People who have been hospitalised with coronavirus (COVID-19) will have access to a new national peer support network to help their recovery and rehabilitation.
Backed by almost £200,000 Scottish Government funding, the charity ICU Steps will connect ICU survivors and their families across Scotland to facilitate patient-led support groups, as well as offering a range of wellbeing resources to help with recovery.
It follows the publication of a report showing up to one-third of patients admitted to hospital developed serious mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and cognitive problems.
In addition to the expansion of peer support, the report, produced by psychiatrist Dr Nadine Cossette, made a number of other recommendations which will be taken forward, through consultation with health boards. These include a network of mental health clinicians across Scotland, and a personalised digital platform.
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey (above) said: “We know that treatment in Intensive Care and High Dependency Units can be particularly difficult for patients. This has been exacerbated in recent times by the fact that families have not been able to visit their loved ones.
“Most will go on to make a full recovery, but for others there is a higher risk of developing mental health issues.
“We welcome the report by Dr Nadine Cossette which sets out a number of actions to improve mental health and wellbeing of patients. The creation of a national peer support network, led by patients, will be a significant first step to ensuring that services supporting those who have been affected are well placed to respond.
“We will now consult with health boards on how best to implement these proposals locally to ensure that people have the right support throughout their recovery from COVID-19.”
Dr Nadine Cossette said: “Mental health care is crucially important to patients recovering from COVID-19. I am pleased the Scottish Government has recognised this and I look forward to ensuring patients and families across Scotland have access to good mental health care that is well integrated with physical health recovery services.”
Chair of ICU Steps George Guy said: “As an ICU survivor myself I am well aware of the physical and mental problems that patients can be left with. ICU Steps gives survivors the chance to talk to others who have gone through what they have and we have found this to be very helpful.
“We offer empathy not sympathy. I’d like to thank Dr Pam Ramsay of Dundee University, Dr Stephen Cole NHS Tayside and Chair of Scottish Intensive Care Society, and Peter Gibb, CEO and founder of ICU Steps, for their invaluable help with this project.”
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House yesterday (Friday 2 October):
Good afternoon everybody, thanks for joining us. As usual I will give a report of the COVID-19 statistics for today.
The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 775. That’s 12.6% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases now to 30,687.
324 of the cases were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 164 in Lothian, and 102 in Lanarkshire. There will be a meeting today of the National Incident Management Team and they will be taking a look obviously at a range of issues but in particular at the current situation in Glasgow and Lanarkshire.
The remaining 185 cases were spread across 9 other health board areas.
I can also report that 175 people are in hospital – which is an increase of 21 from yesterday and 19 people are in intensive care, that’s 2 more than yesterday.
I also regret to report that 4 deaths have been registered of people who had first tested positive for Covid during the previous 28 days. The total number of deaths under that daily measurement is now 2,526.
And again, I want to send my sincere condolences to everybody who has lost a loved one and of course that particularly includes those who have lost a loved one in the last few days.
Obviously these numbers today, not just of cases, but perhaps more particularly hospital admissions, numbers in intensive care and the numbers of people dying, really should remind us that this resurgence of Covid is something we have to take very seriously.
Now, I’ve got several issues I want to briefly update on today.
Firstly, as I often do on a Friday, I want to draw your attention to an announcement made last night.
The Scottish Government has now added Poland and Turkey to the list of those countries subject to quarantine restrictions.
We have also added the three islands of the Caribbean Netherlands – Bonaire, Saba and Staysha.
That means from 4am tomorrow, people travelling to Scotland from these places must self-isolate for 14 days, upon their return.
Madeira and the Azores will be removed from the list of places which are subject to quarantine restrictions. However, if you have arrived from those places in the past two weeks – or if you arrive later today or tonight – you will still have to self-isolate for 14 days.
These changes are yet another reminder that levels of the virus – in any country or any area – can change quite rapidly. And when they change, our quarantine rules often change as well.
So please – and this is especially important as we approach the October holidays – think carefully right now about any unnecessary travel.
In fact, if possible, avoid unnecessary overseas travel. And remember that the fact that a country is exempt from quarantine requirements when you go there, does not necessarily mean that it will still be exempt when you come back.
The second update relates to the Protect Scotland app.
I’ve said before that the app is not a magic solution – it doesn’t replace the need for the hard work being done by our test and protect teams.
But it is a really important additional tool in tackling Covid, and it is already proving its worth.
More than 1.3 million people have downloaded the app. In the past three weeks, more than a third of the people who have tested positive have been app users. And during that time, more than 2,000 contacts have been advised to self-isolate through the app. And these are people who might not otherwise have been identified.
