Tag: Politics

First Minister: Please, please stick to restrictions

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh, on Thursday, 30 April:

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

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

As of 9 o’clock this morning, there have now been 11,353 positive cases confirmed – that is an increase of 319 since yesterday.

A total of 1748 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 – that is an increase of 21 from yesterday.

A total of 109 people last night were in intensive care, again with either confirmed or suspected cases. That is a further decrease of 5 since yesterday.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 2,538 patients who had tested positive for the virus and been admitted to hospital as a result, have now been able to leave hospital.

However, on a sadder note, I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 60 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having the virus – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,475.

These numbers, as I stress every single day, are not just statistics. They represent people who are right now deeply missed by the friends, families and their wider network of loved ones. So once again, I want to send my deepest sympathies and condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus, we are all thinking of you at this time.

I also want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers. At 8 o’clock this evening I will join with many others in applauding our health and care workers, in what I think has become a very precious and very special moment in the week.

And to health and care workers, I hope that this shows you, albeit in a symbolic way, just how grateful everybody across the country is for the extraordinary and very courageous work that all of you are doing.

There are two things I want to talk about today. First of all, I want to take the opportunity to emphasise the vital importance of sticking with the lockdown restrictions at this time.

I set out last week our decision making framework for starting – slowly and gradually – to ease aspects of the lockdown when it is safe to do so, and the factors and uncertainties we will have to take into account as we make these difficult decisions.

I promised to be open with you as our thinking and our decision making develops and I absolutely will be. I intend to update you again next week – ahead of the official review date of 7 May – on our considerations and judgements so far. I am very grateful to all of you have taken the time to send us views on the paper that we published a week ago today.

But part of the grown-up conversation I want to have involves me being willing, when necessary, to deliver tough messages as well as hopefully the more positive messages about how, when it is safe to do so, we can start the journey to what I described last week as a ‘new normal’, and start to reduce some of the harms to the economy and our well-being that we know the lockdown restrictions are having.

Right now, that means I have to be straight with you that it may very well be too early, even this time next week, in any meaningful way, to safely lift any of the current restrictions.

I want to share with you the reasons for that.

We have worked very hard as a country to bring down the transmission rate of this virus – and we are definitely seeing results from those efforts.

In fact we see that fewer people are now in intensive care than two weeks ago, and that figure appears to be reducing now on an ongoing basis, and hospital admissions, although they are fluctuating as you see today, are also on a slowly reducing curve.

Overall, we think that transmission in the community of the virus has been reduced very significantly as a result of the lockdown – although of course we know that it remains higher in settings such as care homes.

The R number which you hear us talk about – the rate at which the virus reproduces – is, we believe, now below 1. Remember, that at the start of lockdown, we think it was above 3. So that is real and very positive progress.

And that progress matters. With the R number below 1, that means every 100 people with the virus, between them pass it on to fewer than 100 more people and so on – and so the total number of cases will gradually decline.

We do think that is happening now. However we are not confident that the R number is very far below 1. That means any easing up at all in the current restrictions – either formally by government decisions, or informally by people becoming a bit less compliant as we all get more and more weary and frustrated – would quickly send it back above 1. Indeed, there have been reports in the last day or so from Germany that their R number is rising again as a slight easing up there has been taking effect.

And if the R number does go back above 1 – let’s say it goes to even 1.5 – then our 100 people from a moment ago would between them transmit the virus to 150 people, they in turn pass it on to 220 people and so on and so on, and suddenly the virus is spreading exponentially again.

That would mean more people in hospital and in intensive care and even more people dying.

So the point I am making today is not an easy one, but it is an essential one. The progress we have made is real and it is significant, but it is still very fragile. The margins we have for ensuring the virus does not take off again are really, really tight. That means we must be very cautious at this stage.

That’s why it’s so important that everyone sticks with the restrictions. In recent weeks people have been absolutely superb at doing that – and I will never be able to tell you how grateful I am to all of you for that. You are the reason that the NHS has not been overwhelmed, as I really feared a few weeks ago that it might be, and by sticking to the guidance,  you have undoubtedly saved lives.

However we are now seeing slight increases in people using our roads. In addition, more people are using concessionary bus travel than a few weeks ago. Both of these trends are from low starting points, but they are still sources of some concern.

For example the number of people who are using concessionary transport increased by almost 1/6 last week.

The car traffic we’ve observed on major roads is less than 1/3 of its pre-lockdown levels, but it has increased this week by about 5% this week, compared to last week. On some town and city roads, traffic has been 10% higher than in the week before.

