Tag: phase 2

Edinburgh Solar’s Phase 2 launches today

The installation of nearly 1MW of solar panels on at least six buildings in Edinburgh is planned by Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative (ECSC) as they return for Phase 2 in their quest to make Edinburgh a cleaner and greener city.

To do this ECSC has launched a share offer on 28 September 2020 to raise £660,000 by the issue of £1 shares.  The minimum investment is £100 and priority will be given to local residents who reside in the EH postcode districts.   

The six sites are:

Kirkliston Leisure Centre

Gracemount Leisure Centre

Craiglockhart Leisure Centre

Waverley Court

Edinburgh Road Services

Sighthill Recycling Centre    

In 2015 ECSC successfully launched their first share offer which resulted in over £1.4 million being raised that funded the installation of nearly 1.4MW of solar power on 24 buildings owned by City of Edinburgh Council. 

Today ECSC continues to generate solar power from these buildings and members receive share interest on their investment as projected with all surplus profits allocated to the Community Benefit Fund which came into operation in 2018.

Speaking of the launch of the share offer, Lesley Hinds, Chair of ECSC, said “ECSC is an ethical, community-based, social enterprise.  We came together with a plan to help reduce carbon emissions, address Fuel Poverty and make renewable energy more commonplace in our city. 

“We especially welcome smaller amounts, as we would like as many people to join ECSC as possible, which is why the minimum investment is as low as we can make it.

“Parents and grandparents can also apply for shares in ECSC for their children and grandchildren or can apply for shares on their behalf and leave them in their will”. 

Shares in ECSC are understood to be exempt from inheritance tax under present rules.

To find out more or to submit an application please visit https://www.edinburghsolar.coop/offer 

Share offer closing date is 30 October 2020.

ECSC is supported and assisted byEnergy4All, the leading social enterprise in the UK for delivering community owned renewable energy schemes.  Energy4All projects have raised over £80 million to build and operate community renewable energy generation all over the UK. 

For more information please visit www.energy4all.co.uk 

CALA to reopen sales offices in Scotland

ONE of Scotland’s prominent homebuilders has begun the process of reopening its Scottish sales offices and showhomes in line with the latest Government guidelines.

CALA Homes’ on-site sales suites across the East, West and North of Scotland will begin opening by appointment only, from Monday 29 June.

The reopening will allow house hunters to progress their new home journey as lockdown eases, with services such as Part Exchange and Guaranteed Buyer available to help give buyers confidence.

Ravelrig Heights, Balerno

Philip Hogg, Saled and Marketing Director with CALA Homes (East), said: “We are looking forward to welcoming customers back to our sales offices and helping them in their search for their dream home.

“The safety of our customers, our team and the wider community is absolutely paramount, and we’ve put in place a number of new health and safety measures to ensure their wellbeing, which all of our teams have been extensively briefed on.

“We’ve increased the frequency of cleaning in our sales suites and showhomes and will leave time between each appointment for this to take place. There’ll also be some changes throughout the experience, such as protective screens and hand sanitiser stations, and new signage to help customers navigate the sales areas safely.

“While our sales teams won’t be able to accompany customers around showhomes, customers will be given plenty of time to explore these properties on their own, and our advisors will be on hand before and after to answer any questions.

“We want to thank customers in advance for their understanding of the new measures and urge them to make an appointment before coming to see us, to help us safely stagger visitors. Our teams are very excited to be opening our doors again and are looking forward to making dream homes a reality once more.”

Househunters who are unable to visit CALA’s showhomes can still continue their journey with CALA through its two new services, Virtual Guided Tours and Remote Reservations. The services, which are available throughout CALA’s Scottish regions, enable customers to view and reserve homes remotely under lockdown.

The Virtual Guided Tour platform incorporates a video call function into a 360 degree interactive virtual tour programme, comprising more than 30 CALA showhomes. It supports two guests at any time as well as the Sales Consultant, meaning buyers can invite along a family member as they would in person. This has the added benefit of inviting a parent or friend who might live further away, which would not currently be an option at in-person viewings.

While on the tour, buyers can also be left on their own to take more time to privately view the property, before being re-joined by their Sales Consultant. They can also view the home in different ways including via an interactive, 3-D dollhouse and birds-eye view of the home. All these additional tools give a further clear picture of the size and scale of the home and each of its rooms, while the tour itself brings the floorplan to life.

