A Council community hub in Westerhailes has opened as Edinburgh’s newest Covid-19 testing centre as part of the UK Government’s drive to make testing more accessible to local people.
Providing an additional and safe spot for anyone showing symptoms, nearby residents can now pre-book a test at the Gate 55 centre by visiting www.nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect or by calling 0800 028 2816.
Anyone attending an appointment will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the centre safely, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.
Adam McVey, Council Leader, said: “Keeping Edinburgh’s residents safe remains our top priority and the best way to do that is by encouraging people to follow the latest guidance and get tested if they have any Covid-19 symptoms.
“We’re already playing our part by providing the Government with staff support and access to the Usher Hall for testing, which has been going really well. It’s helping hundreds of people every week to get tested so I’m pleased that we’re now building on this by opening up our community hub at Gate 55.
” Well-known and well-placed for all West Edinburgh residents, it’s an ideal site to offer easy access to testing. It will prove particularly useful for those in our community who don’t have private transport and for nearby students, if they’re feeling unwell.
Cammy Day, Depute Leader, said: “The Usher Hall site has been fantastic and many students and local people are finding it easy to walk or cycle in to get checked. It isn’t handy for everyone though – particularly those in the West of the city.
“The new option of visiting Gate 55 will provide more choice and a familiar and accessible place for people in Sighthill and Westerhailes. I urge anyone with symptoms to follow the guidance and make sure they get checked out.”
The Gate 55 testing site is open now between 8:00am and 8:00pm and can be found at 55 Sighthill Road, Edinburgh.
Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including while travelling to and from the testing centre.
Anyone who tests positive will be contacted by contact tracers to help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with and protect others from further transmission.
Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from contact tracers, asking them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book at test if they develop symptoms.
The UK’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Jonathan Van-Tam outlines the current Covid-19 situation:
In our national fight against Covid-19, we are at a tipping point similar to where we were in March; but we can prevent history repeating itself if we all act now.
ONS data show that an estimated 224,000 people have the virus – up from 116,000 last week, hospital admissions for Covid-19 are rising again, as are intensive care admissions. Although the epidemic re-started in younger adult age groups in the last few weeks, there is clear evidence of gradual spread into older age groups in the worst affected areas.
Sadly, just as night follows day, increases in deaths will now follow on in the next few weeks. The good news, is that we are much more certain now that children are usually not badly affected by this virus.
The R for the UK is between 1.2 – 1.5. Roughly this means that every one case generates more than one new case, through onward transmission – so the epidemic grows larger. Every NHS region of England has an R that is well above 1.0, suggesting that widespread increases in transmission continues across the country, not just in the north of England. Scientists estimate that the doubling time in the UK for new infections is between 8 and 16 days and is even faster in some areas.
SAGE is clear that we need to act now.
Winter in the NHS is always a difficult period, and that is why in the first wave our strategy was: “contain, delay, research and mitigate” to push the first wave into Spring. This time it is different as we are now are going into the colder, darker winter months. We are in the middle of a severe pandemic and the seasons are against us. Basically, we are running into a headwind.
The NHS is bracing itself and they will do what they always do, which is work their socks off to help as many people as possible. But we need to be realistic – there is only so much they can do. We all have to help our hard-working NHS staff continue to care for everyone who needs it urgently, and provide as many non-urgent tests, checks and treatments as possible, by helping to stem the rising tide of infections.
People point out that we must not lose sight of the indirect harms of Covid-19. They are absolutely right. We need to keep elective surgeries and non-urgent services open for as long as we can; we need to keep cancer treatment and diagnostic services going; and we need to continue to provide mental health services. And importantly, we need people to come forward for that care when they need it – and we know that, during the first peak, fear of the virus put many off from doing so.
The best way we can do this is to keep the number of Covid-19 cases down. If cases rise dramatically the NHS will need to focus more on dealing with the life threatening situations immediately in front of them; this can mean freeing up staff and space by postponing other non-urgent procedures and treatments. We need to help the NHS by keeping Covid-19 numbers low; and in turn the NHS will be there for us, our families and loved ones.
The principles for how we keep transmission low have not changed. Above all else, if you have Covid-19 symptoms you must self-isolate in line with published guidance and get a test.
At all times, even when you are well, wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering in confined spaces and follow the 2 metre social distancing rules. By keeping our contacts low we reduce the number of opportunities for the virus to spread. I know this is very hard, but it is an unfortunate scientific fact that the virus thrives on humans making social contact with one another.