So what I am asking all of you to do today, and you know the reasons that I am asking you to do this, is think about whether or not it is the case that right now you are a little bit more active than you might have been at the start of the lockdown, and to ask yourself why that is the case.

Was your journey really essential? You might think it’s only you making an extra journey, and that it’s only one trip – and you might well feel you deserve it after weeks of restraint. Believe me, I really understand all of that. But all of it adds up – and the fact remains that if everyone eases off, the virus will quickly take off again and it will have devastating consequences for all of us.

I know this is a long haul – I know that people want to travel a bit more, I know that children want to spend more time outside. I absolutely know that every grandparent is desperate to see and to hug their grandchildren. But as things stand, our progress against the virus, albeit very real progress, is too fragile for us to let up.

But the more we do stick to the lockdown, the more we will reduce the R number below 1, and the lower it goes, the more scope we will have to ease the lockdown measures in future.

So please, I am asking you again, stay at home – except for essential purposes.

If you do leave home, remember to stay more than 2 metres away from other people, and don’t meet up with people from other households.

If you have any symptoms of the virus, you and your household should isolate completely. And everybody should still be washing their hands regularly and thoroughly.

By sticking to all of that, we can keep that R number below 1. We will slow the spread of the virus, protect the NHS, and we will save lives. And – while it might not feel like it right now, and I am pretty sure it doesn’t – we will actually all help each other to come through the other side of this a bit more quickly.

The other thing that I want to update you on, is our support for business.

Today, three new business support funds, which total £100 million, open for applications.

They are part of a wider package of measures to support business, which are worth around £2.3 billion in total.

One of the funds is the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund, which is managed by Local Authorities.

It is open to newly self-employed people who are facing hardship but – because they became self-employed in the last year – are ineligible for other support. They will be able to apply for grants of £2,000.

The lack of support for newly self-employed people is something which has been much commented upon – I am glad we can now do something now to give assistance.

The second fund is the Creative, Tourism & Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund. This is managed by our Enterprise Agencies with support from Creative Scotland and VisitScotland.

It will provide grants of up to £25,000 for smaller creative, tourism and hospitality companies who do not benefit from business rates relief – for example if they do not have premises which can benefit.

And finally, we have also established the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund, which is again managed by our Enterprise Agencies.

This will provide grants and support to small and medium sized businesses which we think are potentially vital to Scotland’s economic future, or to the economies of certain local areas – but which have been made vulnerable by this crisis.

This is an important way of trying to safeguard our economic future and potential – by ensuring that smaller companies with lots of potential are not driven out of business during this crisis.

Applications for these funds will be open from 2 pm today. We hope that successful applicants will start receiving money in the next couple of weeks.

If you think that you might qualify for one of these grants, you can find more detail at www.FindBusinessSupport.gov.scot

I want to end by re-iterating my earlier message. Please stick to the guidance. I know this is not easy. And when I say that, I am not just saying what I know you want to hear – I really know this is not easy. But it is making the difference: so please, please, stick with it.

Coronavirus: Care home deaths now outstrip those in hospital

As at 26th April, 2,272 deaths have been registered in Scotland where COVID-19 was mentioned in the death certificate, according to statistics published by National Records of Scotland (NRS) today.

Between 20th April to 26th April, 656 deaths relating to COVID-19 have been registered, an increase of four from the previous week, 13th April to 19th April.

To place these statistics in context, the total number of deaths registered in Scotland from 20th April to 26th April was 1,830 – 68% more than the average number of deaths registered in the same week over the last five years, 1,087.

Of these 743 excess deaths, 85% were deaths where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death.

Over a third of all registered deaths involving COVID-19 occurred in care homes, 39%. 52% of registered deaths were in hospitals and 9% were at home or non-institutional settings.

Almost three quarters of registered deaths involving COVID-19 to date were people aged 75 or over. Of all deaths to date involving COVID-19, 53% were male and 47% were female.

Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services, said: “Every death from this virus is a tragedy. These statistics, alongside the other important evidence being made available by the Scottish Government and Health Protection Scotland (HPS), are valuable to the understanding of the progress and impact of the COVID-19 virus across Scotland.

“Our aim is to ensure that our statistical publication provides information that is as useful as possible and adds value to the understanding of how the virus is spreading throughout the country. We will continue to review and develop these statistics as new information is made available.”

Conservative health spokesman Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “My condolences are with family and friends of everyone who has tragically died from Covid-19.

“It is extremely concerning that in Edinburgh and the Lothians we are now in a position where there are more deaths in care homes than there are in hospitals.

