Tag: restriction easing

UK’s travel rules relaxed from today

  • from 4am this morning (11 February) all testing requirements removed for eligible fully vaccinated arrivals and only a simplified passenger locator form needed, ahead of half term holidays
  • arrivals who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will only need to take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or before day 2 after they arrive in the UK
  • changes come as children aged 12 to 15 in England can now prove their vaccination status or proof of prior infection for outbound travel with the digital NHS COVID Pass

Major changes to the UK’s coronavirus (COVID-19) travel rules have come into force today (4am, 11 February 2022). This will make international journeys cheaper and easier for passengers ahead of the half term.

The relaxation in requirements is thanks to the success of the UK’s vaccine and booster rollout. It means that eligible fully vaccinated travellers arriving in the UK no longer need to take any COVID-19 tests – resulting in the UK having one of the most free-flowing borders and open societies in Europe.

Eligible fully vaccinated travellers are, therefore, only required to fill out a simplified passenger locator form, confirming their vaccination status, travel history and contact details.

Also, from today, arrivals who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will only need to take a pre-departure test in the 2 days before they depart for the UK and a PCR test on or before the end of day 2 after they arrive in the UK, as well as completing the passenger locator form. These passengers will not need to self-isolate on arrival and will only need to do so if they test positive.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK has eased international travel measures for COVID-19 and now has one of the most free-flowing borders in the world – sending a clear message that we are open for business.

“As our travel sector rapidly recovers, and we accelerate towards a future where we want travel to remain open for good, these rule changes coming ahead of half term are good news for families, businesses and the travel sector.”

Determined to make travel cheaper and easier for families, the decision to remove testing requirements could save the average family around £100.

Since 3 February 2022, children aged 12 to 15 in England can demonstrate their vaccination status or proof of prior infection via a digital NHS COVID Pass for outbound travel. This makes it easier to travel to countries that require proof of vaccination or prior infection in order to access venues or services, including museums, restaurants and cafes.

By the end of February, people will also have an extra day to fill out the passenger locator form before travelling.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “As we learn to live with COVID-19, we are taking a balanced approach to opening up international travel and removing all tests for people who have played their part and have been vaccinated.

“Thanks to the millions of people who have come forward for their COVID-19 jabs, we are one of the most boosted countries in Europe and are able to take these steps today.”

As the government goes one step further to reopen the travel sector, the UK will be reconnecting with key global markets, and from today will accept vaccine certificates from an additional 16 countries and territories including China and Mexico. This will bring the total list to over 180 countries and territories worldwide.

VisitBritain CEO Sally Balcombe said: “Britain’s tourism industry is ready to welcome international visitors, we know there is pent-up demand for travel and our priority is to build back visitor spending as quickly as possible, competing hard for international visitors who contribute billions to our economy.

“Our £10 million global GREAT Britain marketing campaign is already rolling out across our major overseas markets, showing that Britain is packed full of fresh and exciting experiences to come and enjoy today.

“This year’s landmark events including HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Commonwealth Games and the ground-breaking ‘Unboxed’ events across the UK, set to be global tourism draws, also present exciting and timely opportunities to highlight experiences that visitors can only have here, and to promote our warm welcome and creativity to the world.”

With more people travelling overseas, the government is continuing to remind everyone that travelling abroad is still different and countries may change their own rules at short notice.

All travellers are encouraged to check FCDO travel advice for the latest entry requirements and COVID-19 rules for their destination beforehand.

Sean Doyle, Chairman and CEO of British Airways, said: “It’s great news that restrictions are being lifted in time for families to get away for a much-needed break this half term.

“We’ve seen a boost to bookings directly as a result of lifting restrictions and customers can now travel, safe in the knowledge that they won’t be burdened by expensive and unnecessary testing to return to the UK. We hope that other countries will soon catch up with the UK’s pragmatic approach.”

Sophie Dekkers, Chief Commercial Officer of easyJet, said: “We’ve continued to see pent-up demand each time restrictions are removed and UK bookings increased following the welcome reduction of travel restrictions, which has been sustained in recent weeks with a further boost from the removal of all testing by the UK government.

“We have been encouraged to see strong late bookings in the lead-up to half term, which is a key time for many of our customers, with thousands set to enjoy a long-awaited family break and we can’t wait to welcome more customers back on board in the coming days.”