What I would give to have had the level of data, testing and medical insight we have now back in February and March this year. We now have much-improved testing capabilities, we know in more detail where the disease is, and we have better treatments.
Earlier in the year we were fighting a semi-invisible disease, about which we had little knowledge, and it seeded in the community at great speed. Now we know where it is and how to tackle it – let’s grasp this opportunity and prevent history from repeating itself.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce tougher restrictions for England tomorrow.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday (Friday 8 October):
Good afternoon, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the usual report on the daily COVID statistics.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 1,246.
That is 16.2% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 37,033.
440 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 306 in Lanarkshire, and 192 in Lothian.
The remaining cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.
I can also confirm that 397 people are currently in hospital – that is an increase of 20 since yesterday.
33 people are now in intensive care, that is 2 more than yesterday.
And I regret to say that 6 additional deaths have been registered of people who first tested positive during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths, under the measure used in these daily figures, is therefore now 2,544.
Today’s total – and indeed all of the deaths that have been recorded in recent days – reminds us, and should remind us, again that Covid is a virus that is deadly for some people, as well as being really dangerous for others.
This is not a virus that we can be complacent about or just allow to spread unchecked, however much we might wish it was and I think that is an important point in the context of everything else I will say today. But let me at this stage pass on my condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one to this illness.
Now, I have a couple of points I want to update on today. First of all, let me report that two more walk-in testing centres have opened this week.
A new centre opened in Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire yesterday, and a centre is opening for bookings in Stirling shortly.
We are continuing to work with the UK Government to increase the number of walk-in sites across the country, and several more – including centres in Dundee and Inverness – are due to open later this month.
These add to the five walk-in centres that are already in operation – two in Glasgow and one each in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews. These five centres, that are already operational, are within walking distance of student campuses, and therefore will be especially useful for students. But I want to stress that all walk-in centres are open to all members of the public. You can book a test by going onto the NHS Inform website.
As always, please don’t use public transport to travel to any testing centre.
If you do not have a car – and can’t walk, or cycle to a testing centre – please book a home testing kit through NHS Inform.
And remember, because this is an absolutely crucial point for all of us to understand, that you must start to self-isolate from the time you start to experience symptoms of Covid – you must not wait until you get a test result before you start self-isolating.
That is a really important point to make sure that we are doing everything we can to break the chains of transmission.
My second theme today, as you would expect, relates to the new regulations which come into force later today and tomorrow.
The regulations applying to hospitality will take effect at 6pm this evening – those relating to other premises like snooker and bingo halls take effect tomorrow. They will all be in force until Sunday 25th October – in other words, across two weeks and three weekends.
First – and with the exception of five central belt health board areas that I will come onto shortly where tighter restrictions will apply – pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes will only be able to operate indoors on a very restricted basis.
They can only open indoors from 6 am to 6 pm, for the service of food and non-alcoholic drinks.
They can however continue to serve alcohol outdoors up to the existing curfew time of 10 pm.
In addition, hotel restaurants will be able to serve residents indoors beyond 6 pm, but will not be able to serve alcohol.
In all cafes, restaurants and bars that will remain open, the existing rules on meetings will continue to apply – so that means no more than 6 people can meet, and they should come from no more than 2 households.
However there is an exemption to these rules – and this exemption applies in all parts of Scotland – for weddings that have already been booked and of course for funerals. The current rules for these will continue to apply.
As I indicated earlier this week, we are introducing stricter restrictions in five health board regions: Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley.
I think you probably only need to look at today’s figures to get a sense of why we have taken that difficult decision. I mentioned that there are 440 new cases in Glasgow today, 306 in Lanarkshire, 192 in Lothian.
Numbers in Forth Valley and Ayrshire and Arran are lower – at 53 new cases in Forth Valley and 84 in Ayrshire and Arran – but they are still very high for the population of those areas.
And given that people live and work across all five areas, there can be a ripple effect between them, which is a further reason that tighter restrictions apply to all five of these health boards.
So in these areas, all licensed bars and restaurants will be required to close indoors and outdoors from 6pm this evening, though takeaways will be permitted. There is again an exception for hotels serving food and non-alcoholic drinks to residents.
Now I want to address a frustration about what I understand some see as a lack of clarity over the exemption for cafes – which are being allowed to stay open even in the central belt during the day as long as they don’t serve alcohol.
