health effects of the pandemic.
The Committee is seeking views on the following questions:
• Has the public health emergency shifted from COVID-19 deaths to deaths from non-COVID-19 conditions? • Is there evidence that patients are now presenting with greater acuity? • What accounts for the deaths from non-COVID-19 conditions? • Is there enough of a strategic focus on the indirect health impacts of the pandemic? • What are the realistic options open to the government in addressing the indirect health impact of the virus in winter 2021/22?
Speaking as the inquiry was launched, Siobhian Brown MSP, Convener of the COVID-19 Recovery Committee said: “The latest data released by the Scottish Government shows an alarming rise in the number of excess deaths since the start of the pandemic.
“Recent media reports suggest the pandemic has led to delays and decreases in the number of patients being diagnosed with illnesses, such as cancers, which can negatively impact the efficacy of treatment.
“We are keen to learn more about the indirect health impacts of the pandemic and whether the public health emergency has shifted from COVID-19 deaths to deaths from non-COVID-19 conditions.
“Every death is a tragedy, whether caused by COVID-19 or not, and it is essential that we establish the root causes of these deaths and find out what has led to this spike in the number of lives being lost.”
New research shows Brits have become much more appreciative of the great outdoors since before the pandemic and will continue to enjoy nature even through winter
More than half of us are prioritising wellbeing & mental health much more than pre-COVID times
88% of us believe that connecting with the natural world improves wellbeing & mental health
We value rural holidays because they help us to unwind, rest and destress, spend time outdoors, discover new places and bond with friends or family
Almost three quarters of Brits are looking to holiday in the UK between now and the end of 2022, with over a fifth of us planning not one, but three or more staycations in that time
During the pandemic, we’ve had little choice but to holiday at home, discover local green spaces and landscapes and appreciate nature. As we adjust to our new and ever changing ‘normal’ it seems the need to enjoy the outdoors is here to stay – even through the winter months.
Research by Yonder.com – new travel brand offering responsible, authentic, nature-rich stays and experiences – reveals that more than half of Brits (52%) have become much more appreciative of the great British outdoors over the last 18 months, with 45% of the population planning on making the most of the UK’s natural beauty this winter by getting outside for a walk, hike or cycle.
A hardy one in ten (11%) say they’ll be braving icy waters for some paddle boarding or wild swimming and nearly a fifth (18%) will enjoy outdoor fitness throughout the winter season.
Yonder wellbeing expert and chartered psychologist, Suzy Reading, believes that for many of us, the great outdoors provided some solace and respite from unwelcome news, unfamiliar restrictions, and the loneliness of periods of lockdown or isolation.
Suzy says: “At such a bleak time, nature offered us all the perfect escape from everything going on. It gave us space, a change of scene, and an opportunity to reconnect, not only with our loved ones, but with the natural world around us.
“It also gave us a powerful antidote to the sensory overload we were all feeling after being glued to technology – whether for work, home-schooling or socialisation.”
What Brits love most about the colder months especially, are autumn colours (66%), fresh air (61%), winter landscapes (52%), long walks (43%) and frosty mornings (43%). And our commitment to outdoor living is evidenced by confirmation from nearly 50% of respondents that they’re investing more in outdoor kit (thermals, coats, waterproofs, camping gear, boots, wetsuits) than in previous years.
The survey also shows how more than half of Brits (55%) are now prioritising wellbeing and mental health much more than they were pre-pandemic.
“After the last two years, we’re acutely aware of the importance of protecting and prioritising our mental health”, says Suzy. “The collective experience we’ve all been through has drastically changed the way we look at our wellbeing and shown us how the outdoors plays a huge role in helping us maintain balance in such hectic world.”
So it makes sense that what we most value about rural holidays is the opportunity to unwind, rest and destress (46%), spend time outdoors (45%), discover new places (40%) and bond with friends or family (30%).
It’s clear that being outdoors makes us feel good. A whopping 88% of Brits believe that connecting with the natural world improves wellbeing and mental health. Benefits include feeling more positive, rejuvenated, energised, inspired, and/or less stressed.
Suzy says: “It doesn’t have to be a full-on itinerary or programme. Even a 15-minute stroll through a woodland or along the coast can do wonders to restore our equilibrium, instil a sense of calm and reap the benefits nature can bring to us.”
Other positives of being outdoors are being able to enjoy ‘me time’ to gather thoughts and reflect (29%) and connecting or reconnecting with friends & family (20%).