However there are three points that I want to stress which might make the app more useful.
The first applies to everybody who currently has it.
If you test positive for Covid, you will receive a code which you are then meant to enter into the app. Please make sure that you do that, because it is necessary for you to do that for the app then to automatically notify people you have been in close contact with.
Now that might sound very basic and obvious, but we know that at the moment not everyone who has the app, and who receives a positive test result, is actually doing that.
Now, enough people are doing it for the app to be making a difference – but it would obviously be better if everyone entered the code when they test positive. So please remember to do that.
The second point is that we issued an update to the app this week which some people may wish to take advantage of. It allows the app to be paused, without Bluetooth being disabled in your phone.
Now, let me stress first of all, that I don’t want people to pause the app when you are going about your day to day activities – because that would remove the point of having it.
But this is a feature that is especially useful for some groups of people, in particular perhaps, clinical staff in jobs that often involve being within 2 metres of other people, but where significant measures are in place to reduce the risk of infection – for example wearing medical grade protective equipment.
We are also looking at other improvements that can be made to the app. For example we are working really hard just now with NHS England and the NHS in Northern Ireland on linking up Protect Scotland with the apps in those countries, to support people who travel, to make these different apps interoperable.
We are also looking at whether the age limit for use of the app can change – right now you have to be over 16 and we’re looking to see whether it will be possible to reduce that in the future.
The final point I want to stress is that if you haven’t downloaded the app yet, and you are able to do so, please do it.
It takes less than 2 minutes. Your data is kept entirely secure and anonymous. And it is a simple but it is a really powerful and important way in which we can all play our part in the struggle against Covid.
Lastly, today, I want to stress again how important it is that all of us self-isolate when we are asked to do so.
Obviously I can’t do that today without first addressing the issue of Margaret Ferrier (above) – the SNP MP who travelled by train to London and attended the House of Commons after taking a test when she should have been self-isolating – and who then travelled back to Scotland by train after being told that her test was positive.
Margaret is a friend of mind, so everything I am about to say is obviously with the heaviest of hearts. And of course, I wish her a speedy recovery from Covid.
But none of that changes the fact that her actions were reckless, dangerous and completely indefensible, and I feel very angry on behalf of all you.
Every single day I stand here and I ask you to make horrendous sacrifices as part of our collective efforts against Covid.
It’s really important, whether you agree with me or not, whether you love me or loathe me, that you can have confidence in the advice that I give you.
That means me being clear that the rules apply to everyone – regardless of who you are and regardless of what your political allegiance is.
Trust me, it’s one of the easiest things in the world in politics to call for tough consequences when one of your opponents breaks the rules. That’s not hard for any of us.
The litmus test though is whether you’re prepared to do the same when it’s one of your own breaking the rules. And in these abnormal times, when everybody has been asked to difficult things, I think that is more important than ever.
That’s why the SNP whip has been withdrawn from Margaret – and that is the most serious sanction a party can impose on an elected representative. I have also spoken to her directly and made crystal clear to her that I think she should now resign as an MP.
Now, people contact me and say, why don’t you just sack her? This is a point I have to make clear – I don’t have the power to force an MP to step down – no party leader has that power.
But I can make my views known, difficult though it is and I have done so and I hope she will come to the right decision, in the interests of the overall integrity of these vital public health messages.
And I want to emphasise again why it is so important to self-isolate.
We are launching a media campaign actually this evening – which has been planned for several days – to stress the importance of self-isolation.
Essentially, if you have any one of the symptoms of Covid, you should start to self-isolate immediately, and you should book a test. You can do that through the NHS Inform website.
The symptoms, as a reminder, are a new continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss of – or change in – your sense of taste or smell.
When you get your test result, if you test negative, and don’t have Covid, you can stop self-isolating at that point.
However if you have Covid, you need to self-isolate for a further 10 days, starting from the day on which you took your test.
If you are identified as a contact of someone with Covid – either by a test and protect team, or by the app – then you must self-isolate for 14 days.
You need to self-isolate for longer than someone who has tested positive. That’s because if you get Covid, your infectious period will start a few days after the infectious period of the person you got it from.
And the key point I want to stress today – for obvious reasons – is that self-isolation is not something anybody can or should see as an option, as something that is voluntary.
If you develop symptoms, or if you are identified as a contact, you must self-isolate immediately. Don’t think you can go to the shops one last time – let alone travelling any longer distances.
And you must self-isolate completely – that means staying at home, and not going anywhere else.