“Care home residents are highly at risk to Covid-19 and every measure must be taken to protect care home residents, including full PPE being available, regular testing for Covid-19 and full training for staff on infection prevention.”

 

Further expansion of access to coronavirus testing

Anyone in England with coronavirus symptoms who either has to leave home to go to work or is aged 65 and over will now be able to get tested.

  • Everyone in England aged 65 and over with coronavirus symptoms can now get tested, along with symptomatic members of their household
  • Symptomatic workers who are unable to work from home also eligible for testing
  • Testing of all asymptomatic NHS and social care staff and care home residents also being rolled out
  • New expansion of testing made possible due to rapidly increasing testing capacity

Anyone in England with symptoms of coronavirus who has to leave home to go to work, and all symptomatic members of the public aged 65 and over, will now be able to get tested, the UK government has announced.

This will mean people who cannot work from home and those aged 65 and over can know for sure whether they have coronavirus and need to continue isolating.

Members of their households with symptoms – a new continuous cough or high temperature – will also be eligible for testing.

Anyone eligible can book a test using an online portal.

The government also announced that NHS staff, care home staff and care home residents will be eligible for testing whether or not they have symptoms.

Working with Public Health England, the Care Quality Commission and the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the government is piloting sending packages of ‘satellite’ test kits directly to care homes across England to enable testing of residents.

So far, 4,760 tests have been delivered to more than 4,300 locations. In addition, over 25,000 care staff have already been tested.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said: “Expansion of our testing programme protects our most vulnerable and keeps people safe.

“Testing is now available to all over 65s and members of their households, if they have symptoms.

“Any worker who needs to leave their home in order to go to work, and their households, if any of them have symptoms can also get a test. This means construction workers to emergency plumbers, research scientists to those in manufacturing – can now be tested.

“All they need to do is go on the internet and apply for a test.”

Testing for coronavirus helps the government and scientists understand its current spread and plan how to manage the pandemic.

As capacity has increased, testing has been offered to different groups in a phased approach, prioritising NHS workers. However, the ultimate aim is that anyone who needs a test will be able to have one.

Yesterday’s announcement marks a further step towards that goal. It follows the announcement last week that all essential workers with symptoms can now book a coronavirus test, or order a home testing kit, using the new online portal.

There are now more than 40 drive-through testing sites across the country, and, by the end of the week, 25,000 home testing kits will be available for ordering every day.

A network of mobile testing units is also travelling the country to reach care homes, police stations, prisons and other sites where there is demand for testing. The network is expected to reach over 70 units by the weekend.

Since the beginning of April, the government has significantly increased the UK’s coronavirus testing capacity, which currently stands at 73,400 tests per day and is on track to reach 100,000 tests daily by the end of the month.

The response to coronavirus is a national effort. Each of the devolved administrations will have their own eligibility criteria and testing priorities, however the government is working closely to align approaches.

Scots encouraged to use face protection in enclosed public places

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

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

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

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

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

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

These figures continue to give us cause for cautious optimism.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And you should wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

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

First Minister: ‘Progress remains very fragile’

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh:

Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for joining us for today’s briefing.

I want to start as I always do with an update on some of the key statistics, in relation to COVID-19 in Scotland.

As at 9 o’clock this morning, I can confirm that there have been 10,521 positive cases confirmed, which is an increase of 197 from yesterday.

A total of 1,762 patients are currently in hospital with either confirmed or suspected COVID-19, that is an increase of 27 from yesterday.

A total of 134 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is an increase of one since yesterday.

I should say at this point that despite these occasional fluctuations, overall these statistics for hospital and intensive care admissions still give us cause for cautious optimism.

I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 2,380 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been now able to leave hospital, and I wish them well.

On a much sadder note, I have to report that in the last 24 hours, 13 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus, and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement to 1,262.

It is worth highlighting again, indeed it’s important that I do so, that although people can now register deaths on Sundays, we do know that from recent weeks that the figures that we report on Mondays, of deaths which were registered on a Sunday, tend to be relatively low. That means the figure I report tomorrow maybe significantly larger than today’s.

And of course, once again, I want to stress and indeed reflect on the fact that the numbers I read out here every day are not just statistics.

They are individuals whose loss is a source of grief and distress to family and friends. So once again, I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

I also want to thank as I always do, our health and care workers, who continue to do extraordinary work in the most difficult of circumstances.

And again, place on record my thanks to essential workers the length and breadth of the country, whose dedication each and every day is helping to keep vital services running.

Tomorrow, on international workers’ memorial day, the Scottish Government will join a minute’s silence at 11am to honour those frontline workers.