The reason for this café exemption is quite simple, it is to give people – particularly those who might be living alone and also working from home – somewhere they can still meet a friend for a coffee and a chat. And we judge that as important to help reduce the loneliness and isolation that comes with some of these restrictions that are in place right now.
But, and this is the other side of this balance, we are deliberately trying to reduce the volume of places that people come together so that we can stop the virus spreading, so we’ve got to draw any exemption really tightly.
That’s why we are not allowing premises like restaurants to decide to just stop serving alcohol, become cafes and therefore stay open – that would undermine the purpose of these restrictions.
But we did realise there was a potential anomaly for existing cafes that have an alcohol licence even though serving alcohol is very incidental to their business. What I announced the other day would have forced these cafes to close. In some areas – particularly rural areas – they might be the only cafe in a village.
So we decided to try to resolve this in a very targeted way. And in the 24 hours that we have been doing so, I readily accept that that has resulted in a lack of clarity.
But sometimes that’s the price we have to pay right now for trying to be as flexible as possible. It would have been easier and would have given much greater clarity just to stick to the position yesterday that cafes with a licence had to close.
But we decided to try to strike a different balance.
I can confirm that the Regulations being published today, I think they have just been published before the briefing started, have a definition of cafe which applies regardless of whether or not they have a licence. And that definition is –
“An establishment whose primary business activity, in the ordinary course of its business, is the sale of non alcoholic drinks, snacks or light meals.”
Now that is a definition based on what a cafe already does. It doesn’t allow a restaurant to now turn itself into a cafe.
I think business owners will know whether their establishment fits that definition or not. But any doubts or questions that any have should be discussed with local environmental health authorities.
I know how tough this is and I can’t tell you how sorry I am to be standing here in a position where we are requiring some businesses to close again. I am desperately sorry for that, and I know how desperately difficult this is for people trying to make a living, keep businesses they have worked to build up going and of course take care of their staff.
But government – all governments – are trying to strike right now almost impossible balances between lives and jobs.
And speaking for the Scottish Government, we are trying to do that as best we can. As I’ve said all along we will not always get it perfectly right but we are trying our best to get through this as well as we can.
Let me turn now to the other central belt restrictions that will be in place for the next two weeks.
Snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling alleys, casinos and bingo halls will close in those areas for two weeks, from tomorrow.
Contact sports for people aged 18 and over will also be suspended – with an exception for professional sports.
Indoor group exercise activities will not be allowed, although the current rules will remain in place for under-18s, and gyms and pools can remain open for individual exercise.
And outdoor live events will not be permitted in these five areas for the next two weeks.
And in general, we are advising people who live in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley not to travel outside the health board area that they live in, if they do not need to. Similarly, people in other parts of Scotland should not travel to those areas if they do not need to.
That said, we are not imposing mandatory travel restrictions at this stage. And we are not asking people to cancel any half-term breaks that they might have. But we are asking people, if you don’t need to travel – don’t do it at this stage.
Finally, if you live in these five health board areas please limit public transport to essential purposes only, for example, going to school or to work, if you are not able to work from home.
Now, I know that businesses who are affected by these temporary restrictions rightly want to know details of the compensation package that we are developing to support them for the next two week period.
We intended to publish details on the allocation of our £40 million support fund this morning. But we are now expecting an announcement from the Chancellor later today on furlough which might have an impact on our proposals, I hope they will have a positive impact on our proposals – so we will publish details after we have clarity on that. I would call on the UK government to ensure that whatever it announces today on furlough applies in Scotland from tonight.
However, I do now want to outline the three strands of the additional Scottish Government package:
Support for employment – this was intended to top up the existing furlough scheme. However, it is this aspect that might be impacted – we hope positively – by the Chancellor’s announcement later today.
We will give a cash grant over and above any employment support for each business that is being required to close or reduce their operations. This is likely to be at the same level as the support provided in Aberdeen when we had the local lockdown there – and that was, depending on rateable value, grants of £1000 or £1500.
We will make available a discretionary fund for local authorities to distribute to businesses that are in need of support but might not fall into the categories that I have already covered.
As I say, we will publish details of that once we have clarity of the first strand which we hope to get from the Chancellor later on. The restrictions which are coming into force today are significant, there is no way in which I can suggest otherwise. But the case numbers we have seen in recent weeks – including, increasingly, the figures now for people being hospitalised – show why these restrictions are necessary.