The reason is simple. If you have been in touch with someone who has Covid during their infectious period, there is a chance that you will also have Covid, even if you don’t yet have symptoms. And self-isolation is one of the most important things we can all do to ensure that we are not, unwittingly sometimes, transmitting the virus to anyone else.
So this is essential. It is a tough thing for any of us to be asked to do but it is an essential thing that all of us must abide by.
And if we are asked to do it – no matter who we are, and no matter what our circumstances are – we should all do it.
It is inconvenient, it is tough particularly for those on low incomes who might lose money when asked to self-isolate, that is why we are introducing the £500 support payment.
And it is why we are working with local authorities to ensure there is practical help available to people for things like food deliveries, and details of all of that are available also on the NHS Inform website.
But the reason we provide help for people to do the right thing, is because right now doing the right thing for all of us is so important.
So please, please – self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms of Covid. And self-isolate for 14 days if you are identified as a contact. It is vital to our collective efforts against the virus.
Now, I have stressed that particular point today, I was always going to be stressing that point today but it has particular added resonance given the circumstances I have already alluded to. But before I finish, and hand over to Jason I also want to provide the usual reminder of the other key public health guidance that we are asking everybody to follow.
None of us should be visiting each other’s homes right now – except for very specific purposes such as childcare or caring for a vulnerable adult.
When we do meet with others – outdoors, or in indoor public places – the maximum group size allowed is 6, and those 6 people should not come from any more than two households.
We should avoid car-sharing if it is possible.
Work from home if we can.
Download the Protect Scotland app, as I’ve already talked about.
And finally, all of us should remember FACTS –
Face coverings
Avoid crowded places.
Clean hands and hard surfaces
keep a Two metres distance from other households.
and of course Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.
I know I say this every day but I feel a particular responsibility to say it today. I know how hard it for everybody to follow these rules right now, and I know how angry people feel when they see others not following these rules, but we have been asked to stick with all of these rules for the collective wellbeing of the country and for each and every one of us – so please do that.
Do that for yourselves, your families, your loved ones and for your community as a whole.And my thanks, my deep and sincere thanks, to everybody who is making really tough sacrifices right now in the interests of that collective effort.
People on low incomes will be eligible to receive a new £500 grant if asked to self-isolate.
The new Self-Isolation Support Grant will help those who would lose income if they needed to self-isolate, such as those unable to carry out their work from home.
This grant is for those who will face financial hardship due to being asked to self-isolate and will be targeted at people who are in receipt of Universal Credit or legacy benefits, with some discretion to make awards to others in financial hardship.
Applications are due to open from 12 October and will be delivered through the existing Scottish Welfare Fund, which is administered by local authorities.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville (above) said: “Self-isolation can be tough, but it is essential to protect people and reduce the spread of coronavirus. To ensure people do not experience financial hardship as a result of doing the right thing, we are introducing this new £500 grant for people on low incomes who have been told to self-isolate.
“We want to do everything we can to support people throughout this challenging time and these payments will help ensure people do not have to make a choice between self-isolating and supporting themselves financially.
“While we continue to press the UK Government for clarity around consequential funding for the support scheme they recently announced, it is essential that we act swiftly so that people who need support are able to access it. I am glad that the scheme has the support of local authorities and that we have a means of delivering it from next month.”
COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Kelly Parry said: “COSLA, on behalf of Scottish local government, welcomes this scheme. It will help ensure those who are affected and qualify are looked after and won’t need to go to work, which will help reduce the community spread of the virus.
“Councils have vast experience of providing local support of this type to communities and are the best placed to deliver this measure. We are keen to agree the details with the Scottish Government as soon as possible and look forward to getting much needed support to the people who need it.”
Minister says physical and mental wellbeing the priority
Scottish universities must ensure students self-isolating on campus receive the highest possible standards of support to maintain their physical as well as their mental wellbeing, according to Higher Education Minister Richard Lochhead.
He was updating Parliament on the latest Government measures to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the university sector.
Mr Lochhead also said every possible effort is being made to allow students to return home safely at Christmas if they wish to do so, and that the Government is now exploring the merits of some ‘targeted surveillance COVID testing’, to better understand the level of asymptomatic cases of the virus among the student population.
Universities Scotland, which represents Scotland’s 19 universities and higher education institutions, has now confirmed a package of 10 measures it will be using to support student wellbeing.
The Government published additional guidance to inform students wishing to return home right now, of their options and how the latest national restrictions apply to student households.
Mr Lochhead said the Government continues to work alongside universities, accommodation providers, unions, and other key stakeholders to keep campuses and their wider communities safe, and to support students and staff to comply with existing COVID-19 measures.