Particularly, though of course not exclusively, health and care workers,  who have sadly lost their lives while working to tackle this pandemic.

I invite all of you at home, and those taking part in essential work across the country, to join us at that time tomorrow.

The silence will provide an opportunity to pay tribute to those who have died as a result of their work to serve, care for and save others.

It will be a further reminder that, of all the duties government bears during a situation like this, the most vital is our obligation to help to keep care and health workers safe.

I want to stress again today that I and the Scottish Government are acutely aware of that responsibility, and will work each and every day to do everything we can to fulfil that obligation.

I have two things I want to comment on this morning. The first is to reflect a little bit more on some of the statistics I have just reported.

I know that it might not feel this way, since the numbers that I am reporting each day, particularly those on the number of people who are dying, are always far higher than we want them to be – but it is nevertheless the case that we are now seeing some real signs of progress.

The number of people in intensive care has fallen by around a third in the last fortnight, from the figure I would have reported to you two weeks ago today.

The number of people in hospital, which was rising sharply in the first 10 days of this month, has also now broadly stabilised and the trend there may also now be a downward one.

Our NHS, while working incredibly hard and in the most difficult of circumstances, has not been overwhelmed, which just a few weeks ago we really feared that it might be.

Of course, we are not yet seeing a definite fall in the number of people who are dying each day from the virus.

However, as we have always said, because of the way the illness progresses, that will be the last daily number that we do start to see declining, and we hope to see that in the next couple of weeks.

But we do have evidence that the actions that all of us, all of you watching at home are taking, are making a real and a positive difference.

Your efforts are working, so again today I want to thank you for that.

However, and I realise that this is a less welcome and much more difficult point for me to make, this progress remains very fragile and now is a time for all of us to exercise careful caution. It is certainly not a time to throw caution to the wind.

The margins we think we are working within, in respect to the reproduction number – that crucial R number that I spoke about last week, are very narrow.

At this stage, even a slight easing up in the restrictions in place now, could send the reproduction rate back towards or above one, and the virus would then start to spread very quickly again.

Within days of that, all the indicators that are suggesting progress now, would start to go in the wrong direction again.

That would mean more cases, more hospital and intensive care admissions and sadly, more deaths.

So for all our sakes, and to protect the progress that together we’ve made, all of the restrictions currently in place need to remain in place, for now.

The job is not done yet – we need you to stay the course for a bit longer.

Of course, we are now thinking about the ways in which we can begin to ease the lockdown a bit when it is safer to do so, although we can’t yet put dates on any of that.

And as I said last week, lifting lockdown will not be a flick of a switch moment. We will instead be considering gradual and careful variations.

It important and necessary to do that work now, and we are doing that work now, and as I said last week, I think it is really important to engage you in that work in an open and transparent way.

So I can confirm that in the coming days, I will say more about the different options under consideration, and how we are going about assessing those.

But let me stress again that the current restrictions are still in place. We have to stick with them for now, in order to be able to relax things in future.

As well as the impact on all of us as individuals, I absolutely understand the anxieties of business, and I am acutely aware of the social and health impacts of economic damage.

But let me make this point – a premature easing up on restrictions, if it led to the virus running out of control again, would not help your business or the economy. In fact, it would make the economic damage even worse.

That’s why I am asking businesses as well as individuals to continue to do the right things, as indeed the vast majority of you have been doing already, for which you have my deep gratitude.

So if you are a business on the list of those required by law to close, then obviously you should remain closed.

But if you are not in that category but chose to close voluntarily at the start of the lockdown, and are now thinking of reopening – our view is that you should not contemplate doing so, unless you can comply fully with existing guidance, and are able to change your working practices to ensure safe social distancing at all times.

The precautionary principle that I have spoken about before still applies, for the protection of your workers and for your customers.

And for all of us, not just businesses. If you are now going out and about a little bit more than you were at the start of the lockdown, then you really shouldn’t be.

Because you might be putting yourselves, and your loved ones at risk.

Fundamentally, the basic restrictions of lockdown continue to apply.

You should only leave home for essential purposes like buying food or medicine, or exercising.

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

And you should wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

As I say every day, I know that all of this is difficult, and I know that it gets more difficult with every day that passes but it remains essential.

As I’ve said many times, and again today, any easing up right now would risk us seeing the virus surge upwards again.

So please, please stick with it, so we can continue to make progress together, and accelerate hopefully, the stage at which we can begin a process of restoring some normality to our lives.

The other issue I want to very briefly update on relates to skills.