We have to stop the virus from spreading further. And having already restricted meetings between households in each other’s homes, the most important additional step we can take is to restrict people meeting up in places like bars and restaurants.
These measures still allow for some social contact in cafes as I have already outlined. And they do not prevent people from taking the half term holidays that they had already booked, or from going ahead with weddings which have already been planned. We have tried to minimize the impact on your lives as much as possible while still doing as much as we need to do to get this virus under control.
But for a period, and this is why for a period of just over two weeks, we will remove some of the major opportunities the virus has to spread. And we do believe this can have and will have a significant impact on transmission.
And so I know these steps are unwelcome – and believe me when I say they have been imposed with the greatest reluctance – I would urge all of you to stick with them. The only alternative to restrictions like this right now is a continuing surge in COVID, which would take more lives and probably in turn require even tighter restrictions in the weeks and months to come.
Now in addition to the temporary restrictions which come into place this weekend, and this is the point I will end on – I would urge everyone to continue to stick with the existing rules and guidance.
None of us should be visiting each other’s homes at the moment – except for specific purposes like childcare. That is a really tough restriction but it is perhaps the most important way we have of stopping this virus jumping from household to household.
When we do meet – outdoors, or in cafes – the maximum group size is 6, from a maximum of two households.
In addition, only car-share if it is essential.
Work from home if you can.
Download the Protect Scotland app, if you haven’t already done so.
And finally, please remember FACTS – FACTS comprises the basic rules that if we all follow take away the opportunities for the virus to spread. So:
Face coverings
Avoid crowded places.
Clean hands and hard surfaces
Two metres distance from people in other households.
and Self isolate, and get tested, if you have symptoms.
I know this is tough, I really do know this is tough and none of what the government is doing right now is being done lightly. I do not want to be standing here imposing restrictions that limit the freedoms we all love and take for granted but this is, as it was at the very start of this pandemic, about saving lives and keeping each other as safe and as well as we possibly can.
We will get through this, it will pass, that much I do know, but I know it will pass easier and possibly more quickly if we pull together, stick together and look out for each other by doing all of these really important things. So my deep gratitude to all of you for that. Jason is now going to say a word of two before he and I turn to questions as usual.
A number of people – understood to be fewer than five – have died in the Western General Hospital following an outbreak of Covid-19 on a cancer ward.Six other patients have also been confirmed with the virus.
NHS Lothian is investigating the outbreak and the oncology ward has been closed to new admissions and discharges to allow tests to be carried out.
Patients and staff are being screened for the virus as part of the health board’s response.
Public health expert Prof Linda Bauld told BC Reporting Scotland: “Infections do happen, not just for Covid, but the cause is always that someone has brought in the infection normally from outside, then it does spread.
“I know that the NHS has been working incredibly hard to develop Covid-secure areas, including priority testing for cancer patients. Obviously we just need to get to the bottom of why this happened.”
An incident management team (IMT) has been set up and strict infection control measures have been put in place on the ward.
All patients have been informed of the outbreak and contact tracing is being carried out.
Patients who would normally return home for the weekend have been asked to remain in the hospital to reduce the risk of further transmission.
Dr Donald Inverarity, consultant microbiologist and chair of the Incident Management Team, said: “Our thoughts are with the family of the deceased and I would like to express our sincere condolences.
“The situation will continue to be reviewed and monitored very closely.
“Patient safety is our main priority and while we understand that the request not to go home for the weekend may be upsetting, it is necessary.
“It will help reduce the risk of onwards transmission and protect their families and the wider community. I would like to thank patients and their families for their co-operation and understanding.”
Temporary steps announced to tackle record infection rates.
Further measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) are to come into effect tomorrow as Scotland recorded more than 1,000 new positive test results in a single day.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told parliament yesterday that actions are needed now to prevent a return to the peak level of infections experienced in spring by the end of this month.
"It is by taking tough but necessary action now that we hope to avoid even tougher action in future."
She said: “While there are significant restrictions still in place – and they are hard and painful – we are living much more freely now than in the spring and early summer.
“We are determined – if at all possible – that this will continue to be the case. We are not going back into lockdown today. We are not closing schools. We are not halting the remobilisation of the NHS for non-Covid care. And we are not asking people to stay at home.
“The need for action is highlighted by today’s figures and, more fundamentally, in the evidence paper published today. To try to interrupt this trajectory, we must act now. While the measures will feel like a backward step, they are in the interests of protecting our progress overall.