CALA has also introduced Remote Reservations to offer customers the opportunity to secure their next home, with a safety net to do so. Reservation fees made through the service are fully refundable, to offer an extra level of reassurance.

For more information on how you can reserve remotely with CALA, please visit: https://www.cala.co.uk/why-cala/cala-incentives/reserve-remotelyTo view CALA’s developments across Scotland, visit https://www.cala.co.uk/homes-for-sale

More health services to restart

Patients will be able to access more health care in the coming weeks and months as NHS Scotland prepares to safely, carefully and in a series of stages, resume some services that had to be paused to ensure COVID-19 capacity and prevent further spread of the virus.

As Scotland moves into Phase 2 of the route map for transitioning through and out of the crisis, health boards will use the NHS Re-mobilise, Recover, Re-design framework to safely and incrementally prioritise services whilst ensuring that staff and patients are safe.

As services resume, the patient experience will look and feel different, and may often take longer because of the demands of ensuring safety, such as the need to reduce numbers in waiting rooms, additional cleaning and the extensive use of PPE.

From Wednesday 1 July, NHS Golden Jubilee plans to resume elective ophthalmology, orthopaedics, cardiac surgery and cardiology based on clinical priority. The Board have continued to provide urgent cancer, heart and lung services, including transplants, throughout the period.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic NHS Scotland has remained open continuing  to provide emergency, urgent, cancer and maternity care, support for social care and maintained COVID-19 capacity and resilience.

“Thanks to the efforts of our health care staff and to all of us for continuing to follow public health advice, we have been able to protect our health service and provide the urgent care required to combat the virus.

“The Scottish Government is working with Health Boards to ensure the safe resumption of paused NHS services.

“We are doing this incrementally to ensure we prioritise patient and staff safety, whilst retaining capacity to treat COVID-19 in our health service, but good progress is being made.

“Patients should not expect to see all NHS services resumed immediately as it will take time ensure physical distancing and other safety measures are in place to protect patients and staff.

“The NHS does not exist in isolation. The ongoing development of these plans needs to be founded on a whole health and care system approach, which involves primary and community care, and engagement with clinical partners, service delivery partners, local authorities and patients.

“As we go forward, our Test and Protect strategy will also be crucial to help break the chains of transmission as lockdown restrictions slowly change. I want to reassure you that we are taking these precautions so that we can safely offer the right care, at the right time, in the right place.”

National Clinical Director Jason Leitch said: “The reality is coronavirus is likely to be with us for some time to come and as we move to restart paused services, we have had to review how we deliver those services to ensure patients both get the treatment they require but also that staff and patients are safe.

“This work takes time and in some cases will mean that how patients access services will look and feel different.

“We would ask the public to keep using NHS Inform as their first source for reliable health information. Community pharmacies remain a widely available resource for minor ailments and General Practice teams are fully available.”

Measures that will come into force in Phase 2 include:

  • Urgent referrals and triage of routine services in key specialties such as Cardiology, Urology, and Trauma and Orthopaedics, will be resumed gradually during phase 2, with patients prioritised by clinical need and in line with guidance to ensure the safety of all patients and staff.
  • Health boards will reintroduce any suspended GP services in a planned and phased way throughout phase 2. The majority of GP practices have introduced a telephone triage system and patients will be navigated to the most appropriate pathway to meet their needs, supporting them to see the right person at the right time.  Patients access to Primary Care Out of Hours Services will continue by contacting NHS 24 on 111.  There will be a greater use of telephone and video consultations and so patients are likely to have a different experience than they had before COVID-19.
  • From Monday 22 June, all dental practices will be able to open and treat patients in need of urgent dental care. The capacity of the urgent dental care centres, established at the start of lockdown, will be increased and will continue to see those patients who require certain treatments involving aerosol generating procedures.
  • From Monday 29 June, health boards will be able to gradually resume some screening services including endoscopies and other diagnostic tests prioritised by clinical need and in line with guidance to ensure the safety of all patients.
  • From Monday 29 June, all community optometry practices will be able to resume seeing patients face-to-face who have emergency and essential eye problems, as well as continuing to manage as many of these patients remotely as possible. The Emergency Eyecare Treatment Centres, which have managed patients with emergency eye problems who needed to be seen face-to-face during lockdown and Phase 1, will close.
  • From Monday 6 July, health boards will reintroduce some chronic disease management, which could include pain services, diabetic services on an incremental basis.

re-mobilise-recover-re-design-framework-nhs-scotland (1)

First Minister: ‘virus in Scotland is firmly in retreat’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Friday 19 June:

Everyone, thank you very much for joining us. I am joined today by the Economy Secretary, Fiona Hyslop and our National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch.