Skills Development Scotland have updated their ‘My World of Work’ website to help people find free courses.

This new service has been developed with the support of the Open University in Scotland, and it highlights free courses run by 12 providers in areas like digital technology, business studies, and languages.

In the coming weeks and months, we will expand the range of courses available, by working with colleges and universities.

We are also working with the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, who are all developing similar initiatives, in order to highlight the courses they offer.

I‘m aware that doing courses like this may not be an option for everyone. If you have caring responsibilities, or if you have volunteered to help others, time to study might be pretty limited.

But for some people, maybe especially, though not exclusively, people who are currently furloughed, or have been made unemployed, it could make sense to develop new skills during this period.

We hope that this initiative will help people to do that, safely and free of charge.

It’s a good example of the importance of digital public services, and I’m grateful to Skills Development Scotland for establishing this site so quickly.

The courses are open to anyone. So if you are interested then go to myworkofwork.co.uk where you will find the free courses under the ‘Learn and train’ section of the main menu.

That concludes my update for today.  Before I pass on to the Chief Medical Officer, and then the Health Secretary, I simply want to end by thanking again each and every one of you for doing the right thing, and staying at home.

I know it’s difficult, but it is as I hope I’ve demonstrated today, also making a difference.

The steps we are all taking are helping to slow the spread of the virus, as we wanted to do.

They are helping to protect the NHS as we wanted to do, and they are, notwithstanding the figures I have to report to you every day, helping to save lives.

So please stick with them, and thank you for doing so.

Coronavirus: New life assurance scheme launched for frontline staff

  • New life assurance scheme launched for eligible frontline health and care workers during the coronavirus pandemic
  • Families of eligible workers who die from coronavirus in the course of their frontline essential work will receive a £60,000 payment
  • Scheme will cover frontline NHS staff and social care workers in England
  • Funding will also be provided to devolved administrations to support similar schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The families of health and care workers on the frontline will benefit from a new life assurance scheme during the pandemic, developed after discussions with health and social care unions.

The scheme recognises the increased risk faced by staff during the crisis and will cover coronavirus related deaths of workers in frontline health and adult and children’s social care roles during the outbreak. It will cover staff who provide hands-on personal care for people who have contracted coronavirus or work in health or care settings where the virus is present.

Bereaved family members will receive a £60,000 lump sum worth roughly twice the average pensionable pay for NHS staff, with the cost met by the government.

This will cover full, part-time or locum NHS and public health workers, including GPs, dentists, retired staff and second and final year students taking up paid frontline roles.

Within social care, the scheme will cover employees of publicly funded care homes, home care, directly employed carers including personal assistants and frontline child and family social workers.

The scheme is aimed at those who die from coronavirus during the course of their essential and lifesaving work. This includes those providing direct care as well as cleaners and porters who continue to carry out vital duties in these care environments.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them.

“Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline.

“We will continue to strive night and day to provide them with the support and protection they need and deserve to keep them safe as they work tirelessly to save lives.”

Employers will be asked to initiate claims on behalf of the individual’s families and claims will be verified and processed by the NHS Business Services Authority, who will work with employers to ensure claims are handled swiftly and sensitively.

New fund for perinatal mental health

poverty family JRF

Mums, dads and families at risk of poor mental health during pregnancy and the early years will be able to access enhanced peer support, parenting support and perinatal counselling services, with new annual funding of up to £1 million.

The Perinatal and Infant Mental Health fund will provide crucial help by supporting third sector organisations to deliver key services and address gaps in provision.

Inspiring Scotland will run the fund – which will open to charities from August – and will work with the Scottish Government to achieve the goals of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board.

Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey said: “The third sector provides an invaluable source of support for the mental health of women, babies and their families during pregnancy and early parenthood.

“Last year, the Scottish Government provided funding to support the work of third sector organisations in this area and I am delighted that we are able to build on this with the new Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund.

“The fund will allow one-to-one support for organisations to help provide the services that women and their families need across Scotland.”

Inspiring Scotland Chief Executive Celia Tennant said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Scottish Government with this important new third sector fund for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health charities.

“We know how vital the perinatal period is for families and how crucial the early years are for infant development. Charities across Scotland are doing essential work, and with the uncertainty caused by coronavirus (COVID-19), their work is more important now than ever.

“We look forward to continuing our support of the third sector and their support for infants and families at this crucial stage of life.”

The application process for the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Fund will open on 5 May 2020.

The fund will run for three years, from August 2020 – March 2023.

Third sector organisations interested in applying to this fund, should register online. 