Results show we’ll continue to nurture our wellbeing in the coming year via wholesome and outdoorsy getaways. Almost three quarters (72%) of Brits are looking to holiday in the UK between now and the end of 2022 – with over a fifth of us planning not only one, but three or more staycations in that time.
As for where we’ll be headed; the coast (46%), rural destinations (32%), small towns and villages (30%) and national parks (28%) top Brits’ staycation location favourites.
With so much beauty on our doorstep and the opportunity that the pandemic has provided to help us discover it, nature in Britain has clearly become a compelling and year-round attraction.
The number of cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland has risen to 29, it has been confirmed.
Commenting on the increase in Omicron cases to 29, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The number of Omicron cases now being reported in Scotland is rising, and cases are no longer all linked to a single event, but to several different sources including a Steps concert at the Hydro on 22 November.
“This confirms our view that there is now community transmission of this variant within Scotland. Given the nature of transmission we would expect to see cases rise – perhaps significantly – in the days ahead.
“However, health protection teams are continuing work through contact tracing, isolation and testing to slow the spread as far as possible while we learn more about the new variant’s impact. Ministers are also keeping the situation under daily review.”
This monoclonal antibody – the second to be authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency – is for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 who are at high risk of developing severe disease.
Another COVID-19 treatment, Xevudy (sotrovimab), has today been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after it was found to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in people with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection who are at an increased risk of developing severe disease.
This follows a rigorous review of its safety, quality and effectiveness by the UK regulator and the government’s independent expert scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines, making it the second monoclonal antibody therapeutic to be approved following Ronapreve.
Developed by GSK and Vir Biotechnology, sotrovimab is a single monoclonal antibody. The drug works by binding to the spike protein on the outside of the COVID-19 virus. This in turn prevents the virus from attaching to and entering human cells, so that it cannot replicate in the body.
In a clinical trial, a single dose of the monoclonal antibody was found to reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death by 79% in high-risk adults with symptomatic COVID-19 infection.
Based on the clinical trial data, sotrovimab is most effective when taken during the early stages of infection and so the MHRA recommends its use as soon as possible and within five days of symptom onset.
Like molnupiravir, it has been authorised for use in people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 infection and at least one risk factor for developing severe illness. Such risk factors include obesity, older age (>60 years), diabetes mellitus, or heart disease.
Unlike molnupiravir, sotrovimab is administered by intravenous infusion over 30 minutes. It is approved for individuals aged 12 and above who weigh more than 40kg.
It is too early to know whether the omicron variant has any impact on sotrovimab’s effectiveness but the MHRA will work with the company to establish this.
Dr June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive said: “I am pleased to say that we now have another safe and effective COVID-19 treatment, Xevudy (sotrovimab), for those at risk of developing severe illness.
“This is yet another therapeutic that has been shown to be effective at protecting those most vulnerable to COVID-19, and signals another significant step forward in our fight against this devastating disease.
“With no compromises on quality, safety and effectiveness, the public can trust that the MHRA have conducted a robust and thorough assessment of all the available data.”
Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed, Chair of the Commission on Human Medicines, said: “The Commission on Human Medicines and its COVID-19 Therapeutics Expert Working Group has independently reviewed the data and agrees with the MHRA’s regulatory approval of Xevudy (sotrovimab).
“When administered in the early stages of infection, sotrovimab was found to be effective at reducing the risk of hospitalisation and death in high-risk individuals with symptomatic COVID-19. Based on the data reviewed by the Commission and its expert group, it is clear sotrovimab is another safe and effective treatment to help us in our fight against COVID-19.”
Sotrovimab is not intended to be used as a substitute for vaccination against COVID-19.
The government and the NHS will confirm how this COVID-19 treatment will be deployed to patients in due course.
New transparent face masks, made in Scotland, have been approved for use in health and social care settings.
The new transparent masks, which feature a clear front panel to enable lip reading, will make communication easier and help reduce the challenges the pandemic has created for those with communication needs.
NHS National Services Scotland began distributing the masks to Health Boards in November, and they will be in use from early December onwards.
The product has been designed and made by Scottish PPE supplier, Alpha Solway, based in Dumfries and Galloway, and is the result of close collaboration with NHS National Services Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary for Health, Humza Yousaf said: “Although face masks are essential to reduce the spread of coronavirus, it can cause difficulties for people who rely on lip reading, or have other communication needs.