Let me give you the usual update on the COVID-19 statistics.

An additional 27 positive cases were confirmed yesterday – that takes the total now in Scotland  to 18,104.

A total of 904 patients are currently in hospital with the virus either confirmed or suspected.

That is 25 fewer than yesterday and it includes a reduction of 19 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 19 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is 4 fewer than yesterday.

Since 5 March, a total of 3,961 patients who had tested positive and been in hospital have been discharged from hospital

And in the last 24 hours, 6 deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having COVID-19 – the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, is 2,470.

My deepest condolences are with the families behind these statistics and indeed to everyone who is grieving a loved one because of this illness.

And my thanks go to everyone across our health and care services who continue to care for those affected.

Yesterday I confirmed that we would move into Phase 2 of our exit from lockdown which is good and positive news

That was made possible by the significant progress we have all made over the past three months and I want today again to thank everybody across the country for that.

The virus of course hasn’t gone away that is something we need to continue to keep in our minds but there’s no doubt that the virus in Scotland is firmly in retreat.

That’s why the changes to the rules and the guidance that I announced yesterday, though significant, were also careful because we have to keep the virus in retreat. We have today published the supporting evidence, which informed those decisions that we took and we confirmed yesterday.

Now, I don’t intend to repeat everything I said yesterday, but let me quickly recap on some of the main changes.

The Cabinet Secretary will talk in a moment about the measures that directly affect businesses – and the reopening of our economy.

For my part today, I want to focus on the changes relating to social interaction and leisure.

Ahead of the weekend, just to remind you the new rules for staying safe.

And that’s what we are now asking you to prioritise.

You will see on the lectern in front of me that Stay Home has been replaced with Stay Safe, and now we asking you to focus on Staying Safe, Protecting Others, Saving Lives.

That’s what we are asking you to do. And as we start to go out and about more, we need people to pay more attention to the basic steps we can all take to stay safe.

From today, you can meet with up to two households outdoors – rather than just one.

However, it should be no more than two at a time, and no more than two in a day.  And we are still advising that there should be no more than eight people in any group.

The risk of mixed household gatherings indoors is still too great.   So these meetings still have to take place outdoors.  However, if you are meeting in the garden of another household, we’ve changed the guidance so that you can go indoors to use a toilet.

If you do that – of course – you should avoid touching surfaces, and immediately and thoroughly clean those you do touch. That’s essential in preventing the spread of the virus from one household to another.

We’re continuing at the moment to ask people to stay within or close to their local area.  That means – for leisure and recreation purposes – you should be travelling no more than around five miles or so.  Although let me stress that limit does not apply to meeting with family and friends.

Those are some of the more general measures which apply from today.  But I also want to highlight two sets of changes we’ve made, for specific groups. 

The first relates to people who are shielding.  The guidance for those individuals remains very different to the general population.  And we’re continuing to advise shielding people, to be very cautious because you are most at risk from this virus. 

However, we’ve also announced some careful changes, which will hopefully improve your quality of life.

We’ve said that – unless you live in a nursing or residential care home – you are now able to go outdoors for exercise – for example for a walk or cycle.

You can take part in non-contact outdoor activities – such as golf.

And you can meet outdoors with people from one other household – but in groups of no more than eight.

You should stay at least two metres away from other people at all times, even if you live with the person you’re out with. Do not go inside someone else’s house, or allow someone from another household to go inside yours – even to use the toilet.

And when you go outdoors, see if you can choose times and areas that are quiet and that is all for your own safety but I hope these changes do help to make things better for you because this lockdown has been difficult for everyone we know it has been particular hard for those in the shielding category

The other set of changes I want to briefly highlight are those for people who either live alone, or live only with children, under the age of 18.

From today, people in those circumstances are able to form an ‘extended household group’ with one other household.

Within that extended household, people will be able to meet indoors, without physical distancing, and if you want to, you will be able to stay at each other’s houses overnight.

However, you must if you are in one of these household group, continue to see any other households outdoors only, and stay two metres apart from them.

There are also other conditions, which are necessary to make sure this change can work without significantly increasing the risk of the virus passing from one household to another.