Boris Johnson’s back

PM Boris Johnson made a statement in Downing Street this morning:

I am sorry I have been away from my desk for much longer than I would have liked 

and I want to thank everybody who has stepped up

in particular the First Secretary of State Dominic Raab

who has done a terrific job

but once again I want to thank you

the people of this country

for the sheer grit and guts

you have shown and are continuing to show

every day I know that this virus brings new sadness and mourning to households across the land

and it is still true that this is the biggest single challenge this country has faced since the war

and I in no way minimise the continuing problems we face

and yet it is also true that we are making progress

with fewer hospital admissions

fewer covid patients in ICU

and real signs now that we are passing through the peak

and thanks to your forbearance, your good sense, your altruism, your spirit of community

thanks to our collective national resolve

we are on the brink of achieving that first clear mission

to prevent our national health service from being overwhelmed

in a way that tragically we have seen elsewhere

and that is how and why we are now beginning to turn the tide

If this virus were a physical assailant

an unexpected and invisible mugger

which I can tell you from personal experience it is

then this is the moment when we have begun together to wrestle it to the floor

and so it follows that this is the moment of opportunity

this is the moment when we can press home our advantage

it is also the moment of maximum risk

because I know that there will be many people looking now at our apparent success

and beginning to wonder whether now is the time to go easy on those social distancing measures

and I know how hard and how stressful it has been to give up

even temporarily

those ancient and basic freedoms

not seeing friends, not seeing loved ones

working from home, managing the kids

worrying about your job and your firm

so let me say directly also to British business

to the shopkeepers, to the entrepreneurs, to the hospitality sector

to everyone on whom our economy depends

I understand your impatience

I share your anxiety

And I know that without our private sector

without the drive and commitment of the wealth creators of this country

there will be no economy to speak of

there will be no cash to pay for our public services

no way of funding our NHS

and yes I can see the long term consequences of lock down as clearly as anyone

and so yes I entirely share your urgency

it’s the government’s urgency

and yet we must also recognise the risk of a second spike

the risk of losing control of that virus

and letting the reproduction rate go back over one

because that would mean not only a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster

and we would be forced once again to slam on the brakes across the whole country

and the whole economy

and reimpose restrictions in such a way as to do more and lasting damage

and so I know it is tough

and I want to get this economy moving as fast as I can

but I refuse to throw away all the effort and the sacrifice of the British people

and to risk a second major outbreak and huge loss of life and the overwhelming of the NHS

and I ask you to contain your impatience because I believe we are coming now to the end of the first phase of this conflict

and in spite of all the suffering we have so nearly succeeded

we defied so many predictions

we did not run out of ventilators or ICU beds

we did not allow our NHS to collapse

and on the contrary we have so far collectively shielded our NHS so that our incredible doctors and nurses and healthcare staff have been able to shield all of us

from an outbreak that would have been far worse

and we collectively flattened the peak

and so when we are sure that this first phase is over

and that we are meeting our five tests

deaths falling

NHS protected

rate of infection down

really sorting out the challenges of testing and PPE

avoiding a second peak

then that will be the time to move on to the second phase

in which we continue to suppress the disease

and keep the reproduction rate, the r rate, down,

but begin gradually to refine the economic and social restrictions

and one by one to fire up the engines of this vast UK economy

and in that process difficult judgments will be made

and we simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow or even when those changes will be made

though clearly the government will be saying much more about this in the coming days

and I want to serve notice now that these decisions will be taken with the maximum possible transparency

and I want to share all our working and our thinking, my thinking, with you the British people

and of course, we will be relying as ever on the science to inform us

as we have from the beginning

but we will also be reaching out to build the biggest possible consensus

across business, across industry, across all parts of our United Kingdom

across party lines

bringing in opposition parties as far as we possibly can

because I think that is no less than what the British people would expect

and I can tell you now that preparations are under way

and have been for weeks

to allow us to win phase two of this fight as I believe we are now on track to prevail in phase one

and so I say to you finally if you can keep going in the way that you have kept going so far

if you can help protect our NHS

to save lives

and if we as a country can show the same spirit of optimism and energy shown by Captain Tom Moore

who turns 100 this week

if we can show the same spirit of unity and determination as we have all shown in the past six weeks

then I have absolutely no doubt that

we will beat it together

we will come through this all the faster

and the United Kingdom

will emerge stronger than ever before.

Greens call for government to cover nursing fees

The Scottish Greens have called on the Scottish Government to demonstrate its appreciation for Scotland’s nurses by covering their 2020 professional registration fees.