“Patients and staff have rightly been calling for an alternative to the usual surgical face masks in clinical settings, so I am pleased NHS Scotland is rolling out these new, innovative transparent masks.
“These masks mean staff and patients can communicate clearly while staying safe.
“It is also great news that the masks are being made right here in Scotland. Businesses across Scotland worked hard to set up a new Scottish PPE supply chain at the start of the pandemic.
“This was an important part of our response to the coronavirus and this new and innovative product illustrates the long term benefits a domestic PPE supply chain can bring.”
Mary Morgan, Chief Executive for National Service Scotland said: “Patient care is of the utmost priority and clear communications is critical to delivering the best possible experience for patients.
“Our procurement team have been working hard to distribute transparent masks to health boards across Scotland in time for December. This is a key step in improving communications with patients and staff as we continue through the pandemic.”
Council Leaders urge citizens to help keep Covid numbers down
Edinburgh’s Capital Coalition leaders today urged city residents to keep up and renew efforts to help limit the spread of the Covid virus. The call from Council Leader Adam McVey and Depute Council Leader Cammy Day comes after MSPs heard an update from the First Minister yesterday.
A recent national decline in Covid cases has slowed in the past few weeks and hospitalisations and admissions to intensive care units are rising across the country.
Cllr McVey said: “We know with this pandemic that we have to be constantly vigilant and respond quickly to changes in infection rates, so that we keep a lid on case rises as much as we can to protect ourselves, our families and our fellow citizens.
As we head towards winter we’re asking all our residents to please keep sticking together on this and renew our collective efforts to slow the virus’s spread in our communities.
“Get both your jags and, if eligible, your third, booster dose when six months have passed since your second; carry on following the public health guidance on hand-washing, face-coverings, ventilation and meeting outdoors wherever possible; and test yourself regularly with the free lateral flow tests that can be ordered online or collected from chemists, libraries and our community testing centres.
Cllr Day said: “Unfortunately we’re definitely not out of the woods with the pandemic yet, although vaccinations have made a massive difference and helped us return to something much closer to ‘normality’ again.
“We all want to safeguard this progress and also we’ve got to reduce the severe pressure our health and care services are under as we approach the difficult winter months. That means we’re going to have to pull together, look out for one another and avoid giving the virus opportunities to spread as much as we can.”
“To signal the return of a ‘business as usual’ model when the country is still in the grip of a pandemic is utterly reckless”
The British Dental Association Scotland has warned that plans to return NHS practices to pre-COVID models of work will devastate dental services across the country.
Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf yesterday wrote to every NHS dental team in Scotland, indicating that all emergency support will be withdrawn by 1 April 2022. Since the first lockdown NHS practices have operated under a COVID support package, reflecting pandemic pressures and tight restrictions that continue to limit capacity across the service.
A return to delivering a low margin/high volume model of care is, BDA Scotland contends, simply unsustainable under current conditions. While some restrictions may ease in the coming months, there are no indications the service is likely to return to anything resembling ‘business as usual’.
With a growing number of staff facing abuse from frustrated patients unable to secure appointments, the BDA has warned the move will only raise patient expectations, while pushing NHS colleagues into the private sector or out of dentistry altogether.
Yousaf has signalled minor changes to the payment system for dentists that will take effect from 1 February 2022, largely covering the treatment of children. While welcome, these reforms will have a negligible impact on capacity within the service and will not ease the pressure on practice finances once the COVID support payments are withdrawn.
The SNP committed to delivering free NHS care for all in Scotland in the recent election. The BDA has stressed this approach runs counter to that vision, and that real focus and energy must be applied to developing a new, sustainable model for delivering care.
David McColl, Chair of the British Dental Association’s Scottish Dental Practice Committee said:“The Scottish Government seems set to pull the rug out from under every dedicated NHS dentist.
“If Ministers had an objective to decimate NHS dentistry, this approach would offer a great starting point. To signal the return of a ‘business as usual’ model when the country is still in the grip of a pandemic is utterly reckless. The net result will be to push colleagues out of the NHS and to leave this profession altogether.
“Ministers put NHS dentistry front and centre in their pitch for government. To deliver on their promises we need real commitment to find a new and better way for delivering for the patients that need us.”
Discover the Scottish capital from anywhere in the world
Alternative tour guide company Invisible Cities has developed a new virtual tour of Edinburgh using innovative 360° technology.