An extended household must not include anyone who is shielding because the risk to the shielding population is still too high. No one in an extended household group should form a similar arrangement with any other household. And if one member of the extended household group gets the virus, all of the group will have to isolate – whether or not they are living in the same house.

So within these conditions, there is a positive change that I hope will help with some of the loneliness and isolation that has been a real cruel feature of the past few weeks.

It won’t benefit everyone this change right now but it will benefit a significant number.

For example, it will allow a grandparent who lives on their own to form a group with another household in their family and see grandchildren – and I’m sure many are taking advantage of this already.  It will allow a single parent and their children to join with another household for support.  And it will allow a non-cohabiting couple, where at least one of them lives alone, to be reunited indoors without the need for physical distancing.

I hope very much we might be able to expand this ‘extended household group’ idea in the not too distant future so it benefits more people and I will keep you updated on that.

All of these changes which I’ve outlined are now in effect.  And if you need more information on them, because as we ease lockdown things get more complicated. So if you want more information and detail please go to the Scottish Government’s website where you will find the guidance and the explanation about what you can do safely.

As I said yesterday it is not possible will the best will in the world for us to provide specific guidance for every single individual circumstances so my advice to you to continue to err on the side of caution, and don’t do it.

One of the consequences of easing restrictions, as I’ve just said, is that the things we’re asking you to do will inevitably become more complex.  So while we still – of course – want people to stay at home as much as possible, we know that the message we’re giving to you needs to adapt, to reflect the phase we’re now in.

That’s why – as I’ve just said – we are now asking you to ‘stay safe, protect others and save lives’.

And that means it is even more important now that people know – and remember – the different things we need you to do.  And so we are launching a new public awareness campaign called FACTS.

Each letter of that word FACTS should serve to remind us all of the key measures we need to comply with. Let me quickly run through them. And those measures are:

  • Face coverings in enclosed spaces
  • Avoid crowded places
  • Clean hands and surfaces regularly
  • Two metre distancing; and
  • Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.

Remember these FACTS and that will help all of us to stay safe and protect each other as well.

Complying with all of that, will be critical in making sure we keep the virus under control  as we start to move back to normal, and that will be important in laying the groundwork and the foundation for further changes that we are going to make in the weeks to come.

I’m going to end with this point.

I’m very aware that as we start to see this virus receding – and as we ease some restrictions – there’s a natural desire to go even faster.

But we cannot afford at this stage to be complacent.  This virus is still out there, it has not gone away.  And as we gradually remove the restrictions that have kept it under control, there’s a real risk is it could start to circulate again. That’s why we need to proceed with purpose – but also with caution. And we all need to continue to play our part, in suppressing this virus.

In these days and weeks to come, the things we do as an individual will have an impact on all of us and they will determine whether we keep this virus under control. So if we all keep doing the right thing I am more optimistic than I’ve been in a long time that we are now firmly on track to getting normality back into our lives and no doubt that is thanks to your sacrifices and your efforts.

So, thank you again very much indeed.

Botanics to reopen on 1st July

A warm and safe welcome back is imminent for visitors to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh when it reopens to the public on Wednesday 1st July.

As the country emerges from lockdown, teams across the organisation are gearing-up for opening the public gates on Wednesday, 1st July.

In line with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s Phase 2 announcement yesterday, well-considered strategies have been adopted to create a safe environment for visitors and staff at Inverleith, in Edinburgh; Benmore, in Argyll; Logan, in Galloway and Dawyck, in the Scottish Borders.

New, temporary, measures include a one-way system on a number of Garden paths and some restrictions to access of other confined areas such as shops and toilets. Staff will be using PPE.

Regius Keeper Simon Milne MBE explained: “We look forward to welcoming back visitors to all four Gardens. This connection with the environment is vital for the well-being of all.

“With the safety of our staff and visitors remaining our prime concern, we have amended operations on all sites to introduce measures that should build trust and confidence. Lockdown has been a difficult time for everyone, caution is widespread and life will remain away from what we regard as normal for some time.

“Travel restrictions remain in place and, for the immediate future, all four Gardens will be restricted to welcoming their local communities. However, this is a first hugely important step in our return to extended outreach.”

A new and important measure for the reopening of the Edinburgh flagship Garden is the introduction of time slots tickets, to be booked in advance by visitors. Time slots can be booked on-line from Wednesday, June 24. 