Andrew Flintham, Managing Director for TUI UK, said: “The recent changes to travel, particularly the removal of testing for everyone is who double vaccinated, is a huge leap forwards in getting travel back to normal.

“There remains a huge pent-up demand for international travel and we’ve seen strong and sustained booking patterns since the announcement as customers look to go abroad with ease and without the added expense of testing.

“As a result, bookings for February half term and Easter holidays are comparable to 2019, with Mexico, Dominican Republic, Cape Verde and the Canaries the most popular destinations. And we expect this summer to be stronger than 2019 for the UK market.”

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association, said: “Today’s changes are a big step forward for the outbound travel industry and holidaymakers, and a recognition of the importance of travel to people’s lives and to the UK economy.

“Travel rules have been holding people back from taking a foreign break, so these changes should serve as a boost to consumer confidence, leading more people to plan and book their overseas trips.

“There are still steps people need to take when heading abroad and ABTA travel agents and tour operators are on hand to guide travellers through the process.”

While the red list will continue to remain on standby as the first line of defence against future variants of concern arriving from abroad, the government is looking to replace the hotel quarantine policy with other contingency measures including home isolation – provided a sufficiently robust digital solution to ensure compliance with home isolation can be found.

Further details will be set out on this later in the spring.

New Covid testing regulations sees bookings surge for Maison Sport

Ski instructor marketplace calls for clearer plans for the travel industry with regards to how future variants are managed   

Ski instructor marketplace, Maison Sport has reported a 100% increase in bookings overnight since the latest announcement that rules on testing are to be eased for people travelling to the UK, following numerous pleas from the travel industry, who are amongst those hit hardest amidst the pandemic. 

Commenting on the new guidelines, Nick Robinson, Founder and CEO of Maison Sport said: “This is brilliant news for the industry and we expect to see ski lesson availability snapped up for the busy month of February over the coming days.

“This is typically our busiest month of the season so it’s great to see things ramp up again so quickly – this is just the news we have been waiting for. Not only is it brilliant news for those travelling but it will also provide a welcome boost to all of our ski instructors” 

Maison Sport has proven to be a game-changer for independent ski and snowboard instructors who can significantly increase their earnings using the platform. The marketplace has surpassed 34,000 hours of lessons taught in 364 ski resorts across Europe. 

Nick Robinson comments: “The old rules were perhaps in place for 2 to 3 weeks more than they needed to be based on the fact that they were implemented mainly to slow the spread of Omicron, but Omicron was dominant in the UK from the 17th of December or earlier so it’s clear that rules were causing more harm than good to certain industries.

“It’s really important that moving forward there is a clearer plan for the travel industry with regards to how we deal with new variants in the future.” 

Founded in 2016 by former ski champion brothers Nick and Olly Robinson and fellow ex-British Ski Team member Aaron Tipping, Maison Sport now boasts the third-largest selection of instructors in comparison to any ski school in the world.

With its innovative platform continuing to grow, overcoming the significant challenges facing the global travel industry, the company plans further expansion into Asia and South America over the course of 2022.

For more information visit www.maisonsport.com 

Scotland eases restrictions on international travellers

From today (Friday) people travelling to Scotland from abroad who are fully vaccinated or under the age of 18 will no longer need to take pre-departure Covid tests, and will also no longer be required to self-isolate on arrival until they’ve received a negative result.

Travellers in this group will still need to take a test on or before day 2 after arriving in the UK – which can be a lateral flow device rather than a PCR test from Sunday.

Anyone who tests positive on their lateral flow test will need to isolate and take a free confirmatory PCR test.

The new measures apply across the UK after agreement between the UK Government and the three devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Pre-departure Covid tests, the requirement to self-isolate and mandatory PCR tests were re-introduced in December to help stem the spread of the Omicron variant, but are now seen as less necessary because Omicron is now the dominant strain in the UK.

In addition, Ministers have agreed to approve vaccine certificates for a further 16 countries and territories from 0400 on 10 January to allow quarantine-free travel to Scotland. The red list of highest risk countries will remain unchanged with no countries currently on the list.