In its planning for the return of thousands of students for the new academic year, Mr Lochhead added the Government had balanced the negative impact of limiting access to education on students’ personal development, their wellbeing and life chances, with the country also needing the stream of talented and trained individuals produced by Scotland’s world-leading colleges and universities that underpins the economy.
He emphasised to manage that, the Government had consistently planned for some face-to-face teaching in colleges and universities as part of a blended return to campus, during phase three of the Government’s route map.
Mr Lochhead said: “Universities and student accommodation providers have a duty of care to their students – right now, this must be their number one priority and I expect them to take every possible step to look after their safety and wellbeing.
“That is why all universities will now provide a stay-at-campus support package for any students self-isolating, and we have asked the sector to ensure that’s gold standard.
“Our key message right now encourages students to remain living in their current households and on campus if they are able to. We are now working together with the sector on the best approaches on how to handle the Christmas break.
“Universities should also look sympathetically at students who have left or want to serve notice on their tenancy and re-apply at a future point – Ministers are urging the sector to apply the utmost flexibility on this point.
“We remain mindful of clinical advice about the limitations of asymptomatic testing and the need to prioritise our testing capacity. However, we are also exploring the merits of some targeted surveillance testing focused on institutions which present particular concerns, to understand the level of asymptomatic cases.”
New legislation to improve the benefits system to help those who need it most has been unanimously passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Bill supports the delivery of the new Scottish Child Payment, to provide low-income families with an additional £10 per week, initially for each child aged under six.
The Payment, together with Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods, will provide over £5,200 of financial support for families by the time their first child turns six. For second and subsequent children this will provide over £4,900.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Security and Older People Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “When I brought this Bill forward, the driving force was to have the Scottish Child Payment in place as soon as possible to make an impact on child poverty.
“I am pleased and proud that, in the teeth of a global pandemic, the Scottish Child Payment will open for applications in November with first payments to start from February 2021. Vitally the bill passed today ensures that the Payment will be up-rated every year in line with inflation, from April 2022 onwards.
“This Bill also ensures that there is a duty to inform people of their potential eligibility for benefits such as our Child Payment. Promoting the take-up of Scotland’s social security benefits is a major part of our strategy to make sure people access the financial assistance they are entitled to.”
The Social Security Administration and Tribunal Membership (Scotland) Bill makes a number of improvements to the social security system, and expands the range of judges allowed to sit on Scottish Tribunals.
It allows Ministers to appoint a person to receive benefit payments on someone else’s behalf if the claimant is a child or – in the case of an adult – if the claimant agrees to the appointment.
The Bill also allows appropriately qualified medical professionals other than just doctors to confirm that a person is terminally ill for the purpose of ‘fast tracking’ their benefit claim. The first benefit to which this will apply is the Child Disability Payment.
The Bill applies the rules for dealing with fraud consistently across different kinds of social security.
The Scottish Fiscal Commission estimates that the Scottish Child Payment could support up to 194,000 children this year. This number has increased by 14 per cent since the Scottish Government released forecasts in June 2019, largely due to the increased Universal Credit caseload as a result of COVID-19.
Initially introduced for children under six, the Payment will be rolled out to under 16 year olds, eventually helping up to 499,000 eligible children.
The Scottish Government are holding a workshop with urban residents tomorrow (Thursday 1 October) from 4.30pm – 6.00pm, on the subject of short-term lets.
The Scottish Government are hosting the event using Webex, and still have a small number of spaces available.
They appreciate this is short notice, but if anybody in the community council network wishes to attend, they’d be grateful if you could respond to: shorttermlets@gov.scot and joining details will be sent to them.
For those unable to join, they are inviting written submissions to the consultation until 16 October.
Simon Holledge
Secretary, Edinburgh Assocation of Community Councils
Additional funding to help pandemic response and winter preparation
Scotland’s health and social care sector will receive £1.1 billion in additional funding to support its work through coronavirus (COVID-19) pressures, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced.
The funding will be allocated to NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships across Scotland to help them meet COVID-19 related costs such as additional staffing or sickness expenditure, enhanced infection prevention and control measures, and the purchase of PPE.
Ms Freeman said: “The health and social care sector has a critical frontline role in responding to the single greatest public health crisis of our lifetimes, and I want to pay tribute to all staff involved for their heroic efforts to overcome the many challenges presented by this pandemic.
“As we continue to safely remobilise our health and social care sector, the Scottish Government is taking action to support services’ capacity to deal with the ongoing presence of COVID 19, and continue preparations for the wider pressures of the winter season.