While admission to the Garden remains free of charge, this temporary method of entry will enable staff to limit the number of visitors accessing the Garden at any one time, gradually building capacity when all are comfortable the operational guidelines work.

The Glasshouses will remain closed, initially. The Garden will initially be open from 10am-5pm and capacity will be limited to 2,000 visitors a day.

To ensure personal distancing, entry will be through the Emergency Vehicle Access (EVA) Gate at Arboretum Place, to the south of the John Hope Gateway visitor centre, and the East Gate on Inverleith Row. Any queues will be managed to ensure a smooth flow into the Garden.

Simon Milne concluded: “It is heartening visitors enjoyed following us online while the gates were closed and we hope they will continue to do so. However, the benefits of real time interaction with the natural environment are unsurpassable. We ask for everyone’s patience, understanding and support as we resume operations steadily and in a way that works for everyone.”

Visitors returning to the four Gardens will be invited to make a donation or support the organisation by becoming a member and providing crucial support for this world-leading charity in plant science and conservation horticulture.

Looking forward, its research and conservation initiatives at home and around the world have never been more important. By supporting the organisation, supporters can make real change in tackling the challenges of the climate emergency and habitat crisis.

Beer gardens staying closed “a bitter blow”

The announcement by the First Minister that outdoor areas in Scotland’s pubs and bars are to remain closed was met with shock and dismay by the Scottish Licensed Trade Association.

SLTA Managing Director, Colin Wilkinson said: “The First Minister’s announcement today is a bitter blow for Scotland’s Hospitality Sector, which expected to be able to now kick-start the rebuilding of the industry.

“With the decision now delayed until the 2nd of July, operators face another anxious period for the survival of their businesses. This may also have a knock-on effect for the re-opening of indoor areas, originally planned, all being well, for the 15th of July.

“This delay, hypothetically only 2 weeks before full reopening may be possible, with social distancing measures in place, again brings into question whether these first steps, for those who have an outdoor area or the potential to have one, will actually help businesses to start recovering from this pandemic.

“With Government guidelines due to be published soon, hospitality businesses will have very little lead-in time to prepare for complying with guidance for outdoor areas, and that alone causes problems, especially on social distancing parameters, which look like remaining at 2m, and toilet provision for customers seated outdoors.

“Research shows that unless the 2m social distancing parameters are reduced, the potential reductions in capacity could be as high as 87%.

”Without question, health and safety must come before profit, but the First Minister’s comment that ‘there is emerging evidence that places such as pubs, restaurants and gyms can be hotspots for transmission” will do nothing to alleviate customer confidence in returning to our pubs and bars.

“Already a recent survey to gauge how people feel about life post-lock down, revealed that 62% of people were unlikely to return to bars and restaurants for some time yet. The challenge of rebuilding our industry just got harder.

“The need for ongoing support for the industry is now even greater with the announcement that outdoor areas will remain closed for at least another two weeks.

“Ongoing and increased support for the months ahead is essential and when the industry does start to rebuild, Governments, both north and south of the border, must not see this as a marker to further reduce support for the industry.”

A survey of 22,000 pub goers and beer drinkers across the UK polled by the consumer organisation CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has found that two thirds of people are confident to get back down the pub when their local re-open. 

The survey found that 65% had confidence in going back to pubs, with only 4% saying they were ‘extremely unconfident’ about returning to their local.

The news comes as the UK Government confirmed that pubs are likely to start re-opening from 4th July and the Scottish Government stating that pubs north of the border can begin to re-open from 15th July.

CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: “We know that during lockdown people have really missed going to their local to enjoy a pint with family and friends.

“It’s really encouraging hat our survey shows most people are confident that they can safely return to pubs, whether that’s outside in beer gardens or inside following social distancing measures.

“As pubs re-open in the next few weeks in England and then in Scotland it is essential, they get support from local communities – especially as many will face reduced trade as a result of social distancing. 

“For people who can’t get to their local, because they’re shielding, and for those pubs that can’t re-open, because they are smaller or because their space isn’t suitable, CAMRA will continue to support those pubs offering take-away and delivery services while things get back to normal.

“Over the next few weeks, I’d like to encourage everyone to play their part in helping pubs get back on their feet either by supporting them in person or from your own home. Now, more than ever, we need to use our pubs or else risk losing them forever.”

CAMRA’s beer ordering app ‘Brew2You’ to allows people to order take-aways and deliveries from pubs in their area, whilst the ‘Pulling Together’ campaign page at www.camra.org.uk/pullingtogether lists services from pubs, breweries and cider producers across the country.