All four nations are also discussing what the requirements should be for border travel in the future.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “Given the rapid spread of Omicron last year it was essential that we took immediate steps to protect public health in Scotland, particularly with regards to international travel.

“We still have significant concerns over Omicron, but we recognise that, now it is the most dominant strain in Scotland and across the UK, it is sensible to review the measures currently in place.

“We also fully understand the impact of the restrictions on staff and businesses in the travel and aviation sectors and these changes demonstrate our commitment not to keep measures in place any longer than necessary.

“However, people still need to be extremely careful when travelling and to remember that both our and other countries’ COVID-19 requirements can change at short notice as things can evolve very quickly.

“People should therefore ensure they have travel insurance and carefully check their booking terms and conditions, as well as ensuring compliance with the latest regulations for the country being visited.”

UK’s new simplified travel system takes off today

  • new simplified travel system with a single red list and the rest of the world comes into force from 4am this morning
  • fully vaccinated travellers from over 50 countries and territories have simpler, cheaper rules, with just a single post arrival test needed
  • changes come as UK government welcomes fully vaccinated residents of over 50 countries and territories who can travel like fully vaccinated UK travellers

From 4am today (Monday 4 October 2021), the UK’s new travel system comes into force with countries and territories categorised as either red or the rest of the world.

The new simplified travel system also means that eligible fully vaccinated passengers and eligible under-18s returning from over 50 countries and territories not on the red list, can do so without needing to complete a pre-departure test (PDT), a day 8 test or enter a 10-day self-isolation period, making it easier for those travelling – whether that’s to see friends and family, or on business trips.

As announced last month, the new rules also mean that from later in October eligible fully vaccinated passengers with an approved vaccine and recognised certificate from a country not on the red list will be able to replace their day 2 test with a cheaper lateral flow test, reducing the cost of tests on arrival into England. The government aims to have this in place for when people return from half-term breaks.

Anyone testing positive will need to isolate and take a confirmatory PCR test, at no additional cost, which would be genomically sequenced to help identify new variants.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We are accelerating towards a future where travel continues to reopen safely and remains open for good, and today’s rule changes are good news for families, businesses and the travel sector.

“Our priority remains to protect public health but, with more than 8 in 10 people now fully vaccinated, we are able to take these steps to lower the cost of testing and help the sector to continue in its recovery.”

Also from today, under-18s from the over 50 countries whose vaccination status the UK recognises will not need to present a negative PDT before travelling to England. This applies regardless of their vaccination status.

All under-11s, regardless of where they are travelling from, are already exempt from pre-departure testing for arrival in the UK. If children aged 11 and over are not travelling from one of the 50-plus countries and territories where vaccines are recognised, they will be required to follow the same rules as for unvaccinated passengers.

From today, the UK is expanding it’s vaccinated policy to a further 18 countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Canada. The recognised vaccines are Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca (including Covidshield), Moderna and Janssen (J&J).

This builds on the UK government’s successful pilot phase with Europe and the US, and brings the total number of countries in scope of the policy to over 50, with more countries and territories being added in the coming weeks.

Those eligible must have a document from a national or state-level public health authority that includes certain information including name, date of birth and vaccination details, as set out in guidance on GOV.UK.

The UK government has maintained it would take a phased approach to recognising vaccines administered by other countries and territories, building on the success of the pilot with the US and Europe.

Fully vaccinated residents in other countries not yet part of the inbound policy, as well as those partially vaccinated, will still have to take a pre-departure test, PCR tests for day 2 and day 8 after arrival, and self-isolate for 10 days, with the option to test to release after 5 days.

The UK government is continuing to work with international partners as we seek to more regularly expand the policy to further countries and territories.

All arrivals will still need to fill in a passenger locator form ahead of travel. Travellers should continue to check GOV.UK travel guidance including Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice before, during and after travel to keep up to date with entry requirements and ensure compliance with the latest COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 regulations for the country being visited.

Passengers should also carefully check booking conditions prior to booking.

The Scottish Government has ‘reluctantly’ agreed to adopt the same system.

Capital Cops: Latest update from Edinburgh Police Division

Here’s the latest Capital Cops column from Chief Superintendent Sean Scott:

The lifting of virtually all coronavirus restrictions now means that most of the features that makes Edinburgh great are starting to re-emerge.