“It is by taking the tough but necessary action now that we hope to avoid even tougher action in future.”
The new restrictions, backed by a new £40 million support fund for business and the existing UK Job Retention Scheme, will be in place nationwide for 16 days, with tighter restrictions across central belt areas where the infection rate is highest.
Restrictions on licensed premises will come into force from 6pm tomorrow (Friday 9 October), with all other restrictions applying from 00:01 Saturday 10 October.
The new measures are:
Nationwide (excepting central belt areas):
Hospitality (food and drink): all premises may only open indoors between 6am and 6pm, with no sales of alcohol
Hospitality (food and drink): premises may open outdoors until 10pm, with sales of alcohol (where licensed)
Takeaways (including from pubs and restaurants) can continue
Evening meals may be served in accommodation for residents only but no alcohol can be served
Current meeting rules, maximum of six people from two households, continue to apply
Specific life events, such as weddings and funerals, may continue with alcohol being served, with current meeting rules for these events (20 person limit in regulated premises only)
Central belt area focusing on five health board areas (Ayrshire & Arran; Forth Valley; Greater Glasgow & Clyde; Lanarkshire; Lothian):
All licensed premises will be required to close, with the exception of takeaway services
Cafés (unlicensed premises) which don’t have an alcohol licence will be able to open between 6am and 6pm
Takeaways (including from pubs and restaurants) can continue
Evening meals may be served in accommodation for residents only but no alcohol can be served
Specific life events, such as weddings and funerals, may continue with alcohol, with current meeting rules for these events (20 person limit in regulated premises only)
No group exercise classes for indoor gyms and sports courts, pools with an exemption for under 18s
No adult (18+) contact sports or training, except professional sports, indoor or outdoor
No outdoor live events
Snooker/pool halls, indoor bowling, casinos and bingo halls are to close
Public transport use should be minimised as much as possible, such as for education and work, where it cannot be done from home
Current meeting rules, maximum of six people from two households, continue to apply
Additionally, from this weekend, shops across Scotland are asked to return to two metres physical distancing and reintroduce the mitigations they put in place earlier in the pandemic, including one-way systems.
The challenge Scotland faces has also been set out in an evidence paper published today by senior clinical advisors: the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Nursing Officer and the National Clinical Director. It shows the R number is currently higher in Scotland than in other UK nations and that three weeks after opening hospitality, the R number rose to 1 and above.
In the seven days up to Monday, the number of people in hospital with Covid increased by almost 80%. In the past week, cases in people over 80 years old increased by 60% and cases in the 60-79 year old age group more than doubled.
During the period these measures are in place, the Scottish Government will work with all sectors to review guidance in place to ensure all steps are being taken to minimise COVID-19 transmission and support compliance with regulations.
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has reacted to the announcement, which will decimate many of Scotland’s businesses – in particular, the hospitality sector which employs tens of thousands of people in Edinburgh.
In particular, businesses in the sector believe:
The evidence base on which the Government is making decisions which have such devastating impacts needs to be more robust and compelling. The Government’s own analysis is that 1 in 5 of those reporting infections have visited hospitality venues, and acknowledges that there is no evidence confirming where they acquired the virus
The First Minister acknowledges that the vast majority of hospitality businesses have spent scarce resources and significant time making their premises as safe as possible, yet still hospitality venues bear the brunt of restrictive measures
There has been NO genuine consultation with the sector on what measures are necessary and NO desire to seek any potential alternative solutions with businesses.
Joanne Davidson, Director of Policy at Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: “Everyone in the country acknowledges the pandemic is a serious public health issue and we appreciate that Government has to make hard decisions in the current climate.
“However, it is an issue we need to tackle together, and that means involving businesses in the process. Taking decisions without recourse to those whose lives, businesses, employment and well-being are torn apart by these decisions is not the way to bring our country through this process successfully.
“Along with all of our colleagues in the Chamber network, we call on the Scottish Government to consult in a genuine way with business, to provide more robust data on which serious decisions are being based, and to seek solutions and meaningful engagement with the business community which minimise the impact and ensure adequate and appropriate financial support is made available to protect jobs and livelihoods.”
Federation of Small Businesses Scotland is warning that the mental health of small business owners and the self-employed has suffered during this pandemic.
FSB’s Andrew McRae said: “The vast majority of those in business want to be – and are – playing their part in tackling the crisis. But this year has taken its toll on the mental health of those that work for themselves, especially those that operate in certain sectors.