Phase 2: ‘We must still exercise care and caution’

Further changes to lockdown restrictions in Scotland have been announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The easing of some lockdown measures are the latest steps on the road to the ‘new normal’ – but the First Minister warned that Scots continue to exercise ‘care and caution’.

Those shielding are now able to go outdoors for exercise, and from today (Friday, 19 June) those shielding can take part in non-contact outdoor activities and can meet one other household, in groups of no more than eight outdoors. Physical distancing and strict hygiene measures must still be followed, even if you live with those people.

Also from today, anyone living alone or only with children under 18 can form an ‘extended household group’ with one other household. This does not apply to households with people who are shielding.

Extended household groups can meet indoors with overnight stays permitted and without physical distancing, but any other household meetings must remain strictly outdoors and at a two metre distance. Members of an extended household group should not form a similar arrangement with any other household.

From Monday, 29 June some indoor workplaces can re-open, including factories, labs and warehouses, subject to strict physical distancing, hygiene and health and safety guidance, but non-essential offices and call centres should remain closed.

All retail premises with outdoor entrances and exits can also re-open from 29 June. Ahead of that date local authorities and retailers are urged to plan for the responsible use of public space, such as removing unnecessary street furniture, designing systems to manage queuing and pedestrian thoroughfares, and implementing adequate measures to support physical distancing.

It remains government advice to wear a face covering in enclosed areas where physical distancing is difficult, such as shops, and from Monday, 22 June, it will become mandatory to wear a face covering on all public transport.

There was disappointment for those who were looking forward to a long-awaited drink in a beer garden this weekend. Drinkers learned they must wait a wee while longer.

A date for the re-opening of outdoor hospitality cannot be safely set at this stage. A further update will be provided on 2 July. Further advice from the Scientific Advisory Group has been commissioned based on emerging evidence suggesting communal spaces such as hospitality can present a higher risk of transmission.

Physical distancing guidance remains to stay two metres apart from people outside your household. Advice has also been commissioned on circumstances and settings, including schools and transport, where with additional mitigation it may be possible to balance the risk of a shorter distance.

Announcing the measures, the First Minister said: “Thank you for the personal sacrifices you’re making to tackle this pandemic. You’ve demonstrated remarkable dedication to our national wellbeing – that effort should never be underestimated, and my thanks can never be overstated.

“Because of your actions, we can now – gradually and carefully – change some restrictions.

“In deciding when to implement each measure in our staged approach, we have to think about how a decision in one area affects life in other areas. Our test and protect system is important to our gradual return to living more freely while suppressing the virus, and early indications suggest it’s already working well.

“I know for those shielding, the requirement to stay indoors at all times, without meeting up with anyone, has been incredibly tough. I hope that this change to our advice can provide a real improvement to your quality of life, without significantly increasing the risks you face.

“Our extended household groups will allow a grandparent who lives on their own to form a group with another household in their family, a single parent and their children to join with another household for support, and it will allow a non-cohabiting couple, where at least one of them lives alone, to be reunited. It will, I hope, help to ease some of the isolation which is one of the cruellest consequences of tackling this virus.

“I appreciate today’s announcement will be hard for the hospitality industry but I want to give an assurance that we will continue to support preparations for re-opening.

“Ultimately, this is a social bargain. The prize for going a bit more carefully now is a recovery that is much more sustainable and will, I hope, allow more normality to be restored to our everyday lives while suppressing the virus.”

Route map Phase 2 changes

From Friday 19 June:
• Those advised to shield will be able to take part in non-contact activities such as golf, angling, kayaking, and meet members of another household outdoors, up to a suggested maximum of eight in the group. Most importantly in both instances, strict physical distancing of two meters must be followed at all times, and they should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds when they return home
• A household not shielding can meet two other households, outside, up to a suggested maximum of eight people in the group
• Those visiting another household in a private garden will be permitted to use the household toilet, with increased hygiene measures urged. This does not include a household of someone who is shielding
• Single person households, including single parents households with children under the age of 18, will be able to form an extended household with another
• People should continue to stay in their local area as much as possible and should not travel more than around five miles for leisure or recreation