This is in no small way down to the significant sacrifices and efforts you have made over the past 18 months, including getting vaccinated. I would encourage everyone who can, especially the younger generation, who have been a bit slower on the uptake, to get vaccinated.

The city is starting to buzz again, which is so welcome, especially Edinburgh’s world-renowned night time economy.

Our Operation Nightguard deployments have recommenced, with officers patrolling areas around licensed premises and conducting regular checks within to offer reassurance to staff and patrons and deter criminal activity.

We want everyone to be safe and really enjoy themselves so please ensure that, if you are on that long-awaited night out, you drink and behave responsibly and don’t let over-indulgence ruin things.

Other great news is that the Edinburgh Festival is back, albeit on a smaller scale but that still equates to a much busier city centre with hotels starting to fill again.

Consequently, Operation Summer City has commenced, which my officers and staff really enjoy, as it’s an opportunity for them to meet and help people from across the globe in making the most of their visit, representing both the capital and its Police Scotland guardians in the best light possible.

The good news, so far, is that there have been very few issues with the vast majority of those attending Festival events and celebrations doing so in good spirits, while adhering to those remaining COVID precautions.

Our Edinburgh Division social media channels are continuing to provide the public with useful advice and guidance on how to stay safe during the Festival so please ‘like’ us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to receive these updates.

Alternatively, visit www.scotland.police.uk where all of our personal safety and crime prevention advice is readily available 24/7.

Like me, you’ll have been enjoying the sunny weather over the past few weeks and with that, we have seen larger numbers of bicycles and motorcycles back on our roads. I would encourage all road users to be mindful of cyclists and motorcyclists, giving them plenty of space and time when passing or joining traffic.

Similarly, I would also encourage those who ride bikes of any sort to do all you can to stay safe on the road. This includes wearing high-visibility clothing and helmets, travelling at appropriate speeds and obeying all traffic signals and signage.

Unfortunately, the increase in people using this healthier form of travel can lead to an unhealthy increase in bike thefts, if care isn’t taken around security.

To that end, our Prevention, Intervention and Partnerships Department have been holding crime prevention stalls and bike marking events as part of the national Pedal Protect bike security campaign.

Please think seriously about getting your bike marked and contact your local policing team to arrange it – details are on our website at

http://www.scotland.police.uk/…/protecting-your-bike.

The summer comes … and then it goes to be replaced by all our autumn and winter responsibilities such as Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas and New Year. However, on top of those, it won’t have escaped your attention that the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow between 31 October and 12 November is on the horizon.

Edinburgh will have no small part to play in these globally important proceedings but I can reassure everyone that, with the eyes of the world on Scotland and its police service, careful and detailed planning is underway to ensure that all communities will still receive the quality, responsive service they need and deserve during that time.

As always, I look forward to working closely with partners for the planning phases of all these policing operations.

Stay safe and I hope you all enjoy a great summer with everything that Edinburgh has to offer.

Chief Superintendent Sean Scott, Divisional Commander for Edinburgh

People in Edinburgh set to be more spontaneous!

Capital’s citizens plan to make up for lost time

Almost three quarters (72 per cent) of people in Edinburgh promise to be more spontaneous now that restrictions have eased, as they say they’re more likely to live life in the moment, and over two thirds (68 per cent) want to make lots of plans while they can.

New research by Fort Kinnaird reveals that people in Edinburgh are planning to make the most of the rest of the summer, having missed out on what is estimated to be almost a month of non-stop quality time with family and friends since the pandemic began last year.

While many admit they took the simple things for granted before lockdown, such as the freedom to go out when they wanted (44 per cent) and spending time with friends (34 per cent), people in Edinburgh are ready to start enjoying some of their favourite things again.

Over half (51 per cent) put spending time with friends at the top of the list of things they’re going to enjoy the most now that restrictions have eased and over a third (39 per cent) said enjoying more days out.

Meanwhile, for over a third (35 per cent) going to the beach or on a staycation is high on the list of priorities, along with going to the pub (28%), eating indoors with friends (24%), going on a shopping spree (19%) and going to the cinema (17%).