“This funding ensures the sector will continue to receive the support required to deal with the additional challenges of the pandemic, whilst still delivering the vital health, social care and hospital-based services the public rely on every day.”
Health and social care funding rose to more than £15 billion for the first time under the 2020-21 Budget, with more than £100 million delivered in excess of Barnett consequentials to support frontline services as part of the overall uplift.
To stop the virus spreading and save lives we need to act now. Stick with it Scotland, for yourselves and each other. pic.twitter.com/2RsHcgOpPb
Today, the Edinburgh Poverty Commission launches it’s final report, A Just Capital: Actions to End Poverty in Edinburgh.
In this blog, EPC Chair Dr Jim McCormick (below) sets out the Commission’s journey, what we have learned along the way, and what we are calling for next:
Our Call to Action in Edinburgh comes after almost two years of conversations across the city: with people experiencing poverty, the community anchors that support them, keyworkers, employers, councillors, public service officials, housing providers and taxi drivers.
This rich process has uncovered new insights on how poverty is experienced in Scotland’s capital city – some arising directly from the COVID-19 pandemic – but more stemming from long-established struggles. We set out much of what we had learned about the immediate impact of Covid in our interim report in May.
Since then, we have maintained a clear focus on addressing the root causes of poverty as well as mitigating the consequences. We have discovered common ground among people with different experiences and in different sectors: that poverty in Edinburgh is real, damaging and costly – but also that, despite the powerful currents that threaten to drive us further off course, there is enough determination in the city to embrace the twin challenges of solving poverty and reducing carbon emissions over the next decade.
We have identified six broad areas for action and one cultural challenge that should serve as a lens through which each action should be approached.
Our first proposition is that Edinburgh will only succeed in creating a prosperous city without poverty if it creates the conditions for good jobs, genuinely affordable housing, income security and meaningful opportunities that drive justice and boost prospects – above all, in the city’s schools.
In addition, a much sharper focus on connections across the city is needed – via digital participation, cheaper transport and creating neighbourhoods that work. These actions combined will flow through to reduced harm to people’s physical and mental health. Emergency food support should not become locked in as a fourth emergency service but serve as a gateway to other support that will ease isolation and build human connection and kindness where it has been lacking.
The common challenge running through all of our work is a cultural one. We call on the City Council and its partners in all sectors to shift towards a relationship-based way of working which gets alongside people and communities in a holistic way.
The experience of poverty is too often one of stigma, being assessed, referred and passed from pillar to post – a separate service and multiple workers for each need. This radical move would see public servants authorised to put poverty prevention at the heart of their day-to-day work.
It will mean new relationships with citizens, employees and third sector partners. It will take visible leadership and longer-term financial commitment. There are green shoots in Edinburgh and examples from beyond Scotland demonstrating how better outcomes for families can be achieved and fewer resources locked into multiple complex systems.
We call this ‘the right support in the places we live and work’ to signal the importance of local access to multiple forms of support under one roof and within walking or pram-pushing distance – for example money advice and family support offered in nurseries, schools, GP surgeries and libraries.
None of these challenges are new. The City Council and its partners can point to significant investment in recent years to turn the tide on poverty. But we are not persuaded that actions have been consistent, at scale, sustained over time or have poverty reduction as part of their purpose.
While Edinburgh has many of the powers to go further, we are not persuaded that it can deliver on the required social housing expansion without a new funding deal with the Scottish Government.
This is urgently needed to boost investment and to help unlock the supply of land at a reasonable price. Almost one in three families in Edinburgh in poverty are pulled below the water line solely due to their housing costs.
That compares with one in eight households in poverty across Scotland. Solving the city’s housing crisis will go a long way to delivering on affordable housing ambitions for the country as a whole.
At the same time, the UK Government has a critical role in creating an income lifeline for families in and out of work, by maintaining the currently temporary increase in Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance – both of which have become more significant as a result of damage to Edinburgh’s job market since March.
This Call to Action is not a list of recommendations or a menu of options. Reflecting our lives, each area is connected to the others. A plan for housing makes little sense in isolation from a plan for schools. Developing skills for employment will fall short if basic needs for secure, decent housing and food are neglected.
Nor is the ten-year horizon a get-out clause. We have worked on this basis because Scotland has committed to a significant cut in child poverty by 2030 and because many of the city’s existing plans run to the same schedule. We call on the City Council and the wider Edinburgh Partnership to set out its initial response by Christmas, as part of a first year of planning and early implementation.
And we are leaving a legacy through a new independent network, End Poverty Edinburgh. Led by Commission member Zoe Ferguson and our partners at Poverty Alliance, this brings together a core group of residents with first-hand experience of living on a low income and allies who want to be part of shaping the solutions.