Nurses and midwives in Scotland are required to pay an annual registration fee of £120 to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, but Scottish Greens Parliamentary Co-Leader Alison Johnstone MSP has called on the First Minister to cover that cost this year as a small token of appreciation for the role these professionals are playing in the fight against coronavirus.

Alison Johnstone MSP said: “All across the country nurses and midwives have gone above and beyond during this crisis. From supporting young families, to comforting dying patients whose loved ones cannot be with them, these dedicated professionals play an essential role in the fight against coronavirus.

“It becomes more evident every day how crucial frontline health and care staff are to our communities, and there are rightly calls for a review of how we remunerate all our health and care workers who have put themselves at risk to protect us.

“One modest measure the Scottish Government could take immediately to show a small token of appreciation to our nurses and midwives is to cover their professional registration fees.

“Covering the £120 fee payable by nurses and midwives to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for 2020 would be a small gesture, but one that I’m sure would be most welcomed.

“Quite rightly those retired professionals who have been called back to support our NHS during this crisis have not been charged registration fees, and it would be fitting if this consideration was shown across the board.”

Coronavirus update – First Minister’s speech Friday 24 April

Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh:

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

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

As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 9,697 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 288 from yesterday.

A total of 1710 patients are in hospital with Covid-19 – that is a decrease of 38 from yesterday.

A total of 141 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is also a decrease of 7 since yesterday.

These figures for hospital admissions and intensive care are giving us real and growing cause for optimism that the current lockdown is working to suppress the virus.

That’s the good news, perhaps the less good news is that also tells us why we must stick with these lockdown restrictions, because as I’ve said many times before standing here, any easing up on that at all right now would risk us putting all that progress into reverse and the virus quickly running out of control again.  So please stick with the restrictions because as you can see they are working

I am also, in some other good news, able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 2,271 patients who had tested positive for the virus and been admitted to hospital have been able to leave hospital, and I wish all of them well.

However on a much sadder note, I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 64 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 1,184.

As I’ve said before, we provide these statistics for a very important reason, it helps tell us and tell you what is happening with the virus and how it is progressing across the country and what impact it is having. But the people behind these statistics could be the loved ones of any of us and that’s what I always bear in mind when I report the numbers to you every day. Each and every one of these statistics was a real person and across the country right now their deaths are being mourned by family members whose lives will never be the same again without them. So once again today I want to convey my deepest  condolences to everyone who is grieving for a loved one as a result of this virus.

I also want to thank again – as I always do and always will – our health and care workers.  Last night, I – along with thousands of people across the country – once again took part in the applause at 8 o’clock.  It has become a regular – and very special – feature of our week and our Thursday evenings in particular.  And it’s just one small way in which we show our appreciation, for the extraordinary work that all of you do and I again today I give my sincere thanks to all of you.

That Thursday night applause has also become a way for all of us in streets and communities up and down the land to briefly come together to share some kindness and show some solidarity. At a very grim and difficult  time these really are special moments indeed.

Now, there a two issues I want to cover today before handing on to my colleagues and opening up to questions.

The first issues is just to recap the paper the Scottish Government published yesterday, on how we might begin to go through a process over the weeks to comes of restoring some level of normality to our everyday lives, while we also continue to contain and suppress the virus and minimise the harms that it does.

I can tell you today that since it was published – this time yesterday –  more than 250,000 people have viewed the paper on the Scottish Government’s website.

So thank you to those of you who have taken the time to engage with this and I would encourage those who haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet to take some time to read the document.

I noted yesterday that most people will never read a government document but if you are ever going to do it at all this is the time. So please take some time to read what we set out, the principles that are going to guide us, some of the factors we have to take into account. And if you’ve got views that you would like us to consider in this next phase of our work then please don’t hesitate to tell us what they are.

As I said yesterday, this publication is an attempt to have grown up conversation with the wider public in Scotland.  We want to be really frank with you every step of the way about the complexities and uncertainties of the decision that lie ahead.

We need to be clear now that lockdown remains essential for the reasons I mentioned a moment ago, and that even as we are able to start to ease some of these restrictions, we’re going to have to do so very carefully, very cautiously  – probably very slowly and gradually. We’re going to have to take what I described this morning as baby steps in doing this. We’ve got to try to seek a new normal, because how we are living our lives right now has consequences and can’t go on forever, but we have to recognised the virus has not gone away, so there will be changes in how we live our lives  that will be necessary for some time to come, until science in the form of treatments and a vaccine offer new solutions to us.

So this really is about all of us and its impact on the lives of each and every one of us and that’s why it’s important everyone feels part of this process.