“Governments north and south of the border need to ensure there’s enough help on offer to see smaller firms through a crisis that’s not of their making. These local firms aren’t expendable, and care needs to be taken not to treat them as such.”
FSB offers a range of mental health support advice for members and the wider small business community.
SEPA’s latest statement on unplanned flaring was issued at 8.30pm last night:
Having received reports of elevated flaring at the ExxonMobil Chemical Fife Ethylene Plant shortly after 3:30pm on Sunday, SEPA officers have remained in contact with the site across the day.
SEPA’s four remote monitoring points around the site, at Lochgelly, Auchtertool, Donibristle and Little Raith continue to capture data and environment protection officers have deployed to record community impacts at five locations surrounding the site.
Whilst monitors continue to demonstrate no breach of air quality standards*, officers continue to note noise, light and vibration impacting local communities.
With no firm indication as yet from ExxonMobil Chemical Limited of the cause of the flaring other than ‘a trip on one of our machines’, or further information on expected duration, specialist officers remain deployed this evening gathering information, data and evidence.
We do so to determine whether there has been a breach of permit conditions and what our next steps should be in line with our published Enforcement Policy. We will provide updates as soon as further information becomes available.
Hospitality Group Warns of House Party Boom if Lockdown Tightened
A group of Scotland’s most successful restaurant and bar operators have pleaded with customers to stay away from house parties this weekend, after Scotland’s National Clinical Director highlighted household mixing was a major driver of the upsurge in Covid infections.
The Scottish Hospitality Group, whose members employ over 6,000 people, has also warned that any further tightening of lockdown in the sector will drive a boom in illegal gatherings in homes across the country and will force many pubs, restaurants and hotels to close their doors permanently.
SHG spokesman Stephen Montgomery, who runs two successful hotels in Dumfries, said: “Professor Jason Leitch was spot-on when he identified household mixing as the major cause of increased infections.
“Unlike in bars and restaurants, where there is track and trace, social distancing, PPE and strict hygiene rules, if you go to a house party this weekend, you’re just playing Covid Russian Roulette.
“We’re urging people to follow the official advice not to take the huge risk of socialising at home, and to do so safely in Scotland’s bars and restaurants, where they can be sure that all possible precautions have been taken to look after them properly.
“Scotland’s bars and restaurants are a vital part of the fight against the spread of Covid. If we are locked down or the restrictions on us are tightened, it will simply drive more people to socialise at home, with the inevitable increases in Covid that will follow.”
Kenny Blair, founder of Buzzworks, which operates 12 venues in Ayrshire, said: “Publicans and restaurateurs have followed Scottish Government guidance to the letter. We are a vital part of the solution to combatting Covid.
“We’re the only safe place people can socialise, and the figures from SHG members – over 1.8million customers served since July, with only 17 confirmed cases – show that the Government’s own measures are working really effectively.
“However, the clear feedback we are getting from many in our industry right across the country is that they are only just managing to stay afloat. If we have further restrictions imposed or, God forbid, another lockdown, it will be Armageddon for a sector which employs more young Scots people than any other.”
The Scottish Hospitality Group comprises many of the country’s largest and best-known restaurant and bar businesses, including The DRG Group, Buzzworks Holdings, Signature Pubs, Montpeliers, Manorview Group, Lisini Pub Co, Caledonia Inns, G1 Group, Siberia Bar & Hotel, Mor-Rioghain Group, and Caledonian Heritable.
Drive through clinics for the flu vaccination in Edinburgh will be closed tomorrow (Saturday 3 October) in response to a severe weather alert issued by the Met Office.
A warning for heavy downpours has been put in place for the region, during which flooding and travel disruption is expected. The Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership has taken the decision to temporarily pause drive through vaccination clinics, which operate outdoors, as a result.
A spokesperson for the Partnership said: “Keeping the people of Edinburgh safe and healthy is our priority, and we feel it is the right step to close our drive through clinics when a spell of such severe weather is expected to hit the City.
“While our clinics do not require patients to leave the car, they do involve our nurses and front line workers administering the flu vaccine outdoors. We need to ensure their safety and wellbeing should heavy downpours and flooding occur, as indicated by the severe weather warning, and we want to avoid encouraging our patients to make unnecessary travel during extreme road conditions.