From Monday 22 June
• Construction sector to implement remaining stages of their own phased return
• Dental practices open to see patients with urgent care needs
• Resumption of professional sport, following public health advice
• Places of worship open for individual prayer and contemplation
• Limited College and University staff return for essential preparations for re-opening in Phase 3
• Mandatory face coverings on public transport (please see Transport Scotland for more detail)
• Accommodation can be provided for workers whose workplaces are open in the relevant phase and who need to stay away from home for work

From Monday 29 June
• Indoor non-office workplaces (including factories, warehouses and labs) can resume once relevant guidance is implemented. This does not include non-essential office, call-centre, culture, leisure and hospitality premises
• Restrictions of house moves relaxed
• Public gardens and zoos can open but should remain limited to local access only in this phase
• Outdoor sports courts reopen
• Playgrounds can reopen
• Registration offices can open for priority tasks
• Marriages and civil partnerships allowed with minimal attendees outside
• Street-access retail can re-open once guidance is implemented. Interiors of shopping malls/centres remain closed for non-essential shops until Phase 3
• Reintroduction of some chronic disease management
• Phased resumption of some screening services
• Phased safe resumption of essential optometry and ophthalmology services
• Outdoor markets can reopen once guidance is implemented

Scaling up throughout Phase 2
• Public transport will increase services. Capacity will remain constrained due to physical distancing requirements – and active travel remains the preferred mode of travel.
• Increase in health care provisions for pent up demand, urgent referrals and triage of routine services
• Planning with COSLA and partners to support and, if needed, review social care and care home services
• Priority referrals to secondary care
• Public services will continue to resume and scale up, including services such as visiting support to Housing First Tenants and the resumption of area-based energy efficiency schemes

Phase 2 route map

Phase 2 guidance

Further guidance will be published before the current shielding period is due to end on 31 July.

 

First Minister looks forward to Phase 2

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Sunday 14 June:

Good afternoon everyone, thank you for joining us this afternoon. I’ll start as alwayswith an update on some key statistics in relation to Covid-19.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,755 cases confirmed through our NHS laboratories – that’s an increase of 25 from yesterday.

A total of 964 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total reduction of 19 from yesterday, including a reduction of 7 in the number of confirmed cases.

A total of 15 people last night were in intensive care with either confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 5 since yesterday.

I can confirm that since 5 March, a total of 3,904 patients who had tested positive for the virus and required to be in hospital have now been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

And in the last 24 hours, I can confirm that 1 death has been registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 –which takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,448.

I want to stress as I always do that these numbers are not just statistics – they represent people whose loss is being mourned right now. That point is just as important when we are reporting one death, as it is when we report multiple deaths. So – once again – let me send my deepest condolences and my thoughts to everyone who has lost a loved one as a result of this illness.

Let me also express my thanks – as always – to our health and care workers for the extraordinary work that you continue to do in very testing circumstances.

And indeed, let me broaden that today to all of our key workers – health and care, obviously, but our police officers, our prison officers, those who are keeping our energy systems working, keeping food on our tables, everybody who has played a part in ensuring our country has kept operating during this very difficult time.

I’ll move on to questions fairly soon, but I want this afternoon to give an indication of what you can expect in the week ahead.

I hope to be able to confirm on Thursday, that people who are shielding will be able to go outdoors for exercise.

In addition, as you know, we are required by law to review the lockdown restrictions every three weeks. The next review date is Thursday. At that point, I will set out to parliament our assessment of whether the current suppression of the virus allows us to move to phase 2 of our route map.

As things stand right now, I remain optimistic that, on Thursday, while we might not be able to do absolutely everything we hoped to do in phase 2, we will nevertheless be able to enter that next phase and announce some further important steps on our journey back to normality.

The reason for my cautious optimism is that since we last announced changes, we have continued to see a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, and also in the weekly number of deaths. In addition, the R number – which as you know is the rate at which the virus reproduces – has fallen slightly, and is now between 0.6 and 0.8, and it’s crucial that it remains under 1.

So I hope, for example, that as well as allowing a bit more social interaction, from Thursday we will also be able to move forward with the remobilisation of the NHS and also indicate a date from which our retail sector can begin to re-open.

All of that and any other changes that we’re able to announce on Thursday will be in line with the careful approach that we set out in our route map.

And that is really important. The evidence suggests that the careful approach we have adopted so far is working.

The lesson I take from that is that we should stick with that plan – not discard it.

Because – and this is the much harder bit – while transmission of the virus is much reduced, the virus hasn’t gone away yet.