What’s important to me as First Minister, in contrast to the uncertainties that politicians usually like to express, is that I can also be frank with you about the uncertainties and the complexities of the decisions that lie ahead.

Those decisions will make demands on all of us and the lives that we lead so I want that process to be as open as possible. And the paper that we published yesterday, which so many of you have already taken the opportunity to read, is the start of that process.

As I said yesterday,  in the days and few weeks ahead, we will set out more detail on the different options we will consider, as well as the modelling and scientific advice that underpins and informs our decisions.  And of course, as we develop and assess those options, we will continue to engage as widely as possible, across the different sectors and groups of society.

Lastly,  I want to reemphasise an important point.  It’s one that I made yesterday it and it’s one I’ve made already in my remarks to you today.

Moving on from where we are now will only be possible only if and when we get the virus under control and we have more confidence that is the case. And so it remains absolutely vital that all of us continue to comply with the public health guidance and rules that are in place.

To reiterate, that means staying at home, unless you are going out for essential purposes – such as exercising once a day, or buying food and medicines.

It means that if you do go out, do not meet up with people from other households, and please stay two metres apart from other people.

And it means wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

By following these rules, we can continue, as we are doing right now, to slow the spread of this virus.  And we can hasten the day, when we return if not to complete, but to some semblance of normality in our everyday lives.

The second item I want to update you on, is our work to ensure that Scotland’s NHS has the supplies that it needs to care for people in this time.

Over the past month, the Minister for Trade Ivan McKee has been leading work to ensure that any shortages are overcome – and that supply chains can continue to meet demand.

That has involved at times sourcing equipment from alternative supply chains.  And where necessary, we have looked overseas to source the equipment we need.

For example, last weekend, a major consignment of PPE arrived at Prestwick Airport, from China. It included 10 million fluid-resistant face masks, as well as equipment for use in intensive care units and laboratories.

I can confirm that, just an hour ago, another of those consignments arrived at Prestwick.  It includes 100,000 testing kits, as well as another 10 million face masks.

Of course, alongside international procurement, we’re also working to boost Scotland’s domestic supply lines.

About a month ago, we put out a call to action, to Scotland’s businesses.  We asked them to support the flow of supplies and equipment, to our health and social care sector.

To date, more than 1,600 businesses and individuals have answered that call.  And I want to thank each and every one of them.

We are working hard to assess and coordinate each of those offers, as quickly as possible.  And in doing that, we are prioritising the support that is needed most.

Our work with Calachem – a company based in Grangemouth – is a good example.  Calachem have now produced 20,000 litres of hand sanitiser.  The sanitiser was manufactured using denatured alcohol from Whyte & Mackay.  It was bottled by the Stonehaven-based company, McPhie.  And deliveries of the product – to our front line services – will begin from next week.

The Scottish Government has formed this supply chain, in an incredibly short space of time.  It will produce 560,000 litres of hand sanitiser, over the next four weeks.  And that will be enough meet the needs of Scotland’s entire health and social care sector.

Another example is the work we’re doing with the firm Alpha Solway.  They are currently manufacturing 20,000 face visors per day, at their factory in Annan.  And in total, they are supplying an order of over one million visors, to our NHS.

These businesses – and many more like them – are doing hugely important work. Rightly and properly we will continue to talk about getting supplies of this kind of equipment to the front line, but I thought it was useful today to give you an insight into the work that’s being done to ensure these supplies keep flowing and the we have sufficient of them to get through this crisis.

So these companies and many more in addition to the ones I’ve mentioned today are playing a critical part in our overall collective national endeavour in Scotland to tackle this crisis and I want to put on record today my heartfelt thanks to each and every one.

Let me close today by saying something about this weekend.  I’m conscious that it will be the fifth weekend, since Scotland went into lockdown.  And I know that they only get harder, as time goes on.

I also know that this weekend will be particularly difficult for Scotland’s Muslim communities – who are now observing the holy month of Ramadan.  It will be tough not to be able to host people in your home, or visit friends and family, or attend your local mosque.  And the Justice Secretary, who is himself observing Ramadan, will say a bit more about that, shortly.

However, I want to end by emphasising the sacrifices we’re all making, are having a positive impact.  We have a long way to go, I shared some of that with you yesterday, but it is equally true to say that we are seeing hopeful signs and so it’s vital that we stick with it – and build on the work we’ve done, so far.

By doing that, we are slowing the spread of this virus, we are protecting our NHS, and despite the horrible statistics I report to you on a daily basis, we are saving lives.  So I want to thank all of you, once again, for playing your part and doing that.