“This is, of course, a temporary step and we’ll re-open centres as soon as it is safe to do so. Our plan is for all centres to be operating again on Sunday.”
Walk through clinics scheduled for Saturday will operate as planned and information is available through the NHS Inform website.
Residents are also advised to monitor the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership’s social media channels for the latest updates.
People eligible for the free flu vaccine are being urged to take up the offer to protect themselves and others and help the NHS avoid additional pressure over the winter period.
This year the vaccine is being offered to more people than ever to address the additional risk posed by coronavirus (COVID-19). In order to vaccinate more people safely, where you go to get your vaccine may be different from previous years and may not be at a GP surgery.
New walk-in or drive-through centres have been set up in many areas within local facilities, such as town halls and community hubs, along with outreach programmes for the sole purpose of delivering the free flu jab. They will provide a safe alternative to GP surgeries for many adults who are eligible and have received, or will receive, a letter in the coming weeks, to book a vaccination appointment.
GP practices will continue to play an important role – particularly for the most vulnerable members of the community.
As in previous years, local health teams will be deployed to primary schools to offer the vaccination to all primary school aged children.
For those living in and working in care homes, along with those receiving care at home and the elderly, local NHS Boards are making arrangements for vaccinations to take place in the home.
Vaccination for the different groups will be staggered with those most at risk being prioritised. So far, invitations have been sent to two of those groups, parents of those aged 2-5 years and those aged 65 and over, inviting them to make an appointment.
From October, further letters will be sent to priority groups including:
All primary school children
Anyone with an eligible health condition
Pregnant women
Healthcare workers
Unpaid and young carers
Those living in the same home as people previously shielding from coronavirus
Social care workers who provide direct personal care
From December, those aged 55 to 64 (by 31 March 2021) who would not usually be eligible will also be offered the flu vaccine.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nicola Steedman (above) said: “This year, more than ever, it is important that you receive your flu vaccine if you are eligible.
“The way the flu vaccine is administered will be a little different for many people, given COVID-19 restrictions, and it may not be at a GP practice for some.
“Some people may be worried about the risks of going out to get their vaccination, but getting your flu vaccine is one of the most important reasons for leaving your home and strict infection prevention and control measures will be in place to protect you. The vaccine is safe and it’s the best way to help protect you from flu this winter. It only takes a few minutes to be vaccinated, and it helps to provide protection from flu for around a year.
“Flu is serious and with COVID-19 still circulating in the community there is increased risk to life if you are ill with both viruses simultaneously, therefore we all need to play our part to keep ourselves as healthy as possible over the winter months. Flu vaccination is a big part of that.”
Everyone who is eligible for a free flu jab will be contacted in writing in the coming weeks with details of how to make an appointment. These letters will not all be sent out at the same time and instead will be staggered to ensure those most at clinical risk are prioritised.
People will receive a letter asking them to book an appointment at a venue which may be at their local pharmacy, attending a local walk through centre, by visiting a GP practice or nearby mobile unit or with a district nurse.
More information on eligibility and how to make an appointment in your area is available at nhsinform.scot/flu – or call 0800 22 44 88 where an NHS24 call handler will be able to direct you.
The flu vaccination programme will run from early October through to February next year.
Flu immunisation begins in autumn. This year, with coronavirus (COVID-19) circulating, the flu vaccine is being offered to more people than ever before in Scotland.
Please note that flu vaccinations are being offered differently in some areas of Scotland this year, and might not be at your GP practice as in previous years.
The following groups are eligible for the free flu vaccine this year:
Those living in the same home as people previously shielding from coronavirus
A second phase is planned to begin in December, and will include those aged 55 to 64 (by 31 March 2021) who would not usually be eligible.
The vaccine is safe, effective and is the best protection against flu. It reduces your risk of getting flu and spreading it to others, especially those who are most at risk.
You have to be immunised every year because the virus changes each year and your immunity reduces over time. The vaccine takes around ten days to work so the sooner you get it the better. Help our NHS avoid the pressure that a spike in seasonal flu would put on top of coronavirus.
Getting your flu vaccine is one of the most important reasons for leaving your home. Strict infection prevention and control measures will be in place during vaccination.
If you are eligible due to a health condition, the risk of getting seriously ill with the flu virus is greater than the risk of going to get your vaccine.
Find out if you’re eligible for a free flu vaccine and get more information about this year’s vaccine. Or call 0800 22 44 88 (open 8 am – 10 pm, 7 days a week).