Surprisingly, throwing a party (12 per cent) and seeing an unlimited group of people (16 per cent) are lower on the priority list even after restrictions have eased, suggesting people are looking to spend more quality time with those closest to them.

The research also revealed what those in Edinburgh missed the most when non-essential shops and indoor dining were closed. The top three things most missed about shopping in real life were picking up what you need when you need it rather than waiting for an online order to arrive (34 per cent), the joy of window shopping (28 per cent) and having a big shopping day out with friends (27 per cent).

Meanwhile, when it came to indoor dining, having an evening meal out with friends and family (43 per cent), eating food that has been cooked by a professional (33 per cent) and having someone serve your meal to your table (26 per cent) were the things respondents missed the most.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Our research shows that people are gearing up to make up for lost time with loved ones. 

“We’ve seen lots of families and groups of friends visiting the centre to enjoy a day or evening out since restrictions started to ease and we’re looking forward to welcoming more visitors.” 

Fort Kinnaird continues to have extra measures in place to help visitors feel safe. It remains mandatory for visitors to wear a face covering in all indoor settings if they can, and hand sanitising stations remain throughout the centre along with enhanced cleaning regimes.

Return to full houses at Easter Road and Tynecastle

Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian football clubs have been granted dispensation by the Council to welcome back full capacity crowds at their upcoming home matches in the next few weeks.

The move follows the easing of Scottish Government Covid19 public health guidance.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve been working very closely and productively with both clubs on over the last few weeks and months to help ensure fans can safely attend home games within the parameters of the public safety guidance.

“It’s great that we’re now in a position to have both stadiums back at full capacity as Covid restrictions ease. I’m sure fans of both teams will be hugely looking forward to hearing the roar of their home crowds after such a long time and it’s bound to give a real boost to the players themselves too.

Depute Council Leader Cammy Day said: “This is great news for Hearts and Hibs fans who can get back to enjoying the football they love.

“Fans’ safety remains our number one priority and we’re delighted that with the easing of restrictions it’s now possible to welcome back the crowds at Easter Road and Tynecastle once again. We’ll keep things under review, as you’d expect, given the unpredictable nature of this pandemic, but for now we wish both clubs all the best with their return to capacity attendance.

Ben Kensell, Hibernian Football Club Chief Executive, said: “We are all really delighted to be able to welcome back our supporters. It is what everyone has been waiting for.

“While those fans who have attended our recent games have created a terrific atmosphere to spur the team on, we are looking forward to hearing what a full stadium can do. We would like to thank City of Edinburgh Council for their support throughout these challenging times.

Andrew McKinlay, Heart of Midlothian Football Club Chief Executive, said: We are thrilled that full capacity has been restored and would like to thank the City of Edinburgh Council for their support.

“We really can’t wait to welcome our fantastic supporters back in numbers for the visit of Aberdeen on August 21st and look forward to hearing Tynecastle Park at full voice for the first time in 17 months.”

Unite Scotland: ‘Vaccination is not Immunisation’

FEARS OF NEW SPIKE

Unite Scotland has criticised Friday’s announcement by the Scottish government on workers suspected of contracting Covid not being required to self-isolate, stating that it could lead to a new spike in the pandemic.

As one of the nation’s leading trade unions in the health and social care sector, which has been significantly impacted by the pandemic, Unite has raised serious concerns directly with the Scottish government over its approach to level zero.  

The Scottish government has removed the blanket requirement for close contacts to self-isolate as long as they’re double vaccinated and take a PCR test. This includes removing the requirement for those working in health and social care to self-isolate as had previously been the practice throughout the pandemic.

According to the Scottish government figures, 1,825 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours on Thursday (22 July). Twenty-two new deaths have been reported of someone who tested positive for the virus over the past 28 days.

 In the week ending 20 July, on average 2,109 NHS staff, or around 1.2% of the NHS workforce, reported absent each day for a range of reasons related to Covid-19.

James O’Connell, Unite industrial officer, said: “There have been a growing number of cases of the delta variant in Scotland and we can’t allow this to spiral out of control. While we understand there is a need and desire to return to normality, we have got to remember that vaccination is not immunisation.

“Unite’s members, particularly in those vulnerable sectors such as health and social care, are extremely worried that we could see a new spike in hospital admissions, and it is the staff on the frontline having to deal with this.