Inspired by a similar approach in Edmonton (Alberta), they will stress test this report, challenge and add their own ideas, work with city partners to achieve progress but also hold the city to account on its response.
I want to thank everyone who contributed to our work in the hard graft of sharing painful stories, completing surveys and through organised and chance conversations.
Each member of the Commission gave their time, energy and ideas generously and for longer than originally asked. The quotes in this report reflect only a little of their brilliant contributions. Our work – and this report – was only possible due to the skill, care and patience brought by our secretariat team of Chris Adams, Nicola Elliott, Ciaran McDonald, and Gareth Dixon.
We have listened, been shocked and inspired – I hope we have done justice to what we have learned. Our Call to Action sets out something beyond hope: it is an expectation of what the city can and must now achieve.
Dr Jim McCormick, Chair of Edinburgh Poverty Commission
Read the final report here and the supplementary data and evidence paper here.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at a media briefing in St Andrew’s House, yesterday – Tuesday 29 September: the day coronavirus deaths topped one million worldwide.
Hello, and thanks for joining us. I will start with the daily update of COVID statistics. The total number of positive cases reported yesterday was 806. I’m going to make some important contextual points on today’s figure shortly but I will report the rest of the statistics first.
That 806 represents 11.5% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 28,604.
I can confirm that 302 of today’s reported cases are in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, 180 in Lothian, 91 in Lanarkshire and 54 in Grampian. The remaining 179 cases are spread across 9 other health board areas.
I can also confirm that 123 people are in hospital – that is an increase of 1 from yesterday. 14 people are in intensive care, which is 2 fewer than yesterday.
No additional deaths have been confirmed of patients who had tested positive within the preceding 28 days.
That means that the total number of deaths, under the daily measurement, remains at 2,512.
That total of course reminds us of the impact this virus has had, and continues to have. I want once again to pass on my condolences to everybody who is grieving a loved one.
Let me now turn to some points of context about today’s figures.
First, as I have explained before our daily case numbers reflects test results reported in previous 24 hours. Each day’s figure therefore reflects test samples actually carried out over the previous couple of days.
You will recall me saying that yesterday’s figure of reported cases seemed lower than expected. So today’s total of 806 includes a high number of results from samples actually taken on Friday and Saturday that we would have expected to see reported yesterday.
So that perhaps partly explains the particularly high number of cases we’re seeing today. We continue to work with the UK government to ensure that turnaround times for test results, which after a bit of a problem a couple of weeks ago have improved, continue to be as speedy as they need to be.
The second point is that, while we are certainly seeing rising transmission – and I am not underplaying that – we are doing much more testing now than in the spring, so comparisons of daily case numbers now versus then are not really particularly valid.
And of course Test and Protect is able to follow up every person who tests positive to ensure their contacts are traced and told to self-isolate.
So when we know transmission is rising as it is right now, it is actually important to know that significant numbers are being reported every day – that means we know about these positive cases and their contacts are being traced by Test and Protect and all of the work that Test and Protect has to do to break chains of transmission is being done.
The final point to draw attention to about today’s numbers is the age range of the cases. The majority are in the under 40 age groups – with the bulk of those in the under 25 age group – and that is of course affected by university clusters we’ve been seeing in recent days.
But the point I want to make today which is one you’ve heard me make before is that the fact that many cases are now in the younger age groups and we know that younger people are less likely to die from COVID than older, more vulnerable people, that mustn’t give rise to complacency.
Firstly, because young people can become very unwell from this virus and, while their risk of dying is lower, they’re not non-existent and we hear almost every day of what is described as ‘long COVID’ – of younger otherwise healthy people having quite long lasting health impacts from having had the virus.
But the other point about this is that, while we’re seeing a significant number of cases in the younger age group which is a phenomenon we’ve seen across Europe in the latest surge of COVID, it is the case that transmission amongst older age groups is also rising.
Around a third of today’s cases are actually in the over 40 age group and there are a number in the over 60 age group so transmission is rising across the spectrum of age ranges and I’ll say more shortly therefore about what we must all do to guard against transmission.
However, I will briefly address a couple of other issues first.
The Scottish Government Chief Economist has published his regular State of the Economy report today.
The report highlights that – year on year – economic output is likely to decline by 10% over the course of 2020. In many ways that is unsurprising, given the disruption caused to so many businesses. Nevertheless, that would still be the biggest reduction in output in modern times.
That is why the Scottish Government welcomed some parts of the UK Government’s announcement last week about continued support for employment and businesses. It is vital that some support for employers continues, after the furlough scheme ends at the end of October.