The initiative evolved from a year of Covid-19 restrictions when the in-person city walking tours that the social enterprise specialises in were not always possible.
Developed in partnership with 360 Virtual Studios, which provides virtual technology marketing solutions for the arts, culture and tourism industries, the tour allows viewers to discover the spectacular sights of the Scottish capital from wherever they are located around the globe.
Available in full 3D reality for those who own goggles or through a cardboard version supplied by Invisible Cities, the new tour will be launched at a special virtual event on Zoom on November 3rd when participants will be able to ask questions and hear about Invisible Cities’ future plans.
Tickets are priced £10 per person and those who sign up in the UK can also order a special Tour Box containing goodies such as chocolate, tea and coffee from fellow social enterprises and further information on Edinburgh and how this virtual came to life-to be delivered for them enjoy while they watch the excursion unfold.
Zakia Moulaoui Guery, CEO of Invisible Cities says: “The pandemic has made us look for alternative ways of touring the world and launching our 360 Virtual Tour of Edinburgh is such an exciting step for us.
“We are very grateful to 360 Virtual Studios who supported us every step of the way with this. The use of virtual technology is not something we could have done on our own. It was also made possible thanks to Adapt & Thrive funding.
“We can’t wait for people to discover Edinburgh in a brand-new way and our tour box just adds a little bit more comfort to the whole experience.”
Invisible Cities trains people who have previously experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their own city. They offer a number of themed family-friendly tours across the UK in cities including Edinburgh, Manchester, Glasgow, York and Cardiff.
Adapt and Thrive is a Scottish Government’s funded programme which aimed to support third sector organisations financially affected by the pandemic to change, flex, innovate, or grow so they can be resilient and financially sustainable during and post COVID-19.
360 Virtual Studios’ Managing Director: Michelle Milnes says: “360 Virtual Studios are absolutely thrilled to partner with Invisible Cities in helping to open up our beautiful capital city to be viewed by a global audience, whilst generating vital funding for this wonderful social enterprise.
“As innovators of virtual technology in Scotland, we’ve already seen how virtual tours have provided a vital income stream for many organisations during lockdown. We’re excited to see how our 360 virtual video can give a boost to these sectors in a post-pandemic world.”
Centre for Cities has published the latest update to its High Streets Recovery Tracker, covering September 2021. We have data for the 63 largest cities and towns in the UK.
Here are some embargoed topline trends from this month’s update:
Changes in footfall in September
Overall footfall continued to rise in the centres of the 63 largest cities and towns in the UK in September, the average rise was 8 percentage points.
The biggest increases in footfall were seen in Sheffield, Nottingham and Chatham.
However, ten large city and town centres recorded falls in footfall. The three places recording the largest drops in footfall were seaside resorts: Blackpool, Bournemouth and Southend.
Overall weekday footfall – an indicator of workers back in the office – rose from 60% of pre-pandemic levels at the end of August to 67% by the end of September – a 7 percentage point increase.
Cities with the largest increase in footfall in September
Rank
City
Change in footfall (percentage point)
Overall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
1
Sheffield
33
89
2
Nottingham
32
88
3
Chatham
26
101
4
Huddersfield
20
86
5
Bristol
20
81
Cities with the decrease in footfall in September
Rank
City
Change in footfall (percentage point)
Overall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
1
Blackpool
-37
123
2
Bournemouth
-29
94
3
Southend
-26
97
4
Reading
-23
72
5
Edinburgh
-14
80
Footfall as of the end of September
Overall, footfall had returned to pre-pandemic levels in six of the 63 large cities and town centres studied by the end of September: Blackpool, Swansea, Burnley, Chatham, Sunderland and Dundee.
Overall footfall remains lowest in London, at 49% of pre-pandemic levels it is now the only large city or town in the country where city centre footfall is not yet at half of pre-Covid levels. It’s weekday footfall – an indicator of workers back in the office – also remains the lowest in the UK, at 44% of pre-pandemic levels.
On average, weekday footfall at the end of September was 67% of pre-pandemic levels, with two places – Burnley and Chatham – back to pre-pandemic weekday footfall levels.
Cities with the highest overall footfall as of the end of September
Rank
City
Overall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
1
Blackpool
123
2
Swansea
104
3
Burnley
104
4
Chatham
101
5
Sunderland
100
Cities with the lowest overall footfall as of the end of September
Rank
City
Overall footfall level as of the last week of September (percentage of pre-pandemic average)