“If you’re identified as a close contact it potentially takes 48 hours minimum for the virus to be detected through a test so there is a potential for staff to be asymptomatic without knowing they are positive for a period of time.

“Using the hierarchy of control risk should be removed or at least minimised as much as it can be, therefore, in order to remove or minimise the risk of spread you should isolate not gamble using health and social care staff as the test.

“They look after the most vulnerable people in our society, is it worth it?  The government is putting a lot of emphasis on double vaccination which does not stop contraction of the virus, however – why are they not looking at reducing the time between vaccine?”

Art galleries, museums and exhibitions remain empty despite lockdown easing

  • 93% of Brits say they have not been to an art gallery or exhibition in the past three months
  • 27% of the country feels that the arts and creative industries have little importance to the country’s economy
  • In addition, more than half of the country’s population believe that British museums should permanently return artifacts to their country of origin

The UK’s arts and creative industries continue to suffer despite the easing of lockdown restrictions, a recent study by Design Bundles shows.

Though popular attractions such as the British Museum have been reopening to the public since March of this year, the majority of Brits – 93% – say that they have not visited an art gallery, museum or exhibition over the past three months, according to YouGov research.

London is home to approximately 250 registered art institutions, so a reluctance to return to cultural hotspots may be due to hesitancy to use public transport such as buses and the tube in the wake of COVID-19.

More than half of Londoners – 53% – have expressed concerns about using the tube, with 48% also voicing health concerns around using London’s buses.

There may be other factors at play, with more than a quarter of Brits indicating that they do not feel that the arts and creative industries – defined as including performing and creative arts, writers, museums and libraries – are important to the British economy.

In 2019 arts and culture contributed £10.47 billion to the UK economy – which corresponds to 0.5% of total UK economic output. There were an estimated 226,000 jobs in the arts and culture sector in 2019, 40% of which were based in London.

In addition, more than half of the country’s population believe that British museums should permanently return artifacts to their country of origin.

Attendance to public attractions, exhibitions and galleries may be set to improve, however, following the recent lifting of various social restrictions.

British Museum attendance has previously been capped at 3,000 people per day, with the establishment maintaining safety measures such as hand gel stations, one-way systems and certain galleries – 33 in total – remaining closed due to ventilation concerns.

Certain restrictions have been lifted as of 19th July (such as the one-way systems), but the museum is still asking attendees to book in advance and adhere to track-and-trace.

Despite the apparent reluctance of Brits to return to museums and galleries, the museum has continued to hold special events and exhibitions, such as their current headline exhibition, “Thomas Becket, Murder And The Making Of A Saint”.

“There has been an understandable reluctance to return to our country’s artistic and cultural attractions”, a representative of Design Bundles said.

“One hopes that recent announcements from the government will encourage people to begin to cautiously resume their daily lives, and return to our country’s cultural hotspots. The creative industries are a vital part of the public’s leisure time and social interactions.”

The research was conducted by Design Bundles, which offers high quality premium design resources and a marketplace which allows graphic designers to register and sell their products.

https://designbundles.net/

RCEM: ‘It is absolutely essential that masks are worn by everyone in A&Es’

Dr Katherine Henderson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine has stated that it is absolutely essential that patients and visitors in Emergency Departments continue to protect themselves and others with face masks, hand washing and social distancing.

Dr Katherine Henderson said: “While restrictions have been eased, it is absolutely essential that we continue to keep everyone safe in hospital settings and in Emergency Departments. Patients and visitors must therefore expect to wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

“Emergency Departments regularly see vulnerable patients. We must do all we can to keep those patients safe, but also to ensure that these patients feel safe coming to the hospital and the Emergency Department if, and when, they need help.

“We ask patients and visitors to kindly respect and co-operate with this guidance and help to keep everyone safe. Staff will not tolerate any abuse whatsoever. They absolutely do not deserve it, but it is a sad reality that we are already hearing and seeing abusive behaviour towards staff. It is clear these measures will help protect the most vulnerable patients, so it is right that all patients and visitors follow them.

“Staff will request all patients and visitors to put a mask on when in an Emergency Department and they will not be engaging in any debate on the guidance.

“It is a matter of public health and infection prevention control to keep all our patients safe.”