But we believe much more is still required and we want to work with the UK government constructively to that end. We can’t get away from the fact that the pandemic will continue to have a significant and, to a large extent, an unavoidable impact on our economy and support provided must reflect that.
The second issue I want to cover relates to funding for health boards and our health and social care integration authorities.
The Health Secretary confirmed earlier today that we are making an additional £1.1 billion available for these bodies.
This will help them to meet additional costs associated with COVID – such as buying personal protective equipment (PPE), safeguarding against infection; and paying for additional staff, and providing cover for staff who are unwell or self-isolating.
The funding will play an important part in ensuring that our health and care services can continue to operate well in the weeks and months to come.
It should help them to prepare for the pressures of the winter, to care safely for patients who have COVID, as well as resume services that were paused during the early months of the pandemic for non-COVID treatments and procedures.
Now let me return to the central issue of the day, which is the current COVID position. As is said earlier, COVID is on the rise again across our population and across Scotland – just as it is across the UK, Europe and the world.
I want to return today to the key actions that we should all take to try and reduce transmission and in particular, the actions we all need to take if we get a positive test result.
This is absolutely vital in helping control the spread of the virus. And it is crucial for all of us, wherever we live – there has been lots of focus on students in halls of residence recently – but self-isolation is essential for all of us if we test positive no matter where we live.
Essentially, if you have any one of the three recognised symptoms of COVID, you should start to self-isolate immediately, and book a test.
You can do that through the NHS Inform website. And I want to be very clear, while we’re not complacent and monitor this carefully, there is good availability of and access to testing across Scotland so make sure you don’t delay booking a test if you have symptoms.
The symptoms are a new cough, a high temperature, or a loss of – or change in – your sense of taste or smell.
From the time you realise you have one of these symptoms, you should not leave your house, except if you need to do that to get tested. You should not use public transport to go to a testing centre – if you can avoid that, you should instead drive or get someone to drive you, request a home test, or use a walk-in centre if there is one nearby or a mobile testing unit.
When you get your test result, if you test negative, and don’t have COVID, you can stop self-isolating at that point.
However if you have COVID, you need to self-isolate for a further 10 days, starting from the day on which you took the test.
Other people in your household should self-isolate for 14 days. They need to self-isolate for longer because if they get COVID from you, their infectious period will probably start a few days after yours did.
In addition, if you test positive someone from Test and Protect will speak to you to identify other possible contacts of yours.
And of course if you have downloaded the Protect Scotland app, you should also enter the code you have been given with your test result.
Once that code is entered onto the app, contacts identified by the app will automatically be notified. This is really important. Since we launched the app a couple of weeks ago, hundreds of people – who might not otherwise have been identified – have received notifications in this way and been given advice to self-isolate.
If you find out that you are a contact of someone with COVID – either through a Test and Protect team, or from the app – you need to self-isolate for 14 days. You will be told when that 14 day period starts from.
And the key thing to stress here is that self-isolation really does mean self-isolation. It means not leaving your house at all.
Because we know that’s really tough, we are working to put as much support in place as possible. For example, we are working with local authorities to ensure that when someone is asked by Test and Protect to self-isolate, they are contacted and offered essential practical support – for example help with delivery of food and other essentials. You can also dial the national assistance hotline if you need to self-isolate and need some help on 0800 111 4000. That’s 0800 111 4000.
As I said last week, we are also introducing financial support of £500 for those on low incomes as a way of supporting people to do the right thing. More details of that will be available later this week.
But although self-isolation is tough, it is also essential.
So please do self-isolate when you need to. It is one of the key ways in which we can help ensure that the virus does not spread to new households. And it is one of the ways in which all of us, at various times, may well be required to play our part in tackling the spread of the virus.
Now I’ve spent some time on self-isolation because it is so important and we want to make sure people understand why it’s so important and also what needs to be done when you’re asked to self-isolate and the support that is available. But there are of course other steps we must all take to try to reduce transmission.
So let me end with a quick recap of what those other steps are:
With some limited exceptions, none of us should be visiting each other’s homes at the moment.
When we do meet other households – outdoors, or in indoor public places – we must not meet in groups of more than six people from a maximum of two households.
We should all try to limit our visits to, and social interactions in, places like pubs and restaurants.
We should work from home if we can.
We should all download the Protect Scotland app, if we can.