We still have a significant number of infected people in Scotland. And we are still seeing new cases each day. The risk remains that, if we move too quickly, and if we start coming into closer contact with too many people, cases of the virus could start to multiply again very quickly and we need to avoid that happening.

On the other hand, if we hammer down  the incidence and prevalence of the virus down to the lowest levels we can, our exit from lockdown may then involve a return to more normality in the medium term than we previously thought possible.

And that’s of course what we must hope for right across the board – but it will be particularly important as we try over the next few months to restore as much normality as we can to children’s schooling. Which of course is a big priority, not just for the Government and for local authorities, but for parents and young people the length and breadth of the country.

So while there are no risk free options – and we shouldn’t slow down progress in pursuit of perfect risk free options that don’t exist – equally we must not ease restrictions at a pace that very obviously heightens the risks.

And we should also realise that the prize for going perhaps a bit more cautiously now, could be a return to greater normality in the medium term.

We have seen in England and some other countries, that the R number may have increased, particularly in certain regions – and we might see that here too. That’s won’t necessarily be a cause for panic – but it should be a reminder to us to constantly check and assess the impact of our actions.

All of that means the judgements we make about phase 2 will by necessity be finely balanced.

Phase 2 contains a number of significant measures – including potential changes to the rules on how we can meet each other, what workplaces can reopen, and which public services can resume.

We are currently assessing the impact of those different measures.  That means considering the particular risks that each element will bring, and thinking also about what mitigating actions might be needed to reduce those risks. And it means – as we have done right throughout this crisis – weighing up both the harms that come from Covid, and also the harms that come from lockdown itself.

As I said earlier, we might not be able to do absolutely everything – but we want to do as much as possible, and we will do as much as we possibly can.

It is also likely that not everything that we are able to do in phase 2 will kick in straight away on Friday.

Regulatory changes will have to be made.

Our public transport operators will need time to implement their plans to increase capacity safely.

And workplaces that we hope will be permitted to open, will need to ensure they have the appropriate physical distancing measures in place; that guidance is being followed; and that employees feel confident that they can return to work safely.

We are producing additional guidance this week – in advance of any possible changes – for Early Learning and Childcare, for the retail sector, and on the use of public spaces.

Steps such as these are essential, to ensure we continue to suppress the virus as much as possible.

Once we determine what changes can be made, we will phase them in, in the most constructive way we can. We want people to be confident that they will be safe, as more social and economic activities gradually resume.

It’s also vital that we all understand the crucial point that I stressed earlier. Just because the number of cases is currently declining, and we are thinking of easing the restrictions – that does not mean the threat of coronavirus has gone. It hasn’t. The progress we have made still remains fragile, and the virus call too easily could run out of control once again.

There are some worrying signs of that right now in some states in America, for example.

So we must work hard to get the balance as right as we can. And as we do that, some of the most basic public health advice becomes even more important.

As we move through the routemap what we are doing, as a society, is relying less on strict lockdown restrictions to suppress the virus – and relying more instead on all of us following the public health guidance, maintaining physical distancing and of course participating in Test and Protect.

Our ability to move to further phases, and to sustainably re-open our society and economy – so that we do not need to lockdown again in the future – depends on all of us strictly following those principles.

In the weeks and months ahead – perhaps even more than at the present time – we all have to remember that the decisions we are making as individuals, will affect the health and wellbeing of all of us.

And so it remains critical that we stick with the current public health guidance. So let me end just by recapping on what that is.

We should all be staying home most of the time, and seeing fewer people than we normally would. When we do meet people from another household we should stay outdoors. We must stay outdoors and stay 2 metres apart from them. We shouldn’t meet more than one other household at a time, and not more than one a day – and keep to a maximum of 8 people in a group.

We should all be washing our hands often and thoroughly. If we’re not at home, make sure we have hand sanitiser with us.

And please wear a face covering if you are in a shop or on public transport, or in any enclosed space where physical distancing is more difficult.

Avoid touching hard surfaces – and clean any you do touch.

And if you have the symptoms, get a test immediately and follow advice on self-isolation. You can book a test by going to the NHS Inform website.

If we all continue to do these things and make sure we don’t ease up on the basic public health guidance then we will continue to see this virus suppressed and we will continue to see easing of lockdown restrictions become much more possible in the future.

My thanks again to all of you for doing that. I’m going to hand over now to the Chief Nursing Officer and then to our National Clinical Director to say a few words before taking questions.