And finally, all of us in all our interactions, should remember FACTS:
face coverings
avoid crowded places
clean hands and hard surfaces
maintain a two metre distance from people from other households
and – as I have already talked about today – immediately self-isolate, and book a test, if you have any of the recognised symptoms
These rules are not easy to comply with and they are a huge inconvenience to all of us in our daily lives. But they are essential right now to ensure that all of us are playing our part in trying to stem the increase in COVID and bring the virus back under control.
So again, my thanks to everybody for all of the many sacrifices that I know are being made the length and breadth of the country.
Expertise and experience wanted to help tackle poverty and inequality
Ideas are being gathered to drive a fairer recovery in the wake of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Organisations and community groups are being asked to share ideas and evidence based on their experiences of responding to the pandemic, and their engagement with people with lived experience of poverty and inequality.
Responses will help inform the work of the Scottish Government’s Advisory Board on Social Renewal, which is tasked with building on the positive policy and practice shifts seen during COVID-19 to tackle disadvantage and poverty, and advance equality and social justice.
Analysis of responses will feed into the board’s discussions, and a report on the outcomes will be published later this year.
Social Security Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the health, wealth and emotional wellbeing of our communities is vital to inform our response to and recovery from the pandemic. We also know particular groups have been disproportionately impacted by the crisis.
“That’s why we established the Social Renewal Advisory Board to focus on reducing poverty and disadvantage and advancing equality across a range of issues.
We now want to hear from the many organisations and community groups working on social renewal that will have adapted, changed and repurposed in light of COVID-19. There is significant learning on this to be shared and we want to capture that expertise.
“Our call for ideas and evidence will help us drive forward our ambitions on creating a fairer, more equal society and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are heard.”
The call for ideas and evidence will run until 16 October.
From local streets to sandy beaches, Scots are being encouraged to get litter in the bag with litter picks in their area.
Zero Waste Scotland is supporting Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Marine Conservation Society with funding to provide individuals, couples, families and small groups (in-line with Scottish Government outdoors advice) with litter-picking and survey kits to deal with littering and help keep Scotland stunning.
Designed for small groups and with social distancing in mind, the kits have everything required to tackle wrappers, packets and anything else strewn near areas people live or like to spend time in.
Iain Gulland, Chief Executive of Zero Waste Scotland, said:“Whether it has been our local streets, parks, woodland, countryside or coastline, recent months have highlighted how valuable our environment is to so many of us and why it needs to be kept that way.
“The work of Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Marine Conservation Society in reducing litter is hugely important for us as individuals enjoying where we are and for the wellbeing of wildlife.
“It is a shame that these projects have to take place and a small number continue to drop litter. We urge people to get involved and help to keep the areas they hold dear clean and precious.”
The funding will help to provide additional clean up kits – including via community-based hubs – as well as survey kits, plus online support and guidance from Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Marine Conservation Society on how to carry these out safely. In addition, they’ll be sharing the information that results from the project.
Natural Environment Minister, Mairi Gougeon said:“Our natural environment is vital to allow biodiversity to thrive and flourish. Litter is harmful to wildlife and the marine environment so these kits from Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Marine Conservation Society will help keep our communities litter free and protect our natural world.
“Everyone needs to take responsibility for protecting our environment. Littering and damage to our natural surroundings is completely unacceptable and there is no place for this type of anti-social behaviour anywhere in Scotland.
“I would like to give my sincere thanks to all those who volunteer to collect rubbish from our beaches, countryside and green spaces. The litter data collected by clean-ups is vitally important to help develop long-term solutions to litter.”
Tara Proud, Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said:“Did you hear Sir David Attenborough’s urgent and heartfelt call to action this week?
“One way that you can help protect Scotland’s stunning coastlines and vulnerable sea life is through litter picking and surveying. When you take part in our beach litter survey, the data you collect helps us to push for a ‘green recovery’ with policies which put environmental issues at the forefront.
“Get a small group of friends and family together for your own beach clean. If you can’t get to the coast, why not try our new Source to Sea Litter Quest, tracking what’s littering our parks and streets and flowing to the sea.”
Chief Executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful Barry Fisher welcomed the funding announcement, adding:“Our polling* shows that 29% believe that the amount of litter has got worse over the lockdown period, but we know that people across the country want to take action to change that.
“This funding will allow us to triple the number of Clean Up Scotland community litter picking hubs we support across Scotland, strengthening the capacity of communities to survey and take action on litter in their own neighbourhoods.”
The litter picks follow on from the ‘Scotland is Stunning – Let’s Keep It That Way’ campaign delivered by Zero Waste Scotland, together with Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Scottish Government, during July and August.
The project highlighted the country’s natural beauty and wildlife and urged visitors not to spoil it by littering when they’re enjoying the delights of our coast, countryside and campsites.
